Ask the Doctors: Electric blankets might be cozy, but they ...

By Eve Glazier, M.D., , Elizabeth Ko and M.D.

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Andrews McMeel Syndication

Dear Doctor: My wife and I sleep with an electric blanket for heat. Is there a health hazard in using it too long at night?

Dear Reader: Considering the extreme weather that froze wide swaths of the nation this past winter – including many usually temperate areas – it’s not surprising to learn that electric blankets have been pressed into service. Your question about safety of the devices echoes the concerns of many readers.

One of the potential risks of using electric blankets is inadvertently overheating the body. Electric bedding should never be used for an infant or someone who is immobile.

Certain medical conditions, including diabetes, can result in neuropathy, which arises from damage to the peripheral nerves. Neuropathy causes pain, tingling and prickling sensations, most commonly in the feet and hands. It can also result in numbness. Any of these symptoms can have the net effect of interfering with an individual’s sensitivity to heat, particularly while sleeping. This makes it possible to become overheated while sleeping with an electric blanket, or even suffer burns in areas of direct contact with the appliance. While there have been several reports over the years of heat stroke deaths caused by elevated core body temperatures due sleeping with an electric blanket, these are exceedingly rare.

Less dramatic but still important is the potential for heated blankets to affect sleep. Numerous studies over the decades have shown that our core body temperature drops a few degrees as we sleep. Lower body temperature has also been linked to a faster onset and better quality of sleep. By creating a continuously heated environment, electric blankets may interfere with the body’s nocturnal temperature cycles, thus interfering with sleep.

The topic that seems to generate the most controversy about electric blankets is the question of electromagnetic fields, or EMFs. These are areas of energy that are present in the natural world as well as in the man-made one. In the built world, EMFs are generated by power lines, the electric wiring within a home, wireless communication devices and equipment, and electrical appliances, including the electric blanket. The concern is that, because our bodies generate billions of tiny electrical impulses that are capable of being influenced by external EMFs, exposure may present a health hazard. Although the issue continues to generate numerous studies and an ocean of ink with impassioned arguments on both sides, a definitive conclusion has not yet been reached.

One potential compromise is to use the electric blanket to preheat the bed. Turn it on an hour or so before you retire for the night, and turn it off before getting into bed. With a snug and cozy start to the night, we think you’ll find a few layers of quilts and blankets will keep you warm until morning. In the meantime, if you do use an electric blanket, be sure it’s in good working order. Address any potential tripping hazards presented by the controls and wires, and follow the manufacturer’s directions regarding placement, maintenance and cleaning.

Send your questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla.edu.

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11-15-2018, 01:55 PM Quietude  

Location: Aurora Denveralis

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Quote:

elnina

Originally Posted by

Here you go: I sleep on it like a baby

Sorry, blog posts aren't cites for this kind of claim.

 

11-15-2018, 01:58 PM M3 Mitch  

Location: Eastern Washington

17,218 posts, read 57,105,963 times

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You may find that an older electric blanket with an analog control, available cheap at your local Goodwill or similar, is a better value than what you can buy new anymore.


I have an old blanket, Sunbeam I think, that I bought new around 1982. It's still going strong. Some time ago got a more recent Sunbeam with dual controls, those went on the fritz awhile back, I did contact Sunbeam and I think they would fix me up with a new blanket or at least controllers, but for now the old reliable is on the bed and it's taking care of business.

 

11-15-2018, 03:13 PM hackwriter  

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Reputation: 2157

My heat pump died last winter and it was a week without heat. I pulled out the down comforter I neglected to give away before I moved south and it kept us all nice and toasty.

 

11-15-2018, 03:28 PM Quietude  

Location: Aurora Denveralis

8,712 posts, read 6,768,876 times

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Quote:

hackwriter

Originally Posted by

My heat pump died last winter and it was a week without heat. I pulled out the down comforter I neglected to give away before I moved south and it kept us all nice and toasty.

Never cared for electrics except to pre-heat the bed. Now I just have 300 pounds of dog.

There were many years where we put one more blanket on the bed every couple of weeks, adapting to winter temps... and then the delightful weekend when we swapped out their smothering weight for the down comforter. I hated for spring to come, some years...Never cared for electrics except to pre-heat the bed. Now I just have 300 pounds of dog.

 

11-15-2018, 05:56 PM Steve McDonald  

Location: Eugene, Oregon

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Quote:

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit electric heating blanket shawl supplier.

greatblueheron

Originally Posted by

The best one I purchased and the nicest one too, was a Sunbeam that quit working after one wash. I don't have any suggestions....but in this case it might be best to buy in a higher quality store...then if it quits in a short period they can honor the warranty...if there is one.

Try looking at Bed Bath and Beyond online, or Cuddledown....Linensource...

I keep heated throws around for my cats....The best one I purchased and the nicest one too, was a Sunbeam that quit working after one wash. I don't have any suggestions....but in this case it might be best to buy in a higher quality store...then if it quits in a short period they can honor the warranty...if there is one.Try looking at Bed Bath and Beyond online, or Cuddledown....Linensource...

One morning, after a 10 F degree night, there was a large pile of fur on it. An ear or a paw could be seen here and there, but no one cat could be discerned. There were actually four large cats entwined on top of it. It was the only time those four were ever able to tolerate each other that closely. The closed-cell pad, plus each other's closeness, kept them warm. These were rugged cats, that would have protested loudly, if they'd been locked inside, regardless of how cold it was.

Here's a low-tech solution for a sleeping pad for cats in cold weather. Get a section of dense, closed-cell foam, of the type used under mats for aerobic exercise or for use as sleeping pads when camping. It doesn't absorb moisture and retains body heat very well, from cats or people. I put a 14" X 26" section of it out on my patio for my cats.One morning, after a 10 F degree night, there was a large pile of fur on it. An ear or a paw could be seen here and there, but no one cat could be discerned. There were actually four large cats entwined on top of it. It was the only time those four were ever able to tolerate each other that closely. The closed-cell pad, plus each other's closeness, kept them warm. These were rugged cats, that would have protested loudly, if they'd been locked inside, regardless of how cold it was.

 

11-15-2018, 06:35 PM ddm2k  

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The only person I've known to use one has kept it working by placing it between two thin comforters, so the blanket isn't in contact with skin thus doesn't have to be laundered as often as pillowcases and sheets.

 

11-15-2018, 06:38 PM ddm2k  

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Quote:

M3 Mitch

Originally Posted by

You may find that an older electric blanket with an analog control, available cheap at your local Goodwill or similar, is a better value than what you can buy new anymore.


I have an old blanket, Sunbeam I think, that I bought new around 1982. It's still going strong. Some time ago got a more recent Sunbeam with dual controls, those went on the fritz awhile back, I did contact Sunbeam and I think they would fix me up with a new blanket or at least controllers, but for now the old reliable is on the bed and it's taking care of business.

Or get a heated waterbed!

 

11-15-2018, 06:44 PM 2sleepy  

Location: Living rent free in your head

42,850 posts, read 26,307,990 times

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Quote:

ddm2k

Originally Posted by

The only person I've known to use one has kept it working by placing it between two thin comforters, so the blanket isn't in contact with skin thus doesn't have to be laundered as often as pillowcases and sheets.

We use a top sheet under the blanket and a comforter over it. I thought most people used top sheets but maybe that's changed?

 

11-15-2018, 10:15 PM ddm2k  

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Quote:

2sleepy

Originally Posted by

We use a top sheet under the blanket and a comforter over it. I thought most people used top sheets but maybe that's changed?

I don’t personally use a heated blanket but I do use normal, complete bed covers. But I’m leaving room for the possibility that there may be a motivation for washing the blanket more often than it needs to be.

 

11-15-2018, 10:52 PM Lynncc  

22 posts, read 36,995 times

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Hammacher Schlemmer electric blankets are the best in my opinion. They distribute heat evenly & last for years. I’m pretty sure they will replace it if you have a problem with it, for free. We’ve had ours for 20 years that we bought there & I wash it all the time, still works perfectly. A little pricier than others mentioned but well worth it for the quality.

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