Heating Blanket vs Heated Mattress Pad?

I would stick with the blanket-it is easier to throw off if you get too warm-a million women in menopause are in tears right now!

tehehe, I don't have the answer to your question. But just reading it gives me the willies! My night sweats and hot flashes are SOOO bad I'd rather be laying naked in a snow bank all night!

Plus, my guy is a Human Furnace.

:)

I have a heated blanket and I love it. I turn it on before I get into bed (It's a "Sunbeam" with dual digital controls and has a "pre-heat" setting to warm the bed before it automatically drops to your favorite setting (I think it goes from 1-20, so there is plenty of room to adjust according to what you like...I like 4 on cool nights and 7 on freezing cold nights).

ETA: Regarding the "electric blankets cause cancer" crowd: All things electric cause an electromagnetic field (EMF). Some EMFs are stronger than others. While some things with high EMFs are concerning (living under huge power lines, for instance), electric blankets emit a very, very low EMF. The biggest danger you have is not cancer (studies are still not conclusive, since people who don't sleep under electric blankets also get cancer in these studies), but having the heat too high. In 1991 the standards for electic blankets changed to make them safer...so if you are using one from before then, it probably has a higher EMF. Get a new one. Otherwise...do some research and see if you really feel that you should be concerned.

Best of luck!

Used to have a heated mattress pad. I liked it better because the heat was more even and stayed where it was supposed to be. At least in my experience heating blankets don't work if the two people using it use different settings. I suppose they could be used as a way to train a blanket hog mind you. :p

with me, I'd want a blanket, b/c if I get toooo hot, I can pull the blanket down off my arms or whatever. If I got a mattress pad and got too hot, there would be no avoiding it except to turn it off.

(also, husband would NOT like a mattress pad on our bed. He'd sweat like crazy).

Medically speaking...they are not very good for you.

I've had both. I prefer the blanket. I get bothered easily when I sleep, and my problem with the mattress pad is that I could feel the wires when I lay on them. Even if they were under the fitted sheet and a regular mattress pad. It really bugged me. One winter was it for the heated mattress pad, and I went back to the blanket.

I love my heated mattress pad! I turn it on for about a half hour before I climb into bed and then turn it off when I get settled. I have a comforter that keeps the heat in well while I sleep.

Like others are saying, I've heard that electric blankets can be hazardous to your health and could possibly cause cancer. Because of this I personally would not use one. If you are going to continue than maybe turn it on shortly before you crawl into bed and then turn it off and leave it off.

A healthier alternative might be a down comforter, warmer pjs, socks, and or sleep in a warm robe.

I made a rice blanket. It is 2 by 2 feet and I just made a square and left an entire side open. Sewed straight lines down about 3 inches apart and filled each tube with rice and sewed up the end fold over and rolled it up and put in the microwave for 2 minutes. It gets put wherever I sit or lay. I stopped using electric heaters when a fire happened as a result of one. I have also heard you should not surround yourself with electricity when you rest.

I have a heating pad that is about 1 foot x 1 foot from CVS. It has several setting and it turns itself off after about half an hour. I think they cost about $25. I put it in the bed at bum level before I go brush my teeth and when I get in bed I move to my feet level. I often just shut it off after 5 minutes of warming up my feet, or it shuts itself off later. I find this is good enough for me, and I have always been cold too. What has helped the most all my life (I am from the Netherlands where it is always damp if not cold, and now live in the Boston area where it is very cold this time of year) is that we each have our OWN down comforter with flannel comforter cover. That way you can roll up into the comforter like a burrito and hubbie moving around does not steal your warmth. My kids each have their own as well. It also makes for very easy bed-making: we thrown the comforters over the foot board in the AM and fluff them up and put them back over in the PM.
My mom has a heated mattress pad under her at all time, but I find that I prefer being able to hold the smaller pad between my stone cold feet instead of just laying on a heated bed. And the other poster is right - it is not recommended that you sleep with the heating pad on because that means electricity is running through it and that could a) be dangerous and b) dries out your muscle moisture (or so I have heard). Another option is to buy a large bag or white rice, fill a clean tube sock with the rice, tie the tube sock closed, then microwaver the tube sock for about 2 minutes, shake the rice around, if not hot enough microwave for another minute or so, and then lay that rice sock in your bed. My kids use one when they play outside and put it inside their snow suit. It is re-usable and stays very warm for about half an hour.

Funny, I prefer the mattress pad being heated. Heat rises, so it makes sense.. That is why I loved our waterbed back in the day..

Cold air falls.

Consider the floor heaters and the air conditioners up on the ceilings.

Same idea.

I bought a heating blanket 29$ (tigetdirect) and put in underneath my fitted sheet thus turning it into a mattress pad. I love it!