Cold nights are settling in for the rest of the winter season. In this cool weather you want your home to feel as warm and cozy as possible. However, with utility bills always increasing and energy efficiency on everyone’s mind, turning the thermostat down at night is a common habit. It is a good habit for many reasons, but turning the thermostat down may still leave you feeling cold and uncomfortable in bed while you fall asleep. Being too cold at night may even interrupt your sleep. A heated mattress pad can warm up your bed before you go to sleep so you can drift off comfortably, even when the thermostat is low.

Heating from the bottom up

Heated mattress pads offer a few advantages that traditional electric blankets don’t. Heat rises, so when you use an electric blanket much of the heat is lost out of the top of the bed. A heated blanket requires more energy to keep the bed and your body warm than a heated mattress pad.

Because the mattress pad is on the lowest surface of the bedding it warms all of the layers of bedding from the fitted sheet to the comforter. If you turn it on before you go to bed, the entire bed will be heated before you lay down. The heat is then trapped between the mattress and the comforter perfectly warming your entire body.

Relieving Pain

Heated mattress pads are also ideal for people who suffer from neck, back and joint pain. The warmth comes from below so it is directly applied to the pain stricken areas. Arthritis Today also suggests using heat to relieve pain stating, “Warming tissues eases arthritis pain by increasing blood flow to affected areas, which can help decrease inflammation, relax tight muscles and eliminate waste products such as lactic acid that cause stiffness and soreness.” Heated mattress pads can provide continuous even heat to sore joints and aching muscles throughout the night.

An electric blanket is great for cuddling on the couch and has many uses, but if you want to turn the thermostat down and settle in for a warm, efficient night of sleep a heated mattress pad will more effectively do the job.

Photo “9.9” courtesy of dwstucke