Have you ever had an electric blanket? Some people are scared of lying on something that is plugged into the national grid and I have to admit that when I think of electric blankets in that manner, they do sound pretty frightening.
However, there are two types of electric blankets: there are those that are meant to stay on all night and there are those that are intended to be switched off and unplugged before you get into bed.
The second type is naturally the one to be recommended for those of a nervous disposition. I have never owned an electric blanket, because my father said that they were for ‘sissys’, but I have slept in beds that made use of electric blankets.
Whilst I stayed over at my maternal grand-parents’ house or my Aunty Lil’s there was always an electric blanket in the bed. My aunty used a pre-warmer and my grand-parents used the ‘always-on’ kind. As a young boy, I have to say that the ‘always-on’ type of electric blanket was too warm for me.
However, in those days, in the Sixties, homes were not as draft-proof as they are now and I did not know anyone whose house was centrally heated or double glazed. In fact, everyone that I knew used to put an overcoat on the bed in winter if it got particularly cold. It did not cross my mind that that was unusual, everyone did it.
The fact is that some people feel the cold more than others and there are numerous reasons for this ranging from frailty to age and sickness. Another reason for using electric blankets is if it is too costly to heat the whole house or bedroom. It is always going to be cheaper to heat a bed that it is to heat a bedroom. The cost of pre-heating a double bed is still pennies compared with using an electric fire.
Some people, my wife included, likes to maintain the background temperature in the bedroom cold. OK, cold in Thailand is about 20c, but while we were in the UK, she insisted that we slept with the windows open in winter and it was truly cold. She is not alone in liking to sleep in a warm bed while her face is cold. She says that she gets a better night’s sleep in this way.
If you or a sick or old relative wants to try an electric blanket, be careful where you get it from. In saying this I mean be cautious of purchasing a cheap electric blanket from abroad off eBay in case it is not made to run off the electric supply that you have in your country.
You also have to make sure that the blanket conforms to the health and safety laws in your country. Electric blankets are safe if you follow basic health and safety rules, but be cautious of ‘always-on’ blankets if you eat in bed.
Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on a variety of subjects, but is now involved with Personalized Throw Blankets. If you want to know more, please visit our web site at Woollen Blankets.
