electric blanket or space heater?

**CatInTheSun** · 11-12-2011, 02:48 PM

Personally, I'm just not comfortable using electric blankets, esp with kids. They do emit an EMF around them (hence, thru the body), and no one can say that's dangerous or safe, but when it comes to a young developing body, I don't want to take that risk. Similarly, they know electric blankets can overheat kids, is bad for genitals (not that the kid is interested in procreation, but again I'm concerned about possible impact on development).

I would opt for the space heater -- we use an oil filled electric type, so the heated surface isn't hot enough to burn. It has a thermostat and timer, but we also put it on a wall switch so we cut the power to it when we don't want it on (left the 3yo plays with the dials). We preheat the room a bit, too.

Ironically perhaps, my field is radiative transfer, so I don't think all radiation is evil, but I do believe in minimizing exposure when possible.

**Batgirl** · 11-12-2011, 02:53 PM

That's so funny. I was going to suggest a hot water bottle too, even though we rarely need them here in the NW.

**coloradoalice** · 11-12-2011, 02:53 PM

http://www.livestrong.com/article/76...ets-safe-kids/ This article has a lot of the stuff that makes me wary of electric blankets/mattress pads. I think using them to warm up the bed might be nice but I don't think I'd leave them on while the kids were sleeping.

We just use feather comforters with duvets and heavy jammies. Hot water bottles sound good too!

**dbmamaz** · 11-12-2011, 02:57 PM

oh, or rice socks - fill an old sock w rice and put it in the microwave! I'm searching for cheap insulated curtains to put UNDER my son's bedroom curtains. His bed is next to the window, and all of our windows need to be replaced. Last winter he ended up in our bed every night, but he's been sleeping SO much better!! We have a wool blanket we throw between the fleece blanket and the comforter, but i turn the heat down below 60 at night because i actually sleep much more soundly that way. i should consider the heated pad for my daughter, tho

**Stella M** · 11-12-2011, 04:57 PM

Hot water bottles.

Warm up his room before bed with a heater, put him to bed with a hot water bottle and bed socks and a hat if need be

Electric blankets can go badly wrong.

**rumbledolly** · 11-12-2011, 05:34 PM

I'm very wary about anything electric being on my bed and I'm definitely a person who will not leave an electric heater on at night - especially in a bedroom. I know this comes from my dad being a firefighter and the horror stories about burns and house fires. Though I know they have come a long way I'm still not comfortable.

We have a very old house, built in 1913, and the heat upstairs is almost non-existent though luckily our house is not drafty. It doesn't make sense to keep the thermostat high when it's only going to fry the downstairs so we go down to 62/63 at night. We use down comforters, rice socks, hot water bottles if it's really cold, fleece, and wool blankets. If it's really chilly then DD always wears a hat and I'll wear a pullover with a hoodie (very very romantic).

We have an oil filled radiator we use in our upstairs hallway for an hour before bed to help remove the chill but it's off and unplugged before the last person turns in. It's the one thing my DH and I agree on - absolutely no space heaters running when we're all in bed. We still hear of way to many house fires caused by them.

**Stella M** · 11-12-2011, 05:41 PM

Yeah, heaters are all definitely off in our house before the last person goes to bed too.

Flannelette sheets are good, they warm up quicker.

**farrarwilliams** · 11-12-2011, 05:42 PM

Wow! Thanks for lots of responses.

The oil filled radiator is what we have now. It was inexpensive and I feel like it's basically safe and he was pretty responsible about turning it off first thing in the morning, but I didn't like that we had to leave it on all night. I like the idea of the hot water bottle though. Now that's cheap and effective. Maybe I'll get one and do that most nights and just run the space heater in the dead, dead of winter.

**Stella M** · 11-12-2011, 05:47 PM

Or run the space heater till you go to bed. By that time he should be all snug and cozy in his many layers

You can get cute hot water bottle covers too. He could have two, one for his toes and one to snuggle up with.

**farrarwilliams** · 11-12-2011, 05:54 PM

When it gets really cold, if I don't let it run, that room hits peak cold around 3 or 4 am though. And it's REALLY cold. Cold enough that it pretty consistently was waking him up last winter before I got the heater.

I feel like it has to run. I actually was sort of doing the opposite - turning it on before I went to bed around midnight and letting him turn it off first thing in the morning.