Being Soothed to Sleep by My Heated Blanket

I am someone who has traditionally run warm my entire life. Every room I've ever slept in with a ceiling fan has had that fan on, at least medium speed. And in the rooms without ceiling fans, I've used tower fans, nightstand fans, and window air conditioning units – anything to keep my bedroom and my sleep environment cool to cold. I noticed later that being soothed to sleep by my heated blanket has benefits for my insomnia.

Noticing a change

During some seasons, I've slept only with a top sheet, others I've used just a thin blanket. I don't believe in sleeping with pants or socks or anything more than a long sleep shirt. I've been this way since childhood. When we first started living together, my husband used to call me a jetpack at night since I'd consistently be so warm.

Over the last 2 years, some things have changed with my body and my health.

It's not that I'm cold, per se, but things are definitely different.

Ordering a heated blanket

We moved into a new house in January of 2021, and the ceilings in our bedroom are very, very tall. Plus, the room is surrounded by windows. The room was a great temperature for sleep, but the extremely cold winter caused an around-the-clock throbbing in my joints, and 1 night while laying in bed, I ordered a twin-size heated blanket. I thought it would be like a big heating pad, and that sometimes I might fall asleep with it on.

Friends, I've slept with it every night since it arrived. Now, my husband also has his own (we like the option of controlling our own temperatures) and we're both obsessed for different reasons.

Heated blanket has benefits for my insomnia

Joint pain

Personally, it's done so much for my joints. My blanket has heat settings from 1 to 10 and I usually sleep with it on 3 to 5, so low to medium.

The warm, gentle, dispersed heat has helped with the joint pain and stiffness I'd begun to struggle with regularly in the mornings.

Feels like a warm hug

Additionally, the blanket is very soft. It has come to feel like a warm hug I get to wrap myself in every night.

Helps me fall asleep

My heated blanket has been especially beneficial for me on the nights when I struggle to fall asleep or wake up during the night and can't fall back asleep. My husband, always deeply and soundly asleep beside me, has never been able to be that comforting during the night – but my heated blanket has.

Improves my sleep environment

You might laugh, but I'm being serious. I've found that a combination of increasing the heat setting by 1 to 2 notches, along with re-starting some music or meditation in my calm app is the best sort of soothing sleep environment I can create.

Relaxation

The gentleness seems to provide my body with a way to relax. Or at least, a way to lean into the idea of dozing off better than it had before.

Part of my sleep routine

I want to be clear, this is unfortunately not a "cure-all" solution or even just 1 part of what helps me battle insomnia. In fact, sleeping with a heated blanket is 1 of many pieces of my sleep routine and sleep environment.

My blankie bonus benefits!

Currently, my routine includes sleep medication, an eye mask to block out the light, a bedtime routine, and a morning routine. Sleeping with a heated blanket is something that has brought me comfort. Also, I've found that the soothing feeling has brought down some of my nighttime anxiety over time.

If you sleep with a heated blanket, have you found any benefits to support better sleep (or your feelings about sleep even)?

What tools or tips have you utilized to break the anxiety and insomnia loop? Share your experience and tips in this forum.