Can You Sleep With An Infrared Heating Pad?

Infrared heating pads are an effective and easy to use remedy for muscle aches, cramps, or general body pain. If you are already using one, you might be familiar with the therapeutic benefits of using one.

Never fall asleep while using an infrared heating pad. Leaving the heating pad on while sleeping for long periods of time is dangerous as it can cause burns to the skin. Infrared heating pads are supposed to be used for no more than 30 minutes at a time, so sleeping with one is not recommended.

Using an Infrared Heating Pad While Sleeping

The inherent danger of using electric heating is the chance of overheating or electric malfunction that can lead to a fire. Modern infrared heating pads come with safety systems but the chance of a malfunction cannot be ruled away. This can be potentially very dangerous especially if you are sleeping.             
Your infrared heating pad can be a fire hazard if your outlet sparks or melts due to overheating. Furthermore, fraying wires or defective auto switches can be an issue especially if you are sleeping and unaware of your surroundings. Infrared heating pads are electric, so there is always a chance of getting electrocuted, although this is highly implausible.

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Infrared Heating Pad Burn

Apart from the risk of starting a fire, heating pads can also burn your skin after prolonged use even if you have set it at moderate heating. If you fall asleep with a particular part of your body exposed to the infrared heating pad you are essentially putting yourself at risk of irritation or burns.

Although very rare, third-degree burns due to overexposure to heating pads have been reported. And no if you are in deep sleep, you probably will not wake up till it’s too late. Even if you don’t burn yourself, the heat can lead to skin dryness.

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Infrared Heating Pad Lowers Inflammation

The way infrared heating pads work is by boosting blood flow to the affected area which then helps in repairing muscle and reducing inflammation. However, overexposure can have the opposite effect as blood can get trapped in the affected area leading to more inflammation. This is why using heating pads for too long isn’t recommended.

Hurting Yourself or Damaging the Heating Pad.

Infrared heating pads are quite slim and light nowadays but that does not refute the fact that they are sizeable objects. If you sleep with one, there is a possibility of you rolling onto the infrared heating pad and hurting yourself.  This can be further exacerbated if you are already injured.

If you have placed the heating pad underneath your body and fall asleep, you can end up damaging it. Many infrared heating pads state that putting too much pressure on them can cause internal wiring or equipment damage.

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Conclusion

We have highlighted the main concerns of using a heating pad while sleeping. We hope that these concerns are enough to convince you to turn it off before you fall asleep. Although newer models come with various safety features, we believe that the dangers far outweigh the benefits.