Time to breakout the heating blankets. If you don’t have one, go get one. It will help you survive your first PsA winter with a lot less aches and pains.
There are dual control blankets for the bed so that you don’t sweat your partner out of bed and smaller throw blankets for the couch or your favorite recliner. If you have a desk job, plug that baby in at work.
This is one of those things, that once you have one, you’ll wonder how you lived without one.
We're trying out something a little bit different. I'm making bed warmers. I've made them for my kids already, they are about 7" X 20", and the kids are loving them. I just need to make for me and my hubby now. (Right now I'm stealing my son's after he goes to sleep.
Ah yes! I keep a heat pad next to my bed to slip under the hips when the SI joints start screaming. And they tend to scream each winter. Maybe a blanket would work even better!
But simplified. I used cracked corn from the feed store. A 50lb bag cost $7, so I can make tons of them. I bought some flannel, and cut a yard into 4 rectangles. Each of these I folded in half and sewed around three sides, first right side together, then flipped them and went around again from the outside. (Double seams avoid leakage.) Then I filled the sac with 2 cups of cracked corn, pinned it across, then sewed across (2X, about 1/2" apart). The size of mine, I made three of these pockets, and then had about 4" left over. Too little to fill another. Hmm. So I folded it over nicely with the raw edges inside, and double seamed this as well. It gives me a nice 2" wide handle that doesn't get heated up.
We throw it in the microwave for about 2.5 minutes, and it holds its heat for quite some time.
I also have to admit, I had already filled a few too small kids socks with rice, and have been using these as small compresses, mostly for my eyes.
Thanks for reminding me, I now have the electric blanket ready to go on the bed (with dual controls, of course) and our heating pads are ALWAYS plugged in and at the ready beside the bed. I also have a twin-sized electric blanket that I use in my office at home but, like you said, I'm considering bringing to work as my office is in a 1909(ish) building with two 10foot tall single pane windows. In Indiana. Brrrrrr.
Anyone have any recommendations on what brands are good? I really need to get one of these so i can stop getting up in the middle of the night to heat up my rice sock. My teens are really good at throwing my comforter in the dryer and heating it up for me before they go to bed ... love it!!!
Nym, are you asking about heating blankets or heating pads? I have suggestions for each:
I have a dual control heating blanket that I picked up from Target which works really well. (Biddeford brand). Love it. It is made to go on top of the bed and I usually put it inside the duvet cover with the comforter (I had to cut opent he seams of the cover to do this but this way the blanket and the comforter aren't at war with each other.
I have recently purchased another new heating pad. Sunbeam. There are pretty standard heating pads then there are more flexible ones that feature the heating elements sewn into the fabric. I favor this kind as they are more flexible. I will say one thing about heating pads--they wear out. The things that stops working on heating pads is the electronic control. So, don't be disappointed if your $40 heating pad lasts for only a year or less. They aren't made very well and the heating control wears out quickly.
I have the same brand blanket as Jane. Dual controls for each side. We love it. Hubs turns it on 20 minutes before bed so I can get in when it’s toasty. I put ours between the sheet and the quilt and it stays put pretty well. I found ours at Tuesday Morning on clearance and paid 35 for it. The controls are small boxes about the size of a small alarm clock and we set those on the night stands. The cables are long enough that we tuck them under the side edge of the bed all the way up to the end tables where the control boxes are. It’s very neat. It was a steal and in the right color too. I also got the smaller electric throws from there. Same brand. We are pleased with all of them.
Thanks grumpy, I have an old heating blanket switch sides with the wife and it's working great for me I've used heated Mattress pads in the past they only last about a year, I'm going on the third year with this blanket I asked wife to buy me a new one for Christmas this one's about gone I have to say two days prior to this I could not sleep the pain was bad This heating blanket has gave me a lot of relief thank you… :-) ><>
I've never had a heating blanket, I do have a wonderful bean bag that my daughter gave me with lavender in it. I have occasional hot flashes in the middle of the night...mind you...I haven't had one for a while! I was gifted fleece pajamas for Christmas a few years back and couldn't use them as I would flash and they would hold in the moisture....then I froze :-(