The obvious danger of sleeping under an electric blanket is the possibility of it catching fire while you’re asleep, but there’s another danger that’s not quite as well known. Research has shown that death from heat stroke can result from sleeping with an electric blanket on. Hours of exposure to the blanket’s heat can cause dehydration, resulting in the body’s inability to keep cool and the temperature rising to life-threatening levels. Medical experts recommend that people with nerve damage and poor circulation not use an electric blanket because their conditions affect the ability to detect if and when the blanket becomes dangerously hot. People with diabetes are also discouraged from using an electric blanket because the neuropathy associated with diabetes can make it difficult, if not impossible, to feel when the blanket becomes too hot. In addition, pregnant women are also cautioned against using these types of blankets because of the risk that an electric blanket may dangerously elevate a pregnant woman’s body temperature.
