Are Magnetic Mattress Pads Safe?

You've heard that they can help your sleep, but are magnetic mattress pads safe for long-term use?Have you heard that you will sleep better on a magnetic mattress pad? Do you have some concerns, though? They’re expensive so you want to be sure that you are making a wise investment in something that will actually help you, not harm you. I completely agree with you. It is an investment. So, are magnetic mattress pads safe?

I’ve been sleeping on my magnetic pad for almost 11 years. I love it. I’ve also been a distributor for the pad I use for that long and have heard a lot of the concerns. I will share those with you in this post.

Will I Be Able to Wake Up?

Are magnetic mattress pads safe? Do they make you sleep so deeply that you can’t wake up?

I remember one lady I talked to several years ago. She told me that she used to live in a trailer and there was a fire one night while she was sleeping. She woke up and was able to get out safely but the experience left a fear in her mind of her home catching fire while she was sleeping.

So when I told her about how well she could sleep and deep she would sleep with the magnetic mattress pad she got very concerned. She was afraid that she would sleep so deeply that she wouldn’t be able to wake up if there was another emergency during the night.

The magnetic pad helps you to sleep naturally. The pad helps your body to relax so that you can drift off to sleep more easily. You naturally sleep more deeply and wake up refreshed when you go to bed relaxed. It isn’t like taking a drug that alters your body chemistry to induce sleep. It isn’t like anesthesia that is going to knock you out until it wears off. You will wake up.

My Experience

I’ve written a few posts recently about my current experience with a kidney stone. My doctor left a stent in my ureter during the first procedure (I’m having a second one next week) to help flush out the remains of the stone. I increased my water intake too to help flush and prevent any new stones in the future. So I wake up a few times during the night to go to the restroom.

My magnetic mattress topper has not prevented me from waking up when I have to go. No accidents during the night. The magnetic topper just makes it very easy for me to get back to sleep afterward.

I Have Metal Implants – Will I Be Able to Get Up?

Every now and then I run into someone who has some form of metal implant in their body, usually rods along the spine or something. They want to know, are magnetic mattress pads safe for them? Will they be able to get up or will the magnets hold them down?

There shouldn’t be any problem. My understanding is that any metal used in implants is non-magnetic and will not respond to magnetic fields.

This is from the FDA website:

The most common metals and alloys used in implants include stainless steel, cobalt-chrome alloy, titanium, and nickel-titanium alloy (nitinol). Other metals, such as gold, platinum, silver, iridium, tantalum, and tungsten, are also common in many medical devices.

Iron content is what makes metal magnetic and the only metal listed above that may contain iron is stainless steel. But it turns out that stainless steel isn’t just one specific metal alloy, but a class of alloys that contain some amount of chromium. One sub-group of stainless steel that includes nickel in the mix is non-magnetic, and is probably what is used in implants. I definitely wouldn’t take my word for it though. Check with your doctor to make sure that your implant is non-magnetic.

I Have a Pacemaker (or other Battery-Powered Implant)

Magnetic mattress pads have been around a long time helping people sleep, but are they safe for everyone?Are magnetic mattress pads safe for people with pacemakers or other battery-powered implants? While the previous two concerns really aren’t, this one is more serious. The official answer is to always check with your doctor before you use any magnetic device.

Someone told me a few years ago that pacemakers have 2 modes of operation. One is where the pacemaker is always on triggering a steady heartbeat. The other mode is more passive and only triggers a beat when the heart misses one. The second mode doesn’t use anywhere near as much power as the always-on mode does.

Magnetic fields cause the pacemaker to switch back and forth between the two modes which can cause the battery to run down faster. At least that is what I was told. A dead battery in your watch is no big deal. A dead battery in a pacemaker means surgery to go in and replace it and all of the risks that go with surgery. It’s better to just avoid the magnets and learn how to relax using meditation or breathing.

I Am Sensitive to Magnetic Fields

Magnetic field sensitivity is a tricky problem. Most people are fine with magnets and they have the desired effect. Some people are very sensitive though.

I talked to a lady once who was incredibly sensitive. She bought a magnetic bracelet and ended up having to give it to her neighbor because she couldn’t stand it being in her house.  My first thought was that it had to be all in her head. The magnets aren’t that powerful. If it’s at least a few feet away then there is no way that it could have an effect on her. But I can’t say. Maybe she really was that sensitive.

Fortunately those cases are very rare and they usually have a lot of other issues too. They are probably highly sensitive to chemicals and other things that are common in the house too for example. If you don’t have any other sensitivity issues then you probably won’t have any sensitivity issues with magnets either. The best thing to do is try a less expensive magnet first if you think you might be too sensitive. If you can handle that then you should be able to handle the mattress pad as well.

Will I Be Reluctant to Travel?

You very well may be reluctant to travel. I am.

When you get used to sleeping on a magnetic mattress pad you don’t want to be without it. Unfortunately, the pads don’t travel well. You can’t fold up a flat queen or king pad into a suitcase to take with you. I wish you could.

Obviously this isn’t a safety concern but it is something that you will experience.

Are Magnetic Mattress Pads Safe?

So, are magnetic mattress pads safe? For most people, yes they are. If you have a pacemaker or other batter-powered implant that responds to magnetic fields then you might want to stay away from magnets. They can be bad news. I recommend that people with sensitivity issues try a smaller, less expensive magnet first to see how they respond to it before investing in a magnetic mattress pad.

If you have any questions about magnetic mattress pads or this post, please leave a comment below. I appreciate you taking the time to read my post and I will appreciate it even more if you would take a moment to share this post with your followers on social media.

Disclaimer: I stated at the top of this post that I am a distributor for the magnetic pad that I use. As a distributor I may earn a commission if you place an order through any of the links on this page.

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4 Responses to Are Magnetic Mattress Pads Safe?

  1. wilma says:

    we have slept on a magnetic pad for 25 years. I recently had a full body scan and realize that the electromagnetic radiation is high. Wondered if there is correlation with the magnetic pad?

    • Hi Wilma. I’m not quite sure what you mean. Does the scan show that you have high exposure to electromagnetic radiation?
      One of the most common reasons I hear for sleeping on a magnetic mattress pad is that it insulates you from electromagnetic fields (EMF). Most of the EMFs that people want protection from are created by electronic devices – computers, TVs, cellphones, etc. Heat is another component of that radiation.
      The mattress toppers use static magnets and produce a constant magnetic field, without a variable electric component like in the potentially harmful fields from electronic devices.
      One thing you could do is stop sleeping on the magnetic pad for a while, maybe a month, and get checked again. If it continues to show high exposure then it probably isn’t the magnetic pad (unless you have one that plugs into the wall or runs on a battery).

  2. Shirley says:

    If I use a magnetic mattress pad will it affect my husband who has a pacemaker if his arm or leg touches it?

    • Hi Shirley. What I was told is that magnets can cause pacemakers to switch modes, which may cause problems and can run down the battery faster. Touching the pad with his arm or leg doesn’t matter. What does matter is his pacemaker getting close enough to the magnets to be affected, within the magnetic field of the pad. I don’t know how sensitive pacemakers are so I don’t know how close is safe.
      I would consult your husband’s doctor and see what he says. My feeling is that he will probably advise you against it. Changing the battery in a pacemaker isn’t as easy as grabbing a phillips head screwdriver.

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