How to Use a Magnetic Mattress Pad - Tips/Tricks and Scientific Discussion

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you. Full disclosure.

The medicinal field has been using magnets for quite a long time for various health purposes. Some theories have claimed that when the body is in pain, the magnetic fields in the body become out of balance. Placing a magnetic field near your body may restore the imbalance. With this being said, magnetic products such as magnetic mattress pads have come out to offer a more comfortable sleep and to help treat different health conditions. Magnetic mattress pads contain continuous strip magnets, which cover the whole bed to extend over your whole body when you sleep. 

To use a magnetic mattress pad, first place it on top of your mattress under your fitted sheets. Then,  sleep in contact with the magnetic mattress pad. Your body will benefit from increased blood circulation and oxygen supply, which will help tissues heal faster and return your body to a balanced state. 

Magnetic mattress pads are typically used when you have pain such as back pain, knee pain, headaches and migraines, or when you suffer from fibromyalgia, arthritis, or insomnia. However there is a lack of scientific evidence about how magnets work and about their effects on the human body. For more information, read this article from Hinman, July 2013, "The Therapeutic Use Of Magnets: A Review Of Recent Research for more information about the effect of magnets on the human body." We've also discussed the difference between magnetic mattress pads vs. mattress covers in our article. 

Related articles:

• Wondering what the benefits of copper mattress pads are?
• Do you have someone heading off to college soon? Take a look at how to choose a mattress topper vs. a mattress pad for college.

What is a Magnetic Mattress Pad?

A memory foam magnetic mattress pad that contains ceramic ferrite magnets to help you sleep comfortably at night. Image from Amazon. 

A magnetic mattress pad is a product that has 50 to 200 magnets sewn into a durable fabric. Usually, the outer layer of the pad is made up of a hypoallergenic material such as cotton or damask. The magnets are usually rated between 200 to 10000 gauss. 

Magnetic mattress pads help insomniacs achieve a deeper and more recuperative sleep. The magnets induce relaxation and soothe morning aches (this article from the Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation gives more information) and stiffness when you wake up. 

They also improve your overall blood flow and boost your immune system. There are a number of reported magnetic benefits, which include speeding up the healing of tissues, bones, or joints. 

When magnets get in contact with your body, they increase overall blood flow, which in turn delivers oxygen and nutrients to the affected area. This will help alleviate pain and speed up recovery. This article in the Journal of Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine provides more details on the benefits of static magnetic fields on humans.

Are you wondering if you can place a mattress pad on a foam mattress and still benefit from both of them? We've discussed it in our article!

How To Use A Magnetic Mattress Pad?

The sleep industry encourages the production of magnetic sleeping products to offer people more comfortable alternatives to regular mattresses. People with sleep and health conditions have claimed to obtain significant relief by sleeping on magnetic mattress pads. Not only do magnetic mattress pads make you sleep better, but they also alleviate all kinds of pain such as backaches, musculoskeletal pains, migraines and headaches. Also, they help improve blood circulation towards your cold extremities, which helps revitalize your body's organs and warm you up. Magnets are also believed to heal bone fractures, torn muscles, and ligaments by restoring your body's magnetic field. Here's an article from Trock, 2000, entitled "Electromagnetic Fields And Magnets: Investigational Treatment For Musculoskeletal Disorders", about the benefits of magnets in the healing process of tissues and muscles. 

To use a mattress pad, first ensure that you do not have any electro-mechanical devices on or inside you. Next, rest on the negative side of your magnetic mattress pad. Finally, test and track whether the magnetic mattress pad is helping you by running a series of experiments. 

We've discussed the benefits of magnetic mattress pads in our article

Step 1. Remove Electro-mechanical Devices On You Such as Phones and Tablets

Talk to a doctor if you are pregnant or have any electromechanical devices such as pacemakers before using a magnetic mattress pad.

People with a pacemaker, insulin pumps, or other electro-medical devices should not use a magnetic pad, as the strong magnetic field will interfere with the function of the devices. Pregnant women and people who need to get an MRI or an X-ray are also not advised to use a magnetic mattress pad as there aren't enough studies on the effects of magnets on this category of people. 

For people without such medical conditions, ensure that you don' t have any computers/tablets/phones on you before sleeping on the mattress pad.

Step 2. Rest On Negative Side of Magnetic Mattress Pad

Physicians strongly advise you to only rest on the "North Seeking" or "Negative" side of a magnetic underlay. The north seeking negative side is universally acknowledged as being ideal for gentle healing magnetic therapy and better restful sleep. The "South Seeking" or "Positive" side, on the other hand, is widely acknowledged as being too aggressive for gentle healing sleep. Therefore, it is important that you sleep  on the negative side of your magnetic mattress pad. 

These guidelines are from manufacturers of magnetic mattress pads. Scientific literature (such as this review of the use of magnets in alternative therapy) doesn't support or disprove these guidelines. 

Related articles:

• How do you fix a mattress pad that sleeps hot or makes you sweat?

Step 3. Run a Series of Experiments To Test How Much the Magnetic Mattress Pad is Benefiting You

Scientific literature has not yet determined why magnets seem to help some patient populations and not others. You should run your own experiments to determine if it's truly helping you or if it's just a placebo effect. Consider tracking parameters like when you sleep on your mattress pad, how long you sleep on it, which slide you sleep on, what time you go to sleep, etc. The interaction between the mattress pad, the earth's magnetism, and your body is nuanced and complicated.

Note: Make sure you protect your mattress pad properly so that your magnets don't get damaged. This is an expensive piece of bedding! 

Related articles:

• How long do magnetic mattress pads last?

How Do You Use A Magnetic Mattress Pad For Pain Management? 

A magnetic mattress pad that helps relax the muscles, soothes the joints, and relieves pain. Image from Amazon. 

When a part of the body is in pain, positive ions assemble in the affected area causing pain and swelling. Magnetic mattress pads are beneficial in pain management because the magnets will drive the positive ions away from the affected area to help the body return to its balanced state.

When in contact with your body, the magnets improve your body's blood circulation, which in turn allows your body to receive a healthy supply of oxygen along with other nutrients in order to promote healing. This will reduce muscle contractions and therefore relieve pain. 

However, there is no scientific proof to support the above claims that a magnetic mattress pad is significantly beneficial for pain management. Here's an article from The Journal Of Alternative And Complementary Medicine that puts emphasis on the efficacy of magnets in pain management. 

Do Magnetic Mattress Pads Work?

There is no conclusive evidence that magnetic mattress pads work. However, the FDA hasn't found any significant negative side effects to using magnetic mattress pads. You should run a series of experiments to test if a magnetic mattress pad has positive effects on your sleep.

As mentioned  earlier, people use magnetic mattress pads for medical reasons, anti-aging reasons, or purely for the comfort provided by the magnetic mattress pad. Studies have shown that the magnets installed in the pad can help improve circulation, prevent the build-up of calcium, and provide maximum comfort for those suffering from joint or muscle pain.

Examples of Magnetic Mattress Pads and Benefits

Magnetic mattress pads ensure you have a goodnight sleep by helping your muscles relax. 

Additionally, they help improve blood circulation. Regulated blood circulation is very important for the normal functioning of the human body. Poor circulation can lead to cold and tingling hands and feet. Using a magnetic mattress pad helps revitalize your body's organs, and strike the right balance, so that you have normal circulation.

Also, magnetic mattress pads alleviate bone, joint, and muscle pain. They increase blood flow towards the affected area to provide relief and comfort. Also, magnetic mattress pads accelerate tissue recovery by increasing the capillary circulation and by flushing inflammatory agents that build up in the tissue.

Here are some examples of magnetic mattress pads and their benefits

Also, if you're ready to dress up your bed a little, take a look at our guide to bed skirt styles and 10 interesting ideas for more information. If you're still not sold on bed skirts, make sure to read about our 10 bed skirt alternatives & their pros and cons too.