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Top 7 Weighted Blankets Benefits That will make you want one now
What's in this article
Top 7 Weighted Blankets Benefits What is a weighted blanket? What makes a weighted blanket Benefits of weighted blankets 1. Promotes deep and restful sleep 2. Reduce anxiety and stress levels. 3. Create a Sense of Coziness 4. Support healthy circadian patterns. 5. Improve sleep quality for people 6. Alleviated symptoms of ADHD 7. Reduced symptoms of restless leg Choosing the right weight In conclusion Other Weighted Blanket related blogs
Top 7 Weighted Blankets Benefits That will make reconsider buying one
Weighted blankets are medical devices prescribed to individuals according to their body size and mass. Weighted blankets promote and improve sleep quality for individuals who have ADHD, anxiety, and other sleep-related disorders.
Our world is turning upside down, causing stress and anxiety to spike. Our “healthy diets” contain chemicals, pesticide residue, preservatives, and additives.
Our perfectly ripe fruit is mostly not vine-ripened but instead picked on the verge of ripeness to allow time for transportation and distribution. This reduces the goodness associated with fruit.
In the long run, urban dwellers must contend with this to sustain their modern lifestyles. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is on the rise, and the cure is predominantly medication and talk therapy.
So many issues weaved into our modern lifestyles inhibit the sleep quality we need every 24-hour cycle.
One natural solution to restoring sleep quality is the use of weighted blankets. But don’t rush out just yet to purchase a weighted blanket because if you use the incorrect weighted blanket, you’ll be defeating the actual reason for needing one. Besides, not all people can safely use weighted blankets.
Young children and infants should not sleep under weighted blankets at all. Weighted blankets are designed for older children and adults suffering from one or more conditions that impede quality sleep.
Weighted blankets are a great sleep therapy that is well worth investigating. Let’s dive right in and look at the 7 top benefits of weighted blankets.
What is a weighted blanket?
A weighted blanket is specially designed with weighted pellets, balls, or other heavy materials made from any number of materials from Plastic poly pellets, Glass beads or Steel shot beads. Weighted blankets typically weigh between 5 to 30 lbs.
Weighted blankets have many benefits and are often recommended to treat many conditions, including:
- anxiety disorders
- insomnia
- ADHD
- autism spectrum disorders
A weighted blanket will apply gentle yet consistent pressure across your body. This will often feel like being hugged, but it is a deep-pressure therapy that relaxes your body and mind. This prompts your body to switch from your fight, flight, or freeze response to controlled relaxation.
Research weighted and their effectivness is still relatively limited. One 2020 study showed that weighted blankets effectively treat insomnia in people with mental health conditions. A 2015 study showed that wearing a weighted vest triggered the parasympathetic nervous system response: relaxation.
If you use a weighted blanket, do not co-sleep with your little one as the weight of the blanket may lead to dia consequences. Your little one may overheat or even suffocate under the weight. Your doctor or sleep therapist will advise against using weighted blankets for young children and infants.
What makes a weighted blanket weight
Weighted blanket balls, also known as weighted blanket fillers or pellets, are usually made from one of the following materials:
- Plastic poly pellets: These are small, rounded plastic beads made from polypropylene, a common type of plastic. They are non-toxic, hypoallergenic, and usually washable. Plastic poly pellets are one of the most common materials used in weighted blankets because they're durable and affordable.
- Glass beads: These are tiny, smooth, and rounded beads made of glass, often used as an alternative to plastic pellets. Glass beads have a higher density than plastic pellets, making them a more compact and heavier filler. They are also hypoallergenic and washable. Some people prefer glass beads because they have a smoother texture and are more environmentally friendly than plastic.
- Micro glass beads: These are even smaller than regular glass beads, resembling sand in size and texture. Due to their small size, micro glass beads can create a more evenly distributed weight in the blanket, offering a smoother feel. They are also hypoallergenic and washable.
- Steel shot beads: These are tiny stainless steel beads that are dense and heavy. They are non-toxic and hypoallergenic but may be less suitable for people with sensitivities to metals. Steel shot beads may also make the blanket less flexible and harder to wash due to their weight and density.
- Natural fillers: Some weighted blankets use natural fillers like organic buckwheat hulls, millet, or rice. These options are eco-friendly, but they may not be washable, and some users may find them less comfortable due to their texture.
Different manufacturers may use different materials for their weighted blanket fillers, so it's essential to check the product description and choose the one that best fits your preferences and needs.
Benefits of weighted blankets
Weighted blankets may be the perfect solution to enhance your sleep quality. Their calming, comforting weight helps your body regulate the hormones to promote better restorative sleep.
1. Promotes deep and restful sleep
Weighted blankets are designed to provide a type of “therapeutic pressure” that helps improve sleep quality.
Weighted blankets reduce restlessness and encourage the production of calming hormones like oxytocin, serotonin, and melatonin.
This reinforces deep, restorative sleep throughout its use. A weighted blanket’s embracing effect helps reduce anxiety and increases energy levels during the day.
Deep, restorative sleep is essential for our overall health. Weighted blankets help achieve comfort and security, which in turn helps us fall and stay asleep more easily.
As a result, we can reach a relaxed state more quickly than we usually would. This helps us to enter essential deep sleep phases faster. By supporting deeper, swifter sleep, we create a healthy climate for our bodies to improve essential hormone production while sleeping.
The pressure of a weighted blanket promotes the production of oxytocin, serotonin, and melatonin, hormones that regulate sleep and mood.
Many common causes of sleep disorders are caused by a chemical (hormone) imbalance, and we take medication (chemical compounds) to correct the imbalance.
It should be common sense to realize that medication usually addresses the symptoms, not the cause. We should instead identify the cause of our condition and focus our attention there.
Having said this, medication can be life-saving or life-altering positively. Still, there is always the risk of dependency and possible addiction.
Weighted blankets allow your body to heal itself. The golden rule is that you must be serious about maintaining your sleep quality and inevitably making necessary lifestyle changes.
2. Reduce anxiety and stress levels.
Weighted blankets help reduce stress and anxiety levels during sleep hours and wakefulness.
While lying beneath the blanket, a sense of pressure is created, which helps to trigger calming hormones in the body, reducing feelings of looming fear and offering a safe, warm refuge.
Weighted blankets can be especially beneficial for panic attacks, providing comfort and encouraging relaxation.
Weighted blankets use a form of “deep residual pressure touch,” also known as deep touch pressure (DTP), which has been shown to help reduce anxiety levels when used.
Just 5% of the body’s nerve endings are pain-related, while 40% are connected to gentle pressure and touch. This is why being held comfortably in a warm hug can be immensely calming.
Weighted blankets work similarly by providing light heat over your chest, stomach, and legs, encouraging you to relax naturally.
3. Create a Sense of Coziness and Comfort.
Weighted blankets provide a feeling of coziness and comfort, which helps you to relax.
Not only do weighted blankets reduce stress, but they also create a nest-like feeling similar to being hugged.
This deep-pressure contact from a weighted blanket helps release calming neurotransmitters like serotonin and oxytocin in the body, creating a sense of contentment and relaxation.
Weighted blankets provide warmth and comfort to those who feel colder than others and help improve circulation. Studies have shown that weighted blankets can help promote better sleep cycles.
A weighted blanket may reduce tossing and turning at night, allowing for more restful sleep. Additionally, the deep pressure of a weighted blanket helps relax muscles, allowing you to feel even more comfortable.
4. Support healthy circadian patterns.
A weighted blanket is a medical device designed to improve your sleep quality.
The light pressure is said to help reduce cortisol levels in the body, helping create and support healthy circadian rhythms.
In addition to improved sleep, this can positively impact overall alertness throughout the day. By regulating melatonin production, weighted blankets could be the secret to getting a more restful night’s sleep.
One of the most popular benefits touted by weighted blanket fans is better quality, deeper sleep. The constant pressure can help keep your body relaxed and encourage serotonin production.
This calming effect on the body and mind allows you to slip into a more restful state, helping you stay comfortable for longer and drift off faster.
5. Improve sleep quality for people with insomnia.
Many people who have insomnia find comfort in weighted blankets.
The pressure exerted by the blanket can create a feeling of being held or hugged, promoting feelings of safety and reducing anxiety levels.
The hormone melatonin is produced in response to darkness. It helps with the circadian rhythm timing of your and your sleep.
Exposure to light at night, mainly blue light from TV, computer, or cell phone screens, can block melatonin production.
By creating and improving your sleep environment, you will likely feel more rested and refreshed upon waking.
You could simply reduce your reliance on sleep medication by taking control of your sleep environment and self-promoting natural hormone production.
In some studies, individuals who used weighted blankets reported that they felt better rested and experienced fewer movements during the night.
Weighted blankets also lead to increased serotonin production, which helps lower cortisol levels while helping regulate the body’s circadian rhythm. This is vital for quality sleep.
With improved production of serotonin, those suffering from depression could benefit from a deeper, more restful sleep leading to better mental health.
6. Alleviated symptoms of ADHD
Weighted blankets may help calm and soothe people with ADHD, improving focus and reducing hyperactivity.
The calming effect of a weighted blanket has a profound impact on people with ADHD.
A Weighted blankets promote relaxation, soothe anxiety, and increase focus for a calm mind.
This a powerful way to soothe ADHD symptoms. Occupational therapists often recommend weighted blankets as a tool for children with ADHD, but they can be just as effective for adults.
Some therapists recommend using a weighted blanket for anger issues related to ADHD and other neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism. However, research on the effectiveness of weighted blankets for anger issues has been inconclusive.
Still, some people report they can be helpful, particularly for children with anger issues.
7. Reduced symptoms of restless leg syndrome
The deep pressure stimulation provided by a weighted blanket can help reduce symptoms of restless leg syndrome and improve sleep quality.
Weighted blankets are a Deep Touch Pressure therapy tool that places an evenly-distributed weight over your body, which triggers pressure points that help produce relaxation and sleep hormones.
Choosing the right weight for your weighted blanket
Weighted blankets are viewed as medical devices, and the correct weight of a weighted blanket is essential in achieving optimum results. As a general rule of thumb, a weighted blanket should be around 10% of your body weight.
if the blanket is too heavy it may feel restrictive and might cause you to overheat. if a A weighted blanket is too light will not create deep therapeutic pressure.
If you plan on using a weighted blanket, you should speak with your doctor or a sleep therapist first to know what weight is best suited to you.
A weighted blanket’s sensation may initially feel strange, progress slowly by covering only your legs and, after a few nights, cover more of your body until you are covered up to your neck.
Utilizing a weighted blanket can aid your body in adapting to its comforting pressure.
In conclusion
Getting a good night's rest can be difficult, especially if you feel constantly stressed or anxious. Thankfully, a weighted blanket might be just what you need to improve your relaxation and sleep quality.
With its calming effects, a weighted blanket can help reduce stress levels and promote a deeper relaxation.
Remember that finding the right weight is essential for the best results. Start slowly by covering just your legs, gradually working to fully cover.
You can soothe your mind and body for a peaceful night's sleep with a bit of patience.
