If you have difficulty sleeping or are looking for ways to calm anxiety and ADHD, ease chronic pain, and enjoy other great benefits, a weighted blanket could be the perfect solution for you.

What Are Weighted Blankets?

But what are weighted blankets? Weighted blankets are heavy blankets that offer a more comforting experience than regular blankets. This has been shown to provide several benefits that improve sleep patterns and aid the user's wellbeing.

The controlled pressure applied to the body using a weighted blanket is inspired by deep pressure stimulation, a technique used in therapy to calm the subject.

Weighted Blanket Benefits

So what benefits can a weighted blanket provide? Deep pressure therapy is used for many reasons that can help calm the nervous system, comfort the user, and improve sleep.

1. Provide Comfort and Security

Newborn babies find comfort in tight swaddling as gentle pressure around the body and the generated warmth helps provide a sense of comfort and security. The way a weighted blanket applies deep pressure to the body works similarly, and the comfort and safety it provides can help people rest and sleep.

2. Improve Sleep Quality

The importance of a good night's sleep can't be underestimated. A good rest can help improve concentration and productivity, which is essential for both work and learning. People who are not getting enough sleep will struggle to perform to as high a standard as if they were well-rested.

Sleep also plays a big part in good mental and physical health, so finding ways to tackle poor sleep is essential. Weighted blankets improve sleep quality thanks to the production of serotonin, the reduction of cortisol, and increasing melatonin.

Deep pressure stimulation aids the production of serotonin, which is a mood-boosting hormone. This, in turn, reduces cortisol, which is a stress hormone that is released in the body. This helps to increase the hormone that induces and helps with sleep, melatonin. All of this working together has been shown to improve a person's ability to fall asleep and boost the quality of their sleep.

3. Calm the nervous system

Calming the nervous system is another crucial step in preparing for sleep. Anxiety, increased heart rate, hyperactivity, and being short of breath are all symptoms of an overactive nervous system. Weighted blankets apply gentle, even pressure over the body, which has been shown to relax the user. This will help to encourage the parasympathetic nervous system. 

The parasympathetic nervous system works to counteract the effects of stressful situations, calms breathing, reduces the heart rate, and increases digestion.

Who Can Benefit from Using a Weighted Blanket?

Several people will be able to benefit from using a weighted blanket, from those that suffer from chronic conditions to those that are just looking to enjoy better rest.

Anxiety and Depression

Anxiety and depression sufferers can benefit from using a weighted blanket thanks to the improved sleep pattern it can offer. In some cases, poor mental health can be attributed to poor sleep, and poor sleep can also be a symptom of poor mental health. This can lead to a problematic cycle for sufferers to break, making the weighted blanket ideal for inducing sleep and delivering improvements.

Autism Spectrum Disorders

Weighted blankets are often used to help calm individuals with an autism spectrum disorder. If people are restless or showing signs of stress or anxiety, the use of weighted blanket therapy has been shown to calm the sufferer.

Chronic pain

While research into how effective weighted blankets are on chronic pain sufferers is in infancy, early signs show that people who use a weighted blanket find relief from pain and reduced anxiety levels.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Like with chronic pain, not many studies have gone into the effects of weighted blankets on people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, but signs would indicate a positive response.

A weighted vest study in 2014 showed that participants wearing weighted vests were able to apply a greater focus to tasks and that fidgeting or moving about was reduced. Theoretically, this would indicate that using a small weighted blanket would offer benefits in similar scenarios.

Restless leg syndrome

Restless leg syndrome is often seen as more of an inconvenience than a serious condition, but sufferers may actually be suffering from an iron deficiency. RLS gives the users uncomfortable symptoms that urge them to move their legs. Symptoms include the feeling of tingling, crawling, or bubbling under the skin.

Stress and anxiety have also been shown to cause RLS, and speaking with a doctor can help discover the cause and let them treat it.

Deep pressure therapy is one way to combat the uncomfortable symptoms of restless leg syndrome. The evenly distributed weight helps trigger pressure points that can then release hormones that are key to relaxation.

Chronic Insomnia Sleep Disorders

Many things can cause insomnia, from stress to poor mental health, illness, neurological disorders, medication, and poor sleep habits.

Tackling the issue of insomnia will help with your overall health, productivity, and mental health, so cases like this mustn't be ignored.

Speaking with a medical professional about your issue should help determine what is causing it, and taking the necessary steps to improve your sleep can include several things.

Some steps to improve insomnia include staying active and exercising, limiting caffeine and alcohol, maintaining a healthy diet and avoiding large meals before bed, avoiding using your phone just before bed, and trying to regulate bedtime and wake-up time.

Sleeping with a weighted blanket has been shown to improve the length of sleep that insomnia sufferers get and improve the quality. Studies show that a weighted blanket helps reduce restlessness before sleeping which helps users fall asleep more easily.

Osteoarthritis

There is limited information about how effective weighted blankets would be when treating Osteoarthritis, but studies show how deep pressure massage therapy can help do exist.

Massage and deep touch pressure stimulation can help to reduce pain, and this helps to improve the sufferer's quality of life. Deep pressure therapy may therefore offer similar benefits to people with this issue.

Medical procedures

Studies carried out in 2016 show that weighted blankets in patients undergoing tooth removal surgery helped reduce anxiety symptoms such as an increased heart rate.

Do Weighted Blankets Work?

As with all forms of therapy, results will differ depending on the individual involved. In some cases, studies discovered deep pressure therapy to be a successful way to treat conditions and sleep disorders.

Though more research would have to be conducted to guarantee the success of the deep pressure stimulation provided by weighted blankets, the benefits that have been proven are essential to good rest and general wellbeing.

Using a weighted blanket improves sleep for those that have trouble falling asleep, helps to reduce blood pressure, relieve stress, and lower anxiety symptoms.

Are Weighted Blankets Safe?

Using a weighted blanket is generally deemed safe for adults and older children. It is advised that children under the age of two should not use a weighted blanket as they may not be able to remove the blanket easily if they need to.

Some medical conditions would make a weighted blanket unsuitable for anyone suffering from chronic circulatory or respiratory issues.

People with claustrophobia should also avoid weighted blankets as they may cause stress or anxiety.

How To Choose the Right Weighted Blanket

Sleeping with a weighted blanket can offer many benefits, but it is essential that you choose the right blanket; otherwise, the benefits may be lost. Here are some of the most important things you should consider when buying a weighted blanket.

Choosing the best blanket weight

If you have never used a weighted blanket before, you might be confused about what kind of weighted blanket would be best for you. A general rule is that a blanket weighing roughly 10% of your body weight would be best.

You will find most adult blanket weights ranging from around 5 kg to 7.5 kg. Smaller weighted blankets are available for kids that weigh about 4 kg.

You might find that your body weight falls within the 10% range, with most blankets going up in increments of 5 pounds. If this is the case, sizing up to the next weight is probably best.

Heavier blankets are more difficult to move if you start to feel warm in the night, so if you are buying a weighted blanket for someone with mobility issues or a small child, opting for a lighter option should give them more flexibility.

Is a weighted blanket with glass beads or plastic pellets better?

Weighted blankets generally get their weights from either plastic pellets or glass beads. Glass beads tend to be smaller and heavier than plastic pellets. This allows the manufacturer to create a smaller, less bulky blanket.

There are benefits to the plastic pellets, though, the main one being cost. Plastic pellets are considerably cheaper than their glass counterparts, allowing manufacturers to make similarly weighted blankets at a lower price.

SleepSeeker recommends weighted blankets manufactured with glass microbeads as they’re better quality than the cheaper, plastic pellets.

What are the washing options for a weighted blanket?

Washing a weighted blanket is not an easy task. Therefore, it can be beneficial to shop for blankets with removable covers. Not all weighted blankets will come with a cover, so it is worth checking the options when comparing cost.

Most weighted blanket covers will be available in a lighter, breathable cotton or a soft, warmer microfibre fabric. The microfibre fabric is like a soft fleece and is ideal for the winter months, whereas the cotton options are more suited for warmer weather.

Washing a cover rather than the full blanket is a lot easier, but it is still possible to wash weighted blankets. Anything heavier than a medium-weighted blanket would be best washed in a commercial washer and dryer.

Always read the manufacturer's label clearly before washing your weighted blanket. 

What size blanket should I get?

While most traditional blankets will hang over the edge of your bed, it is best to get a weighted blanket that does not do this. Oversized weighted blankets can shift and be challenging to get back into a comfortable position at night. If a weighted blanket hangs over the edge of a bed, it is also possible that it can slip off during the night.

Finding the right-sized weighted blanket is as essential as finding the correct weight. The blanket should cover the entire body from your neck down and protect your feet, and there shouldn't be too much blanket spare beyond this.

For adults, we recommend a weighted blanket at 150 x 200 cm, and for children we recommend a weighted blanket at 100 x 150 cm.

Kids weighted blankets will typically come in a smaller size suitable for their height and weight.

Final Thoughts

Deciding whether a weighted blanket is a suitable choice for you can be difficult. They are not a cheap investment compared to traditional blankets, so weighing up the weighted blanket pros and cons should be your priority.

There are clear weighted blanket benefits proven to improve sleep levels and reduce stress and anxiety. These can then lead to other benefits that come hand in hand with getting a good night's rest.

The calming effect and security of weighted blankets help people who have trouble sleeping enjoy a more regular sleep-wake cycle, positively impacting the users' physical and mental health.

With very few risks associated with weighted blankets and many great benefits, it is clear why they are becoming so popular and are helping more people enjoy a good nights' sleep or rest.

For more guides on weighted blankets, check out the pages below:

How To Wash A Weighted Blanket
What is a weighted blanket? Everything you need to know about a weighted blanket
You Need To Know About A Weighted Blanket
How To Use A Weighted Blanket
How Heavy Should a Weighted Blanket Be?