How much do you know about weighted blankets? From easing the symptoms of autism spectrum disorder to helping insomniacs get the sleep they need, weighted blankets may help address a host of health problems. Here are 20 reasons to buy yours today.
1. Eases Insomnia
Until you’ve experienced insomnia, it’s easy to dismiss it as a mere bump in an otherwise smooth road of easy sleep.
It’s safe to say anyone with this attitude has never truly experienced insomnia. If you’re one of the 40 million Americans who suffers from the condition, you know exactly how Edward Norton’s character in Fight Club felt. (He was so exhausted he literally hallucinated through the entire movie. He also punched himself.)
While your insomnia might not drive you to create an underground boxing club, it can definitely interfere with your life. Research has shown that a form of therapy called deep touch pressure stimulation promotes the release of serotonin, a chemical that regulates sleep.
Weighted blankets provide this firm but gentle pressure anytime you need it, which means lots of blissful Zs.
2. Helps with Sensory Processing Disorder
Researchers have described sensory processing disorder as a “traffic jam” in your brain. Information gets in, but it somehow gets jumbled and clogged up along the way. This can lead to anxiety and meltdowns. Sensory processing disorder can be especially challenging for young kids, who don’t always have the emotional maturity to verbalize how they’re feeling.
Studies have shown that weighted blankets can produce a “calming effect” in kids and adults with sensory processing disorder. The same research also states that weighted blankets help reduce the anxiety that often accompanies the condition.
3. Reduces Anxiety
Anxiety is unfortunately quite common, and about 40 million people in the U.S. have some form of it. There are several ways to deal with anxiety, including identifying your triggers, setting aside designated “worry times” throughout the week and using a weighted blanket.
A weighted blanket is a lot like getting a firm but gentle hug — except you don’t have to bribe your roommate or significant other to give you one. Even better, you can get the benefits just about anywhere, from the sofa to your bed. Some people even use weighted wraps (which are smaller and more portable) in the office or the car!
4. Fights Back Against Stress
Stress happens to everyone, and you don’t have to have a chronic stress problem to feel the negative side effects. Whether it’s a bad day at work, an argument with your spouse or an avalanche of bills, stress can do a number on your mental and physical health.
The good news is weighted blankets help you fight back. Research shows that deep touch pressure stimulation therapy works. With a weighted blanket, you don’t have to travel to a therapist or buy expensive equipment to get stress relief.
SensaCalm offers weighted blankets in a wide range of attractive, contemporary patterns and styles, you can even incorporate your weighted blanket into your home’s decor.
5. Improves Focus for ADHD
One of the most common hallmarks of attention-deficit hyperactivity syndrome (ADHD) is a lack of focus. This can be a problem for both children and adults. Whereas some people with ADHD have trouble completing a task, others are inclined to impulsiveness and restlessness.
The bottom line is that ADHD poses a wide range of possible symptoms, and it doesn’t always affect everyone the same way.
Deep touch pressure stimulation, which is what weighted blankets offer, has been shown to produce a calming, soothing effect that reduces anxiety. And because deep touch pressure also helps with mood and sleep, it’s also great for addressing those symptoms in ADHD sufferers.
Check out our blog post for more tips on dealing with ADHD: Do Weighted Blankets Help with ADHD
6. Eases Symptoms of Restless Leg Syndrome
Patients with restless leg syndrome often describe it as a tingling or “creepy crawly” feeling in their legs. Because symptoms tend to happen more frequently at night, it can lead to insomnia and unsatisfying sleep. Traveling in a car or riding in an airplane can be a nightmare when you have an overwhelming urge to constantly move your legs.
Some patients say they could get relief if only they could somehow weight down their legs or put constant pressure on them. Many even turn to compression socks to get some relief.
However, these socks can be extremely tight and even add to the discomfort. They can also be difficult for people with arthritis or mobility challenges to put on. Weighted blankets provide the deep pressure you crave without any constriction on your legs.
7. Helps Fibromyalgia Pain
Fibromyalgia has sometimes been called a “silent disease” because so many sufferers fail to get a diagnosis or wait years before receiving one. It’s also a condition that disproportionately affects women.
Characterized by chronic, idiopathic pain in at least 11 out of 18 pain points, fibromyalgia can be debilitating. While certain drugs may help patients manage their symptoms, there is no cure for fibromyalgia.
For some people, the gentle but firm pressure of a weighted blanket is an important tool for preventing fibro flare-ups. At SensaCalm, we constantly hear from fibromyalgia patients who swear by their weighted blankets and wouldn’t sleep without one.
You can read more about fibromyalgia and weighted blankets here: Can a Weighted Blanket Help with Fibromyalgia Symptoms?
8. Improves Sleep Quality
Not everyone who experiences bad sleep has insomnia. Sometimes, fatigue is simply the result of poor sleep quality. While it’s important to get the right amount of sleep, it’s also important to make sure the sleep you get is truly restful and restorative. Some experts refer to sleep quality as sleep hygiene.
One way to improve your sleep hygiene is by using a weighted blanket. Because deep touch pressure stimulation boosts serotonin, sleeping under firm but gentle pressure can help you fall asleep faster, sleep longer and wake feeling more rested.
9. Boosts Mood
When you feel down, it can sometimes seem like you’ll never feel “normal” or happy again. While it’s normal to feel grouchy or irritable, researchers know that some bouts of sadness are caused by chemical changes in the brain. For example, if your brain isn’t producing enough serotonin, it could actually impact your emotional health.
Fortunately, deep touch pressure stimulation has been shown to boost the production of serotonin. There’s also evidence that deep touch pressure reduces cortisol (stress) levels.
Even better, you can get this therapy at home (or just about anywhere) with a weighted blanket or wrap.
10. Promotes Calm
Have you ever had a day that just refused to go right? The kind of day where you get stuck in traffic on the way to work, spill coffee all over yourself at your desk and then come home to a dishwasher that leaked all over the floor?
Bad days can strike when you least expect it — or need it. A popular misconception about weighted blankets is that you must have a diagnosed medical condition to truly need one. While we here at SensaCalm love hearing from people and families who use our blankets for medical issues, we also talk to customers who use their weighted blankets to unwind and de-stress after a long day.
The reality is that everyone can benefit from feel-good neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. You deserve a little TLC. A weighted blanket can definitely deliver it!
11. Encourages Focus in the Classroom
If your child has autism or sensory processing disorder, you know that school can often pose a range of challenges. Classrooms and hallways can be noisy, filled with bright colors and overall distracting. For children with sensory challenges, school can be overwhelming, frustrating and a trigger for meltdowns.
Teachers and occupational therapists have used weighted lap pads and vests for years, and they are popular therapy items in special education classrooms. Research shows that the firm but gentle pressure helps kids feel less anxious and more focused.
For kids, we often recommend a weighted lap pad. Smaller, lighter and more compact than a weighted blanket, a weighted lap pad can be placed over a child’s lap while sitting at a desk or on the floor. We also make our weighted lap pads in a variety of fun colors and patterns, so kids are actually excited to use them. Check out our weighted lap pads for yourself. Many people like to order one for school and one for home!
12. Eases Pain without Drugs
Understandably, many people prefer to treat pain without drugs. If you’re tired of reaching for over-the-counter painkillers, or you take other medications that make it unsafe for you to use pain relievers, a weighted blanket is a 100% natural alternative to prescription or non-prescription drugs.
At SensaCalm, we also use 100% hypoallergenic and non-toxic materials. Read more about what goes into our weighted blankets on our FAQ page.
13. Eases Travel Anxiety
Travel is supposed to be fun and exciting, but it can also lead to anxiety and stress. Some people have trouble with small, confined spaces like airplanes and cars. For other people, the hustle and bustle of the airport or train station can be overwhelming. And there are also people who simply dislike being outside their comfort zone.
This is where a weighted blanket or weighted wrap may help. If you experience travel anxiety, the soothing weight of a weighted blanket can prompt your body to produce the feel-good chemical serotonin. In fact, 78 percent of people who used weighted blankets in a study said they preferred it as a “calming modality.”
14. Helps the Elderly
There are many ways weighted blankets may benefit the elderly. As we age, we’re at an increased risk of suffering chronic insomnia, which can lead to a host of health problems.
Older people also tend to experience higher rates of anxiety, stress and depression. It’s often common for the elderly to suffer changes in their sleep-wake cycle. If you have an older loved one, you may have noticed they tend to stay up very late at night and sleep in short stretches.
When sleep researchers studied weighted blankets, they found that people who use them “liked sleeping with the blanket, found it easier to settle down to sleep and had an improved sleep, where they felt more refreshed in the morning.”
15. Addresses Symptoms of PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is most closely associated with veterans who have experienced combat. However, PTSD can affect anyone who has suffered through a traumatic or stressful event.
Mental health professionals often see PTSD in people who have been involved in bad car accidents or a physical assault. Basically, any stressful or traumatic experience can trigger PTSD symptoms.
Various forms of therapy can help ease these symptoms, which often include insomnia and depression. In studies, researchers have observed that weighted blanket therapy lowers blood pressure, reduces pulse rates and helps 63 percent of study participants feel less anxious.
Read more about weighted blanket therapy and PTSD here: Weighted Blankets for Anxiety and PTSD.
16. Decreases Anxiety in Pets
Does your pup struggle with loud noises? Is your dog an emotional wreck every time an ambulance passes the house, or the neighbors decide that 10 p.m. is a perfect time for setting off fireworks?
You may have seen special shirts or wraps designed to fit snugly around a dog’s body. Unlike a weighted blanket, however, they don’t contain any additional weight beyond the minimal weight of the fabric itself.
While some pet owners say these shirts work, others say their dog would do a full Houdini routine to wriggle out of them. Based on the reviews we’ve seen online, these products seem to have about a 50-50 success rate.
If a thunder wrap or shirt hasn’t worked for your furry family member, a weighted blanket might do the trick. Just as a weighted blanket can soothe and comfort a human, it may also reduce anxiety in dogs. In fact, many of our customers first learned about weighted blankets by ordering one for their pet, only to end up buying another for themselves!
17. Soothes Symptoms of Panic Disorder
Panic disorders can literally stop life in its tracks. Worse, many people with panic disorder don’t know when an attack will strike. For others, stressful events seem to make them more susceptible to experiencing a panic attack.
There are many ways to manage panic disorder, including using a weighted blanket. Studies have shown that people who sleep with a weighted blanket wake feeling less anxious and more refreshed. Because fatigue is a common trigger for panic disorder, a good night’s rest is an invaluable tool when it comes to controlling it.
18. Helps Manage OCD
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) affects about 1 in 40 adults and is characterized by persistent, obsessive thoughts and behaviors.
The disorder can cause a large range of symptoms and behaviors, and it tends to look a little bit different for everyone. While many people think of OCD as a strong aversion to germs — and this can certainly be a form of OCD — the reality is the disorder is much broader than how people normally think of it.
Like other psychological disorders, OCD has been linked to low serotonin levels. By using deep touch pressure stimulation therapy, weighted blankets may help boost serotonin and ease the severity of OCD.
19. Manages Autism Symptoms
There is no cure for autism, but researchers have found it’s possible to manage the symptoms through a variety of treatments and therapies. According to Harvard researchers, “one therapy that has mounting evidence of support is massage or touch therapy.” In studies, autism patients responded most favorably to gentler, slower touch.
Additionally, researchers found: “Touch therapy has been noted to have immediate and long-term effects on the body’s biochemistry, including decreased levels of the stress hormone cortisol, and increased levels of the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine, which play roles in mood regulation, movement, impulse control, and more.”
Looking for a weighted blanket for autism? Check out our guide: How to Find the Best Weighted Blanket for Autism.
20. Recreates a Hug
What’s better than being enfolded in a big, warm bear hug? Babies definitely know what’s up. Most infants respond positively to being swaddled, cuddled and rocked. When a child is hurt, one of their first actions is usually to run toward a parent in search of a hug.
As it turns out, adults really aren’t all that different. The instinct to crave a hug doesn’t go away, and most of us still feel calmer and more relaxed when we get one. Skeptical? Think about the last time you snuggled under a down comforter or burrowed under your blankets on a stormy or snowy night.
Or maybe you enjoy it when the dentist puts that heavy x-ray protector vest over you, but you can’t quite figure out why.
The comforted, peaceful feelings most of us get from hugs and gentle pressure is really just weighted blanket therapy at work. Studies show that hugs can boost serotonin and dopamine, the two feel-good chemicals in the brain. With a weighted blanket, you can get a hug whenever and wherever you need one. Count us in!
Join the Weighted Blanket Therapy Movement
At SensaCalm, we make weighted blankets (and many other weighted products) for everybody and every body. Order your custom weighted blanket today. You can also select a finished weighted blanket from our ready-to-ship line.
Questions about weighted blanket therapy? We’re happy to help. Just give us a call at 855-736-7222 or use our contact form to get in touch.
How does your weighted blanket help you? Let us know by tweeting us @SensaCalm.
Disclaimer: The content on this website is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. Talk to your doctor or healthcare provider before undertaking any type of therapy or treatment.