Or if you’ve ever used a rice-filled heating pad…it’s like that but in blanket form. The best analogy I can give is as if you were lying under several quilts or thick blankets at one time…but without the added warmth. So while I was initially underwhelmed at how “heavy” the blanket felt, there is definitely a difference compared to a standard coverlet or comforter. So the amount of weight on any particular part of your body is significantly less. But it’s important to remember that the 25 lbs (or whatever weight you get) is spread out across the entire blanket. It was, after all, a 25 lbs blanket and I fully expected to feel like I was lying under a 25 lbs weight. When I crawled under our weighted blanket for the very first time, “underwhelmed” is the word that comes to mind. What Does Sleeping Under a Weighted Blanket Feel Like? That said, anecdotally you will find plenty of people (like me!) who swear the added weight leads to better, deeper sleep and a sense of feeling more rested in the morning. There are even some health conditions that are contraindicated for weighted blankets (e.g., low blood pressure, asthma, and others) so consider checking with a doctor before using one. However, scientific data supporting these claims is actually pretty sparse (as I discovered when putting this post together). In recent years, weighted blankets have become more mainstream as a way to deal with anxiety, ADHD, autism, chronic pain, insomnia, restless legs syndrome, and other sleep-related issues. Just like swaddling a newborn or thunder coats for dogs, it is generally believed that the added weight is calming to the nervous system, thereby reducing anxiety, over-stimulation, and stress…which in turn can lead to better, more restful sleep. Weighted blankets have long-been used in therapeutic and behavioral health settings for both adults and kids. What Is the Allure of a Weighted Blanket? Most weighted blankets though, are not just blankets made of a thick, heavy material (as I initially thought!) Rather, most are lightweight quilted blankets that are filled with thousands of tiny beads (microbeads or plastic pellets)…that, when spread across the entire blanket, provide the indicated amount of weight (e.g., 15 lbs). Also known as “gravity blankets,” they come in all sorts of sizes (from a throw blanket up to King size) and range in weights from 5 lbs to 30+ lbs. If you’re curious about weighted blankets or are considering one for your own bed, let me share what we’ve learned and some things to keep in mind when shopping around!Ī weighted blanket is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: a heavy blanket. Three years later, we can hardly sleep a wink without it. After hearing about weighted blankets, we decided it was worth a try to see if the extra-heavy blanket kept him cool but me plenty cozy. He sleeps hot and doesn’t like a ton of blankets, but I love the feeling of being buried beneath layers of covers. The “great sleeping temperature debate” is what initially prompted Greg and I to try a weighted blanket on our bed.
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