SLEEP
For those who
WEIGHT
How weighted blankets can lead to more sleep and less anxiety
WRITTEN BY LAURA ADAMS STIANSEN
W
ork. Holiday
shopping.
Bills. Cooking.
Cleaning. Family
obligations. Is this
list of things we
deal with on a daily basis making you
stress yet? Looking for something that is
marketed to reduce your anxiety?
Enter: A weighted blanket.
Made of plastic pellets or weighted
beads enveloped in cotton, fleece or
microfiber fabric, and weighing between
3 to 25 pounds, a weighted blanket is said
to create an overall calming effect that can
help you reduce stress and sleep better.
It may even help people with autism and
attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
It’s thought that the weights pressure
sensors under the skin and trigger a
release of serotonin, reducing anxiety, says
Dr. Jeffrey Barash, medical director of The
Center for Sleep Medicine at The Valley
Hospital in Ridgewood. “A weighted
blanket also surrounds or hugs the body,
and may evoke feelings like a baby being
swaddled and comforted by its mother,”
he says. Still, he says, there is limited
scientific evidence about how effective
sleeping under a weighted blanket is.
SensaCalm, a weighted-blanket brand
founded 10 years ago by Donna Chambers,
can help people with anxiety get better rest
in a natural way, she says. She recom-
mends buying a blanket that is about
10 percent of your weight. “A weighted
14
2019 EDITION (201) HEALTH
SAFE AND SOUND BlanQuil’s website states that its blankets are meant to be used individually to maximize their
benefits. They are sized for one person to avoid weight being wasted on empty parts of the bed.
blanket makes users feel like they’re
receiving a gentle whole body hug,”
Chambers says. “Studies have shown that
people who sleep with weighted blankets
feel calmer and more relaxed. While
weighted blankets have long been used to
treat sensory processing disorder, autism
and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder,
a growing number of people have found
that weighted blankets may also help with
insomnia and anxiety for both children
and adults.”
SensaCalm sells a variety of weights;
the line also includes weighted belts and
vests, custom blankets, wraps, lap pads
and duvets, and weighted stuffed animals
and blankets for kids in fun patterns and
prints.
BlanQuil, another weighted blanket
brand, says that the benefits of its weight-
ed blankets are deep sleep, and reduced
stress and anxiety. The company suggests
choosing a blanket weight that is 8 to 15
percent of your body weight. “The world
around you is a stressful place. The bar-
rage of new headlines. The incessant push
notifications. The demands of your job. It’s
never been harder to turn your mind off,
relax and recharge,” says David Fuchs,
CEO of BlanQuil.
BlanQuil offers basic or quilted weight-
ed blankets, a blanket with removable
HOW DO WEIGHTED
BLANKETS WORK?