Are there Benefits of Weighted Blankets?

When people hear the term weighted blanket, there is a tendency to ask what could be special about a weighted blanket? All blankets have weight. But, as it turns out, the science behind the benefits is pretty solid. People tend to think of it in a binary way — that either the blanket is going to metaphorically and figuratively fix your problems or that it will do nothing at all. The truth about weighted blankets, however, is somewhere in the middle. Weighted blankets have helped a lot of people for various ailments and diseases. It will not cure anything, but a weighted blanket can help ease symptoms of many diagnoses.

What Are Weighted Blankets?

A weighted blanket is like your average blanket, except it is filled with non-toxic polypropylene pellets. Evenly distributed throughout the blanket, he is what gives it weight. It is generally recommended that your weighted blanket be around 10 percent of the user’s body weight, although this is only an estimate. The blanket should also be fitted to the person’s body, not their bed.

Are there Benefits?

These blankets weigh between five to 30 pound and pressure from the extra weight mimics a therapeutic technique called deep pressure stimulation. This is the act of using pressure to relax the person’s nervous system. This can help relieve pain, lessen anxiety, and improve the mood of the person who uses it. According to the site MoneyPug, which is used to find private health insurance among other things, there are all kinds of weighted blankets, some medical and some not. Pressure stimulation does not always have to be hands-on, the same result can be achieved by wrapping the blanket around the body. Weighted blankets have proven to be an effective part of other treatments like massage therapy.

Who Benefits from them?

There has been a lot of research on these blankets and their effectiveness for various conditions. Although more research is needed, a lot is being discovered about how they can help many different people. One example is that they can improve the symptoms of patients with autism.

One symptom of autism is trouble sleeping. Weighted blankets can help people with sleep problems. This includes those with insomnia, sleep disorders, and those with ADHD. While weighted blankets haven’t helped autism’s symptoms beyond sleep, there have been a small study that found modest positive benefits of deep pressure therapy.

Few studies have looked at weighted blankets and their effect on ADHD. However, a study was done with weighted vests. It found that there were promising results for participants who used vests. There were reductions in symptoms like the inability to stay on task, stay still, and keep focused. Like the others, the weighted blanket can help with sleep in ADHD patients.

Anxiety is another diagnosis that can be improved by a weighted blanket. Deep pressure can reduce autonomic arousal, which is responsible for the symptoms of anxiety. Researchers found that using one of these weighted blankets reduced anxiety in roughly 33 percent of the people who were studied. They explain that for some participants, lying down with the weighted blanket can help reduce the symptoms of anxiety.

Chronic therapy can also be helped by weighted blankets. During a study on this researchers found that starting light pressure and gradually increasing it reduced pain and improve reflexes in those with chronic conditions. Extra pressure may help keep legs in place and reduce pain in chronic conditions.

Finally, weighted blankets may be able to treat the symptoms of Osteoarthritis. Little research has been conducted on this subject, but because massage therapy helps these patients weighted blankets could do a similar thing for Osteoarthritis patients who need to keep their joints still.

Even if you don’t have an ailment or a disease, weighted blankets can provide great benefits when used correctly. They are a tool that can help all kinds of people, it is not limited to those who have a diagnosis like the ones above. If you are struggling with sleep or anxiety, a weighted blanket can help you a lot. Find the right weight and brand for you and you will be able to utilize the blanket for what it’s for.