15 weighted blanket benefits that you didn’t know
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Originally Posted On: https://myquietly.com/blogs/latest/15-weighted-blanket-benefits-that-you-didnt-know
Weighted blankets provide several benefits to your physical and mental health. We reviewed hundreds of scientific research and spent hours reading to find you the top 15 weighted blanket benefits. Some benefits include better sleep, lifted moods, stress, and more.
Below you’ll find all the weighed blanket benefits—backed by science:
3. Fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer
4. Wake up refreshed and felt rested during the day
5. More energy for everyday activities
6. Reduces use of sleep medication
7. Reduces anxiety and normal vital signs
8. Mood lifter
12. Regulates your sensory system
Weighted blanket benefits
1. Lowers stress and anxiety
When you’re stressed or have anxiety, you’re always on edge, your senses are heighten. Weighted blankets reduce that fight-or-flight feeling and calm you, reducing stress and anxiety.
People who are very anxious will find greater pain relief from a heavy blanket compared to a lighter one.
2. Feels pleasant and calming
Weighted blankets are relaxing. People find them pleasant and calming. They find their sleep is longer, more secure, with less movements due to the ‘cocooning’ effect.
It also lowers the fight or flight feelings, such as stress. This suggests a relaxation response.
“We got her ready, put on the weighted blanket, and we could see over her whole body that she had relaxed and was in a cosy atmosphere.”
3. Fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer
Research shows that a moderate to firm pressure helped participants relax before bed, have a more restful sleep with fewer disturbances, and stay asleep longer, improving their overall sleep quality.
They also noticed they fell asleep faster, and slept without waking up. Before it could take 2 to 3 hours to fall asleep, but after using one, it only took minutes to half an hour to fall asleep.
People found that they slept 1 to 3 hours more at night, worry less about waking up at night, and have a deeper sleep.
“Before the weighted blanket I could lie awake until the early morning hours but now I usually fall asleep within half an hour.”
4. Wake up refreshed and felt rested during the day
People noticed they had a good nights sleep. They woke up easier in the morning, more alert, felt more refreshed, and felt less sleepy.
One person noticed they used to take an hour to get up in the morning but now they were waking up immediately. Another person noted the weighted blanket helped them fall asleep early, so they were now able to wake up at a set time.
“I feel more rested even if I sleep the same number of hours as before.”
5. More energy for everyday activities
A weighted blanket can give you a better sleep and make you feel balanced. This helps people feel stronger and cope with everyday activities. It also helps them with completing tasks, concentration, resulting in better performance at work or in school. It also helps them make decisions, and improves memory.
The less sleep you get, with wakings throughout the night will lead to low physical activity in the day. So without a weighted blanket people said they felt like a zombie.
6. Reduces use of sleep medication
When people used a weighted blanket, they took less sleep medication (apart from melatonin).
This was especially true for those who were young, depressed, anxiety, PTSD, or ADHD. They found you’re more likely to continue using sleep medications, if you have bipolar, or other mental illnesses. After taking sleeping pills for their entire life, one person found they rarely needed it.
Another study reported that one person took sleeping pills for their entire life, now only takes it as necessary. Another person used both a weighted blanket and sleeping pills to help improve sleep.
7. Reduces anxiety and normal vital signs
Weighted blankets lowers skin conductance, an indicator for anxiety by 33%. Vital signs such as pulse rates, oxygen, and blood pressure levels are all within the safe range. Weighted blankets are safe to use, and are helpful in lowering anxiety and stress.
8. Mood lifter
Weighted blankets lift people’s mood and energy. They’re less stressed in the morning, less irritable, and have more of a sense of control.
“I have become calmer, nicer and more cooperative. Before, I was tired, angry and annoyed on most things.”
9. Sense of security
Weighted blanket gives people a sense of security and feelings of peace. This helps them fall asleep in minutes, and now – they can’t live without it. It also helps them feel grounded, which gives them a better sense of control over their lives.
10. Reduces movements
Weighted blankets stops you from tossing and turning in bed due to the swaddling feeling. People noticed that it decreases body movements, they slept longer, and didn’t wake up as early.
“With the weighted blanket, he does not move as much when he goes to sleep. He becomes calmer and falls asleep faster. He said the weighted blanket is good to hold on to as it hugged him and that turning around and moving became harder and heavier. We think he sleeps better with the weighted blanket. He falls asleep faster and is less unsettled and also sleeps a little longer in the morning.”
11. Improve social well-being
Poor sleep decrease our energy for socialization. People noticed their sleep, energy. and social life was better, when they used weighted blanket for 3 weeks. They joined more activities and became close to other people. Before using a blanket, they avoided being social, specifically with seniors.
“So before she got the weighted blanket, she could lie down all day and did not want to get up and so on. We wanted to see if a weighted blanket helps, and after three weeks we got her up, and she could be social and laugh and talk…”
12. Regulates your sensory system
Your body is full of nerve endings in your skin. When you put on a weighted blanket, it applies a broad pressure all over your body. This overstimulates your touch nerve fibers all at once, as well as your joints and muscles.
Broad pressure produces a calming effect in the brain that lowers stress. The same way that going for a walk triggers a positive feeling. Deep pressure affects our nervous system. Our nervous system regulates breathing, heart rate, gastrointestinal tract and other functions. As a result, you’re more calm and relaxed, which can lead to better sleep and lift your mood.
13. Reduces levels of arousal
When we’re stressed and overwhelmed, it makes it tough to have a good night’s sleep. When this happens, our heart rate and blood pressure increases to the same rates as if you were awake. Lowering this response, lowers stress and anxiety, and improves our well-being. Reducing arousal it with a weighted blanket may help with sleep. As well as focus, memory, and decision-making.
Studies have found deep pressure helps kids with high levels of arousal or anxiety.
14. Weight management
A lack of sleep can affect our physical health, including managing weight. Poor sleep leads to cravings for high-calorie foods and lowers physical activity. Your metabolic rate will slow, so you burn less calories at rest. Your levels of ghrelin increases, which leads to fat storage, which then leads to weight gain. Not only does sleep affect weight gain but so does our mood according to studies. Using a weighted blanket will help people manage their weight by making their sleep better and lifting their mood.
15. Better communication
Another study found that after using a weighted blanket, communication and understanding improved, specifically with seniors. They also noticed the blanket helped them feel calmer and their thoughts became more clear. More energy, less anxiety and worry lead to better communication.
“When you talked to her, she answered, and it was in the right context, and maybe even a question came back so you could sit and have a conversation. She managed to have a conversation, quite simply”
What is the best weighted blanket?
Hands down, Quietly’s weighted blankets. It’s available in two pressures to help your fall asleep and for a good restorative night’s rest.
Shop our weighted blankets to help you sleep naturally.
For more weighted blankets
Learn more about how weighted blankets help anxiety, insomnia, depression, chronic pain, fibromyalgia, panic attacks, PTSD, and more.
Frequently asked questions about weighted blanket benefits
What are the benefits of a weighted blanket?
Weighted blankets offer a number of benefits that help you sleep better, relax more, feel rested, and improve your well-being. It’s also been shown to help with insomnia, anxiety, pain, depression, and more.
The Quietly weighted blanket is made for your personal health needs. Your stress and sleep issues are unique, so we’ve taken a personalized and holistic approach. you just need to choose the blanket that feels best for you.
What are weighted blankets good for?
Weighted blankets provide several benefits to your both physical and mental health, including helping people suffering from poor sleep, changing moods, stress, anxiety, and panic attacks, and more.
What are the benefits of sleeping with a weighted blanket?
Weighted blankets help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer, wake up refreshed and felt rested during the day, increases energy for everyday activities, mood lifter, provides sense of security, reduces movements, regulates your sensory system, and reduces levels of arousal.