Weighted Blankets
The Benefits of Weighted Blankets
It’s been a fad that has come into light over the past year. You may have been introduced to them if you watch Dragon’s Den where they presented the Dragons to the benefits that weighted blankets provide. Stated in the video, 1 in 4 Canadians suffer from insomnia, and even more are suffering from anxiety and stress – add in a pandemic and lockdowns and those numbers are sure to have risen!
Check out the this clip from Dragon's Den featuring Hush blankets!
So what do these blankets actually do? Well, they help to reduce those feelings of stress and anxiety and also help promote falling asleep faster as well as staying in a deeper (REM) sleep longer. We all know, sleep is SUCH an important thing to help live healthier lives. But how do they do this? It’s called Deep Pressure Stimulation, DPS. These blankets vary in different weights which are filled with plastic beads or pellets and they act like hands-on pressure to relax the nervous system. In scientific terms, they decrease the sympathetic nervous system and increase the parasympathetic nervous system.
In simple terms… they decrease that fight or flight response caused by anxiety and stress, and restore the body to a state of calm.
They do not only need to be used during sleep, although recommended for that, the benefits of the blankets can still be felt the same way, curled up under one at the end of the day to help promote relaxation and to unwind from the day and prepare for sleep.
Benefits of Weighted Blankets
- Reduces sympathetic nervous system – fight or flight response
- Helps those suffering from: anxiety, ADHD, OCD, Sensory Processing Disorder, Stress, Insomnia etc.
- Varies in weight
- Comes in “cooling” material for those hot sleepers, or great for the warmer months!
- Readily available at a variety of retailers across the country
Cautions of Weighted Blankets:
- Certain individuals should consult their Doctor before using a weighted blanket
- Those that suffer from Sleep Apnea
- Other sleep disorders
- Respiratory problems or other chronic medical conditions
- Children
My Experience (Erin S.):
I was gifted a 20lb Hush blanket for Christmas this past year, and I swear it has improved my sleep and stress/anxiety levels! My Husband says he knows when I am having a great sleep based on how loud I snore!
For me personally, it is has been great for those typical Mom days that can be a bit overwhelming…especially as a first time Mom and on top of that, living through a pandemic! Once the kiddo is asleep, I curl under my blanket, with a warm cup of tea, and can literally feel the weight of the day just lift away. It is amazing to experience that adding weight can literally feel like it is lifting weight away. In the past few years, weighted blankets have had some more scientific research performed on them to outline the benefits they provide, and they have just recently have become more of a “fad”, but in my opinion and experience I have enjoyed all the benefits they provide thus far!
It is something that is so simple to use, yet can help in so many ways. In a currently unpredictable world where “rules” are changing constantly, and it feels like we are living groundhog day over and over again, it has caused my stress and anxiety levels have to rise. With that said, I am thankful to have a healthy device that helps lower these feelings until the world can get back to “normal”.
Hoping you are all staying well!
Want to learn more about the benefits of weighted blankets? Take a look at the links below;
https://hushblankets.ca/pages/science-of-weighted-blankets
https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety/do-weighted-blankets-work