3 Ways Weighted Blankets Can Help You
Getting yourself wrapped up in a blanket can feel like one giant hug — with the correct blanket, that is. If it’s soft, warm, and comfortable, that’s a nice start. But have you ever given mind about how the weight of your blanket affects how comfortable it is? A weighted, heavy blanket can actually be more comforting and even advantageous to your health than its lighter counterpart.
Weighted blankets vary in size, shape, color, and material, depending on what you choose be it a native American blankets or any other. They’re typically stuffed with tiny plastic pellets to make them heavier. Few blankets have just a few extra pounds on them, which are best for small kids. Others may have 20 plus pounds added in which are best for adults.
Conditions Can a Weighted Blanket Help With
- Anxiety
Anxiety is something that everyone experiences at some point. It’s a feeling of uneasiness and worry, usually about something that is about to happen in the future, which causes your heart rate to increase and your breathing to get faster, which is a byproduct of your body preparing for stress.
If anxiety is staple, and it’s derailing your daily life, you may be diagnosed with anxiety disorder. Instead of panicking about an upcoming event, you may worry unnecessarily about everyday situations, which can make your body feel like it’s in a stressful situation or environment most of the time.
On the basis of what’s going on around you, your autonomic nervous system that controls basic bodily functions such as breathing, digestion, sweating, and shivering, prepares the body for stress or rest. This is commonly known as the fight or flight response.
The pressure of weighted blankets puts your autonomic nervous system into passive mode, which reduces some of the symptoms of anxiety, like a quickened heart rate or breathing. As a result you will feel a sense of overall calm.
- Sleep Disorders
You find yourself tossing and turning in bed all night every once in a while, you’re not alone out there. Around 20 million Americans have trouble falling asleep occasionally — and more 40 million people in the United States have long-term, chronic sleep disorders.
“Stress and anxiety can cause a sleep disorder to begin with, or they can make existing problems worse. However, you don’t need to have a disorder for stress and anxiety to affect your sleep. Anxiety about the next day’s test or presentation can keep you up at night” as per the explanation given by Martin L. Levinson, MD, FACP, FCCP, physician at Penn Sleep Center Cherry Hill.
As a result of the pressure from weighted blankets prepares your body for rest by calming your heart rate and breathing, they help your body to calm down enough to get the sleep it needs so you can wake up feeling rested.
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
“Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have a harder time with self-control, especially when it comes to paying attention and sitting still. This can cause problems at school or at home, and it can impact their learning, as well as their relationships with friends and family,” as said by Dr. Levinson.
Kids diagnosed with ADHD are often distracted by what’s going on around them, for example other people talking or what’s happening outside. It’s very difficult for them to focus on what they want to focus on, like the teacher talking.
The weighted blankets keep toddlers from becoming distracted by other sensory stimuli, like sounds, coming from their surroundings by activating the sense of touch. This can also help them improve their attention, be constant on task, stay in their seats, and fidget less. If your kid does not want to use a blanket in class, you can buy them a weighted vest, which works same as the blankets.
