Can Weighted Blankets Help Insomnia?

Hey, sleep warriors.

Are you looking forward to cozying up by the fire this winter in a warm blanket? Should that blanket be a weighted one?

Weighted blankets work by providing a deep pressure touch, which delivers greater relaxation. Then light touch alone. Think of it as a big bear hug compared to a friendly pad on the back.

This pressure stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system or the rest and digest part of our body, and it delivers a calming effect similar to a deep breath.

Using weight to calm the nervous system has long been known to help anxiety, especially in kids. But now, adults and people with insomnia they're seeing the benefits too.

A 2020 Swedish study looked at the effects of a weighted blanket on insomnia and daytime functioning. After four weeks, 60% of patients using a weighted blanket noted improved sleep and less daytime sleepiness, and after a year, 78% of participants using the weighted blanket reported near the resolution of their insomnia altogether.

Now, we need more studies that confirm these kinds of outcomes, but I'm impressed with these early results.

Now, a weighted blanket may not be for everyone.

For example, people with neuromuscular conditions or weakness of the chest wall or even untreated severe sleep apnea probably shouldn't use a weighted blanket.

And some trauma victims may even experience a worsening of their anxiety when weighted down by a blanket. But how much weight is enough?

Well, a general rule of thumb is to take your weight in pounds and divide it by ten. For example, a 150-pound person may look for a 15-pound blanket, whereas a 200-pound person would look for a. 20-pound blanket, and so on.

So overall, weighted blankets are generally safe and offer a medication-free option to improve sleep quality. If nothing else, they can decrease anxiety, which is something we can all benefit given the past couple of years.

Thanks for being here. I'll see you next week.