We want to spice up your knowledge with a hint of excitement: we're going to unravel the mysteries of weighted blankets with as much enthusiasm as a detective solving a case in a crime movie!
Picture yourself submerged in the captivating world of weighted blankets, understanding their secret language and how they can calm restless nights for troubled souls, night owls plagued by anxiety or depression, and even other well-kept secrets.
But wait, these blankets do more than just keep you warm at night! They're champions of the sustainable textile industry, turning you into a planetary superhero by contributing to preserving life on our beautiful planet.
Now, you might be wondering, 'What about those without sleep or behavioral issues?' Fear not! We'll serve you a platter of information to shed light on the benefits of these blankets for everyone.
We're diving headfirst into user experiences and feedback, far from the noisy ads screaming, 'Buy me, I'm the best blanket in the world!
And to keep things honest, we're sharing insights from healthcare professionals, those experts who deal with these situations every day. Always with the necessary transparency, as science and evidence are our credo. It's up to you to decide if this comforting blanket is a must-have or just another item. Let's embark on this refreshing plunge!
What Is the History of Weighted Blankets?
The earliest investigations into the effect of deep tactile pressure from weighted blankets date back to 1992. It was during this period that Temple Grandin, an autistic American scientist, designed the Hug Machine, exploring the calming benefits of this pressure on patients with autistic disorders. In 1997, Keith Zivalich emerged as a prominent figure in the manufacturing and commercialization of weighted blankets, with December 8, 1998, marking the historic first sale of his weighted blanket. The first formal study on the effectiveness of weighted blankets for deep tactile pressure dates to 1999. During this time, Tina Champagne, an occupational therapist, began exploring these pressures as a means of adaptation for a wide range of individuals with special needs in the community.
What exactly is a weighted blanket?
There's an abundance of definitions online, but our approach aims to inspire you with a definition that resonates with your daily life.
When stress starts creeping in, your heart starts racing. In these moments, it's crucial to resort to stress management and mindfulness techniques like deep breathing and meditation to lower your heart rate. A weighted blanket applies gentle pressure to your body, acting as a soothing touch to activate your parasympathetic nervous system. This helps reduce your heart rate when stress hits you hard.
The magic of a weighted blanket lies in its ability to provide "pressure therapy," enveloping your body in a sensation akin to a hug, swaddling, caress, or embrace. The ideal size and weight of the weighted blanket entirely depend on the individual needs and weight of each person.
Which blanket is perfect for you? Take our quiz in less than 20 seconds, and you'll find out quickly!
Canadian Universities Benefit from Vital Research Chairs on Sleep Disorders
According to a study published in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, approximately 40% of Canadians grapple with disruptive and restless sleep issues each night. Canada is becoming increasingly aware of the impacts of these problems on its citizens' daily lives. Consequently, it has allocated crucial research chairs to address this matter. These research endeavors aim to better understand the origins and consequences of insomnia while developing effective therapies.
Among these initiatives is the University Laval, housing a specialized sleep disorders research center within the Faculty of Social Sciences, hosting the Canada Research Chair in Sleep Disorders. Similarly, the University of Montreal, through its Faculty of Medicine and the Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, accommodates the Canada Research Chair in Sleep.
Sweet slumber with the subtle composition of the weighted blanket
In short: The composition of a weighted blanket can vary, but typically, it consists of materials such as cotton, polyester, or more specific fabrics designed to provide softness and durability. The filling materials can be glass beads, plastic pellets, or other substances that add weight to the blanket. These elements are distributed within compartments to ensure an even distribution of weight across the entire surface of the blanket.
Better sleep offers the largest choice of sizes, weights of weighted blankets for adults and kids, colors and covers for a better sleep experience. Better Sleep uses organic cotton, an extremely breathable fabric. It allows sweat to evaporate, rather than sticking to your skin, giving you a sweet sleep.
Benefits of Weighted Blankets: Insights from Researchers, Scientists, and Technology Experts
According to Business Research Insights, the global market for weighted blankets was valued at $399 million in 2019 and is expected to surpass $1 billion by 2026. However, researchers assert that evidence-based studies on their efficacy in improving sleep are scarce.
Bernie Deitrick, the engineer overseeing weighted blanket tests at Consumer Reports, notes that top-tier weighted blankets encase glass beads in small pockets across the product's surface. This prevents clumping and provides better weight distribution.
Scientific publications delve into the concept of deep touch pressure, which elicits a calming effect on mood. These sensory blankets are designed to be heavier than traditional bedding, ranging from 5 to 35 pounds. The added weight creates a gentle pressure simulating a hug or embrace, offering comfort and tranquility.
Shauna Hiller, a technology specialist, highlights the escalating demand for weighted blankets as a safe and gentle means to naturally alleviate anxiety and enhance sleep quality. Even before their current popularity, these blankets were recognized as effective tools for promoting sleep and relaxation among individuals dealing with anxiety, insomnia, ADHD, and obsessive-compulsive disorders. Their ability to soothe and comfort individuals within the autism spectrum, including children, is also well-established.
When you opt for our weighted blanket, crafted with care by Canadian hands using 100% local and eco-friendly materials, you're not just making a confident purchase. You're contributing to raising standards for all consumers while wrapping yourself in comfort and responsibility. Who knew sleep could be so Canadian and eco-conscious?
How can I keep cool when I sleep? the best weighted blankets for warm sleepers
Bernie Deitrick explains: "We've focused on the ability of weighted blankets to retain warmth during sleep. Our laboratory utilized a series of temperature-controlled metal boxes to assess the thermal efficiency of each blanket. It's noteworthy that a thicker blanket doesn't necessarily equate to excessive warmth.
Engineer Bernie continues:"You might consider opting for a weighted duvet without a duvet cover, or try a knitted weighted blanket, like the one that offers more airflow than a standard weighted duvet, or simply use a weighted blanket without a cover». Better sleep suggests a cooling weighted blanket with cooling bamboo cover, premium quality for warm sleepers
Cooling weighted blankets for a warm sleep: consider having a knitted weighted blanket
Finding the best cooling weighted blanket is not difficult, but it will rely on preferences. Most customers want a weighted blanket that can be used year-round, not simply during the chilly winter months when cuddling up under a thick blanket sound comfortable.
However, do weighted blankets make you hot? The blanket's exterior can be kept cool and cozy by using materials like cotton, eucalyptus, and bamboo. Fillers may also be important. Glass beads can be cooling and do not retain heat as well as most other pellet fillers. The knitted weighted blanket is also an ideal choice; I highly recommend it, especially for hot sleepers.
Heavy blankets benefits: Perspectives from Health and Wellness Experts
At Uppsala University, researchers found that silent blankets naturally increase melatonin production by 30% in the body, promoting better sleep. This sleep hormone is crucial in regulating the sleep-wake cycle. However, they observed no effect on the sympathetic nervous system.
Studies have confirmed the impact of weighted blankets in elevating melatonin levels (the sleep hormone) at bedtime, though no significant influence was observed on subjects' drowsiness or sleep duration.
"In my practice, some patients absolutely love weighted blankets while others don't," shares Rafael Pelayo, MD, a sleep specialist and clinical professor in psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University and the author of "How to Sleep." He emphasizes, "For those who embrace them, it's a real game-changer."
Peek at the best weighted blanket in Canada for adult and also the weighted blanket for kids to soothe your mind and promote better sleep.
Weighted blanket for kids
Occupational therapists had been using weighted blankets sized for children with autism, ADHD, and sensory issues long before stressed adults or those with sleep disturbances embraced them. In fact, even children without these specific concerns can find comfort in using these weighted blankets. According to Harvard Medical School, psychiatric facilities employ this type of blanket, particularly to calm children.
When choosing a sensory blanket blanket, the general guideline is to select one that's about 10% of your child's body weight. For instance, if your child weighs 50 pounds, a blanket weighing around 5 pounds would be suitable.
Sensory preferences differ from one child to another, so your child might prefer a lighter weight. However, it's crucial not to go for a blanket that's too heavy as it could pose safety risks.
Heavy blankets for sleeping: Ensuring Comfort and Security
It's said that weighted blankets work similarly to how swaddling snugly helps newborns feel cozy. Many individuals find that these blankets assist them in falling asleep faster by fostering a sense of security.
Heavy blanket for sleeping: Relieve Your Stress and Soothe Your AnxietyA weighted blanket can aid in managing feelings of stress and anxiety. As stress and anxiety often interfere with sleep, the benefits of a weighted blanket can translate into better sleep for those experiencing stressful thoughts.
Sensory blanket: Enhance Your Sleep Quality
sensory blanket for anxiety employ deep pressure stimulation, believed to boost the production of the sleep hormone, which enhances mood, reduces the stress hormone (cortisol), and increases levels of melatonin, aiding in sleep. This can contribute to an overall improvement in sleep quality.
According to a study published in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, around 40% of Canadians experience at least one symptom of insomnia, such as difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep.
Sensory blanket: Relax Your Nervous System and Soothe Your MindA hyperactive nervous system can lead to anxiety, increased heart rate, breathlessness, which are not conducive to sleep. By evenly distributing weight and pressure across the body, weighted blankets may calm the fight-or-flight response and activate the relaxing parasympathetic nervous system in preparation for sleep. Individuals experiencing chronic sleep deprivation are more likely to develop depression. Prevention is better than cure with a personalized weighted blanket.
“While many users report improvements with these popular blankets, there's ongoing debate regarding whether weighted blankets provide all the claimed benefits by manufacturers," say Daniel Noyed
By purchasing a Better Sleep weighted blanket, you embrace a concept of responsible and ethical well-being, choosing a soothing blanket that resonates with your heart.
Sleep-Deprived Eyes: Checklist of Symptoms to Monitor
If you find yourself with this list of symptoms, it's best to take action promptly by consulting your doctor. The sensory blanket could be your best ally alongside therapy prescribed by your physician. Always consult your doctor.
- Daytime drowsines
- Decreased productivity
- Lack of concentration
- Bad mood
Benefits of Weighted Blankets: What Do Weighted Blanket Manufacturers Say?
Manufacturers say:” Our goal behind this technology was to provide a sense of security, relaxation, you feel as though you are being hugged in the most comfortable way, but they also claim that the blankets can calm you if you're anxious or help you sleep if you suffer from insomnia”.
Choosing Better Sleep's weighted blanket also means supporting local organizations in need, to which we donate blankets every year.
Benefits of Weighted Blankets: What Do Consumers Say About the Heavy Blanket and Its Array of Brands
To tune into the buyer's symphony, we've embraced a plethora of modern methods: hunting for web reviews, impromptu phone calls, chance encounters in stores, not forgetting the feedback on Google My Business and e-commerce platforms. All these experiences have come together on our dashboard for a revealing concert
Comments |
Customer reviews and others |
It's Incredible! My Anxiety Has Improved Since I Started Using it Has Helped Me Tremendously. The pressure is just right, to help address my symptoms. Its a miracle, i feel so wrapped up, cozy and relax that my
mind has no time to think about awful stuff, |
I was suffering from anxiety |
helped to improve my sleeping quality. and oh so comfortable. The pressure is just right, to help address my symptoms. Highly recommend. Thanks so much! |
I was suffering from depression |
My daughter suffers from insomnia, and this helps her sleep better My wife falls asleep a lot faster and stay asleep during the night. My only regret is not having found this product sooner. I had not had an uninterrupted 8-hour sleep in ages! |
I was suffering from insomnia |
Benefits of using weighted blanket-Better Sleep
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