The popularity of weighted blankets has spiked up recently. For many people, using them has turned into a routine, and it’s for a good reason. Science and experts back the health benefits of these blankets in stress relief, suppressing anxiety, and healthy sleeping habits.

Also, research studies indicate those with insomnia, autism, and anxiety disorders can benefit from using them. And if you’ve researched sleep topics, chances are you’ve encountered weighted blankets among the natural remedies. However, do they work? And if they do, what mechanism do they use to bring about these health benefits? Read on:

How weighted blankets work?

Surprisingly, the mechanism behind weighted blankets is simple science with tremendous results. They maximize on what’s called DTP or deep tissue pressure to elicit relaxation and enable deep sleep. Through activation of the body’s pressure points, DTP brings about relaxation and a calm mind. And the impact is a great mood, happiness, and stress-free life. With that said, think about DTP as a massage or a soothing tight hug.

And in this text, you are about to learn everything on Weighted Blankets. It covers the basics and key aspects of this blanket that you should learn about. Also, you’ll learn the science behind it and how it works to ease stress and anxiety. In addition, we will cover how weighted blankets relieve pain, sleep disorders, and enhance the quality of sleep.

For a brief preview of what’s to come, have a look at the following questions:

1. Are weighted blankets effective when it comes to anxiety?
2. Can a weighted blanket make you sweat?
3. Is a weighted blanket right for you?
4. Do weighted blankets work instantly or take time?

To get answers to these insightful questions on the weighted blanket, read on:  

The Magic behind Deep Touch Pressure (Sleep, Hormones and Good Mood)

As we’ve mentioned earlier, weighted blankets elicit calmness, good mood, and sleep through deep touch pressure. And thanks to pressure stimulation from DTP, you’re bound to experience relaxation and peace of mind. It applies the same effects of a baby swaddle through assuring security, comfort, and relaxation thanks to the pressure.

Ever gone to a Spa and experienced a few hours of peace and relaxation of body and mind? Well, the next moment all you could think about is a nap. And that’s the exact feeling you’ll experience from deep pressure therapy. It acts on your body’s pressure points leading to a cascade of critical chemical reactions.

And the first reaction to kick in is the release of serotonin, also known as the happy or good mood hormone.

What’s Serotonin?

Serotonin is a vital hormone when it comes to mood regulation. Thanks to its release, you can feel good even after having a depressing day. As such, it has a crucial role to play on sleep quality and overall wellbeing. To enhance serotonin released into the body, you can rely on various techniques.

For instance, you can try exercising or enjoy the warm sun in the evening after days of rain. However, the most potent and reliable method is pressure stimulation. And this is something you can achieve with ease thanks to weighted blankets.

When the serotonin levels elevate in the body, you’ll begin feeling relaxed, your mood changes and sleep improves. But why is that? Well, serotonin is a source of melatonin, the hormone responsible for sleep.

From research findings, an improvement in serotonin levels suppresses the duration of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep.  During REM sleep, you begin dreaming. However, what your brain needs is none-REM. And this refers to the resting period of the brain when it can relax and recover.

As a result, none-REM sleep is the most beneficial when it comes to your brain wellbeing. They evoke restorative effects that refresh your brain enabling you to wake up feeling relaxed and well-rested. And through enhancing serotonin levels, the more time our body spends on none-REM sleep.

What to expect when Serotonin levels lower

With the help of weighted blankets, you can boost serotonin levels. However, there are times when it lessens in the body. And the resulting consequences are bad moods and snoozing. What’s even more frustrating is the series of negative side effects that follow. And at one point, you must have experienced this after having a bad night's sleep. Oftentimes, you’d wake up cranky and not in the mood for anything.

With that said, serotonin is essential in the body for quality and a regular sleep cycle. Therefore, if you’ve been having a hard time falling asleep, then low serotonin could be the problem. What’s more, you may also experience depression and anxiety due to low levels of this hormone in the body.

So, is there a way to improve your sleep quality?

Well, with the right technique, you can improve serotonin levels in the body. Being a naturally produced molecule by the body, the best method to enhance its level is through our natural ability. And this is where weighted blankets play a part. It provokes the body's natural ability to produce serotonin. Besides, you can try other techniques of enhancing serotonin concentration in the body.

And what do you know about Melatonin?

For starters, do you know which hormone regulates the sleep-wake cycles? Well, that’s melatonin. It’s also popularly known as circadian rhythm. During the daytime, the level of melatonin in the body drops significantly. As a result, we’re able to remain awake and active throughout the day.

But when night time comes, the pineal gland is triggered to secret melatonin. Oftentimes, this starts at 9 pm, however, other factors may influence the change of this time. For instance, if you’re in a region with more daylight, the time may move further to 10 or 11 pm. And this is because daylight suppresses the release of melatonin.

And when Melatonin secretion finally begins, you’ll experience sleepiness. Further, with the help of a weighted blanket, you can help the body produce more melatonin. By covering yourself with a weighted blanket, you’ll be enhancing serotonin secretion into the body. And serotonin being melatonin's predecessor, your sleep quality improves. Besides, the calmness and relaxation evoked by these blankets also help with falling asleep.

Further, weighted blankets also serve as a stress reliever. They can help you feel calm when you’re feeling anxious or depressed.  And they do so by suppressing Cortisol concentration in the body. Cortisol being a source of stress and anxiety and a major cause of poor sleep quality, will not be a problem. Therefore, you’ll fall asleep peacefully. Knowing that, let’s uncover how weighted blankets help those with stress.

How do weighted blankets reduce Cortisol and stress?

Besides boosting the levels of positive hormones like melatonin and serotonin, weighted blankets are also great in suppressing the bad hormones. And in this case, we’re talking about the problematic Cortisol hormone. Also known as the stress hormone, having too much or less Cortisol is bad for the body. And here are tips to help you understand this:

• Excess Cortisol in the body leads to frustrating emotions like stress throughout the day. On the other hand, when it’s lower, you’ll experience fatigue throughout the day.
• Therefore, what we need is the right amount of Cortisol, not more, not less. We need a slightly higher level during the morning to trigger waking up. And thereafter, it should drop gradually and then become stable for the rest of the day. Also, the low levels will help us fall asleep at night without straining.
• Also, note that higher Cortisol late in the evening and throughout the night interferes with sleep. It causes restlessness, stress, and anxiety feelings that hamper normal dozing off. But when you use a weighted blanket, you can boost the body's ability to suppress Cortisol. And with the increasing level of serotonin and consequently melatonin, you’ll sleep soundly thereafter.

Weighted Blankets for Chronic Pain

Beyond the therapeutic effect of weighted blankets on anxiety and stress, they’re also great for easing chronic pain. Please note, chronic pain is another enemy of quality sleep. And this is because it triggers mental stress preventing you from feeling relaxed and getting to sleep. Luckily, a weighted blanket is a remedy for both. By boosting serotonin levels in the body, the pain is suppressed. Meanwhile, melatonin increases significantly, especially if it’s time for bed. And thanks to this, you can feel relaxed and fall asleep soundly.

FAQs

1. Are weighted blankets effective when it comes to anxiety?

Persistent anxiety and stress are destructive to your well-being. And without addressing this issue, your health is bound to be affected. For instance, they can reap off your confidence, happiness, and productivity. Oftentimes, these two occur together causing even more damage to your health. But why is that so?

Well, because they cause similar symptoms such as muscle tension, insomnia, irritability, and headaches. Therefore, stress can feel like anxiety and vice versa is true. Luckily, this confusion isn’t a challenge, especially if you have a weighted blanket.

According to expert acknowledgment from the ASA (or America Sleep Association), a weighted blanket can treat anxiety. Therefore, it’s a reliable therapeutic tool for everyone experiencing anxiety and stress. In another study, over 65% of the participants reported a drop in anxiety after using weighted blankets.

2. Can a weighted blanket make you sweat?

This is a common concern when it comes to all weighted blanket users. Oftentimes, people wonder if sleeping under those pounds may lead to hot sweaty nights. Fortunately, it doesn’t, especially Better Sleep weighted blankets. And this is because the weight on these blankets is distributed across your body evenly. Meanwhile, there are enough spaces for air to circulate and prevent overheating and sweating.

3. Is a weighted blanket right for you?

Yes, weighted blankets are best for everyone. However, if you have a special condition that needs special care, consult your doctor before using this product. Apart from that, everyone can use weighted blankets including kids between 4 and 14 years old. To get exclusive options for kids and grownups, contact Better Sleep.

4. Do weighted blankets work instantly or take time?

Well, it depends on your sleeping habits and body response to this therapeutic tool. Further, using weighted blankets isn’t different from deep tissue stimulation that lowers your heart rate. A weighted blanket also lowers your heart rate when you feel anxious leading to mental and body calmness. And this is an effect that some users experience on their first day when covering themselves with this product.

Therefore, it’s true that some users will experience the relaxing effect on the first day. However, some will enjoy the benefits after using it persistently for a while. Regardless, everyone needs to use them consistently to experience long-lasting positive impacts.

As a first-time user, we’ve got resourceful tips just for you. And here they’re:

• Ease in

 Do not rush covering yourself wholly on the first day. Instead, cover halfway for at least 3-5 days. This will help your body in adjusting to this product. Also, it depends on how your body reacts to this product.

• Pressure adoption

Once your body begins to adapt to this blanket, you can raise it over half your body the next time you sleep.

• Finally, a deep sleep schedule

At this point, your body is comfortable with the weighted blanket. Therefore, you can cover the entire body for a deep sleep effect. According to experts, you’ll spend about three weeks to fully adjust to weighted blankets, and reap the benefits.

Final Take

Finally, back to our initial question, weighted blanket, how do they work? Well, this text has all that you need to know more about the weighted blanket. But most importantly, note that weighted blanket utilizes DTP (Deep Tissue Pressure) therapy. And from this, the result is a calm sensation followed by mental relaxation and a good mood.

Thanks to these effects, you’ll also benefit from a series of other advantages. And they include better sleep at night due to higher melatonin, and Lower stress and anxiety levels, among others. So, are weighted blankets effective when it comes to anxiety?

Well, they are, but it also depends. And this is because you need a reliable source to avoid replicas that could cost you money without providing results.  In this case, reach out to the Better Sleep store for a range of quality weighted blankets to choose from.