How Weighted Blanket Works?
We live in an era where stressors are varied, inflation at its peak, and life utterly chaotic, which certainly has its fair share of downsides. These aspects usually result in affecting our quality of sleep, while it is only through sleep that we can get some relief from everyday life stress. Therefore, it is important to invest in sleep gear that aids in sleeping peacefully at night. Weighted blanket could be your true companion in this regard for not just being more comforting than normal blankets, but for offering a wide range of health benefits such as stress/anxiety relief.
Available in many different sizes and colors weighted blankets contain micro-sized nontoxic weight (usually glass beads or tiny plastic pellets) that make them heavier. Some blankets weigh just a few pounds such as 5lb and 7lb, which are ideal weighted blankets for toddlers. Adults can choose between 15lb, 20lb, 25lb, and 30lb weighted blankets.
However, because of being relatively new sleep accessory, many people aren’t aware of how blankets with weight work, why these are considered therapeutic, and, what sort of weighted blanket benefits can be expected?
Read on and you will understand how weighted blanket weight can improve quality of sleep by addressing issues like anxiety, stress, or sleep disorders.
Weighted Blankets Review: What Makes Them Different from Regular Blankets?
Weighted blanket is starkly different from regular blankets despite resembling regular blankets. Firstly, instead of buying them according to bed size these are bought as per user’s body weight.
Good quality weight blanket inner layer is filled with some type of material that creates weight. Most high-end brands used non-toxic, hypoallergenic glass beads, or polypropylene pellets. While manufacturing, weight is sewn into various small, self-contained pockets distributed evenly inside. This is what makes a blanket weighted.
Ideally, weight of weighted blanket is around 10% of user’s overall body weight; however, few pounds higher or lesser won’t make any difference. This means you can order weight blanket weighing around 7% to 12% of your body weight and enjoy the same level of comfort and relaxation.
Royal Therapy is a reliable brand to buy weight blankets. The company is regarded as pioneer of innovative weighted blankets and offers incredibly luxurious, comfortable, and durable blanket. For resolving confusion surrounding weight selection, Royal Therapy provides comprehensive guidelines on ideal blanket weight as per user’s body size, along with offering extensive range of blanket weights.
Royal Therapy manufactures some of the industry’s best weighted blankets that contain non-toxic, hypoallergenic, odorless, washer/dryer safe, kids/pets friendly, and eco-friendly glass beads. Besides that, exciting range in weighted blanket colors is available from dramatic to muted browns, blues and monochrome cream/gold. Since these are designed to fit a user’s body size instead of bed Royal Therapy weighted blankets never slip or slide off the bed.
How Does Blankets with Weight Work?
Weight blankets target human brain’s sympathetic nervous system (which generates state of alertness) so that it switches to parasympathetic nervous system (which creates state of calmness). While ensuring superior calming properties weight blankets are at least three to five times heavier than a regular blanket or duvet. Through their heaviness, these blankets reduce anxiety and encourage deeper sleep.
The idea of using weights for weighted blankets is inspired by two different therapeutic concepts. One is Deep Touch Pressure Therapy (DTP), also known as deep touch pressure. According to DTP, when certain amount of pressure is exerted all over our body, it recreates similar impact as we get from swaddling, stroking, hugging, or squeezing. Hence, by putting some pressure on the body it is possible to help soothe or calm our body so as to promote sleepiness.
Another idea, which inspired the weighted blankets design, was developed by an autism expert Dr. Grandin, who identified that holding or hugging can give relief from anxiety. She developed a hug machine that applied gentle pressure all over the body to release the brain’s happiness chemical called oxytocin.
Blanket weight stimulates feelings similar to stroke/hug without making the sleeper feel restricted or confined. It stimulates release of oxytocin, which is a neurotransmitter that generates feelings of relaxation, calmness, and happiness. Research suggests that cuddling or hugging can boost oxytocin level in our body, while blankets weighted also encourage release of oxytocin, which is why these are used as therapeutic comforters.
Royal Therapy weighted blankets have further improved the therapeutic properties of blanket with weights by developing an innovative 7-layer design for enhancing its comfortability. Royal Therapy blankets are made using breathable, lightweight fabric for effective regulation of body temperature.
These can serve as both weighted cooling blankets and warming comforters depending on the weather conditions, which not many weight blankets can do. The blanket can adapt to user’s individual needs and create a favorable environment to sleep peacefully. With an extensive size range featuring weighted blanket king sized, queen-sized, and custom-sizes for kids, Royal Therapy has created an extensive range of weight blankets for the whole family.
Weighted Blanket Benefits for Anxiety:
The idea behind designing blankets weighted with hypoallergenic tiny glass beads or pallets is to generate feelings of cuddliness/hugging. In a majority of occupational therapy treatments hugging is incorporated as a form of therapy. Moreover, it is a proven fact that Deep Touch Pressure Therapy can encourage increase in level of oxytocin hormones, which directly impact sleep cycle positively.
Hence, if someone is experiencing stress or anxiety, by using weighted blanket anxiety and stress can be treated easily. It happens because blanket weight applies gentle pressure on the stressed muscles and delivers the same benefits of a hug without establishing body contact with another person.
If you are specifically looking to buy weighted blanket for anxiety, choose Royal Therapy Weighted Blanket simply because these are the best weighted blankets in the market. Many things make these blankets unique. Their innovative 7-layer design, evenly distributed diamond-shaped compartments each filled with high-density, durable, food-grade glass beads, and extra-soft pure cotton cover that keeps blanket draped over the sleeper’s body and the hugging effect lasts throughout the night.
