What would make you feel more comfortable and safe? If the answer is to go back to bed with a big blanket over you, you're not alone!
As humans, we need connections and physical intimacy, and little can reproduce that feeling better than a good big quilt or blanket.
Whether you're looking for a natural way to treat your anxiety, a simple way to appease a child with autism, or just to explore a better way to help you and your baby, a weighted blanket can provide the solution you're looking for.
What is a weighted blanket?
As you might expect, weighted blankets are specially designed to be heavier than a standard blanket or duvet.
These covers typically weigh between 5 and 25 kilos and are often filled with natural materials or plastic beads, giving them a texture similar to that of baby toys.
This added weight adds warmth and soft pressure to the blanket, which mimics the feeling of being wrapped as you wrap it over you.
As a result, weighted blankets can improve people's mood, fight anxiety, soothe sensory disorders such as autism, treat insomnia and more.
We all need a sense of physical connection - it is programmed directly into our nervous system. Deep Touch Pressure (DTP) is the technical term for the soothing sensation of a gentle weight and distributed against your body. For those who feel they do not get enough tactile attention every day, the DTP can help you feel better and help you feel calmer, healthier and more relaxed.
This gentle pressure acts as a calming force that can reduce activity in sections of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) so as to increase your endorphin production and decrease your heart rate.
The process also releases soothing neurochemicals like serotonin and dopamine into your bloodstream to boost your mood.
It is also possible to enjoy the benefits of DTP with a gentle massage, hugs, body cushions or weighted blanket.
In fact, weighted blankets were originally invented and developed to reduce the stress level of children and adults with sensory disorders.
Whatever your age, the weighted blanket is a sure way to lower your stress level and help you reach a state of relaxation.
A study of the effectiveness of weighted 15-kilogram covers revealed that two-thirds of participants reported lower levels of anxiety after wrapping themselves in this blanket.
Research shows that weighted covers can be particularly useful during stressful events, such as a visit to the dentist.
Another study showed that these blankets produced physiological changes in the nervous system of dental patients, causing them to calm down before their appointment.
Since research shows that even short periods of DTP can calm you down, consider keeping a blanket handy when you need quick relief.
You may be sceptical that a better blanket will improve your sleep, but the facts show that it is certainly possible.
A study of insomniac patients found that those who tried to sleep with a weighted blanket experienced less agitation at night and easier to fall asleep in the first place.
The soothing effect of a weighted blanket can create a more comfortable environment for falling asleep by mimicking the feeling of being tightly wrapped in the bed. This close physical bond provides a sense of warmth and security, allowing the body to relax more easily.
Weighted blankets are also known to increase serotonin levels. Serotonin is partly responsible for your body's melatonin levels, which is the chemical that tells your body when it's time to go to sleep.
Wrapping yourself in a weighted blanket before you relax can reduce your production of cortisol, a stress hormone that usually triggers the "fight or flight reaction" in your body. Too much cortisol production adds stress to your immune system, increases your blood sugar levels and reduces the effectiveness of your digestive system.
However, studies show that leaving your body soothed while you sleep with a weighted blanket can reduce the production of cortisol while you sleep, which facilitates higher quality relaxation and decreases the risk of waking up stressed, tired or in pain in the morning.
You can find the best weighted blanket for adults on online.
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