A weighted blanket is basically a heavy, knotted blanket specially designed to help people sleep better and reduce stress at night. At first, weighted blankets were primarily used as therapeutic aids to help people with neurological disorders, autism, and other mental health conditions. Today, they’ve become a fairly mainstream home decor item. You’ll find them in any room of the house, from the bedroom to the kitchen – even bathrooms!
How do CalmingBlankets work? At night, the blanket’s loop system holds body weight against it. This way, you can’t simply lay down on it; your body has to be comfortable for the blanket to work. The weight of your body contributes to the total weight of the blanket. By sleeping on a ten-pound blanket, you could potentially lose up to fifteen pounds!
One variation of the weighted blanket is a “fee pair” or “cotton napper” blanket. The cotton napper works by holding one end of a line connected to a temperature control panel. This way, your blanket can vary the temperature during the night based on how warm you are, making it more like a traditional blanket but with the added benefit of temperature control.
People with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have found great success using these blankets. People with OCD either can’t stand to be separated from their sheets or bowls or can’t stand to be washed. If they can’t stay still long enough to get the job done, they may very well ruin everything they’re trying to clean by getting too excited or distracted. People with this disorder need a way to keep their routines under control at night to wake up feeling less stressed. A weighted blanket with a temperature sensor is just the tool they need.
The second therapy we’re going to look at is the dual therapy Weighted Blankets. The dual therapy weighted vest gives sufferers the option to use both a heating pad and a vest to help with body heat, and they can adjust the temperature settings for both in tandem for even more relief. Most of the dual therapy weighted vests go up to twenty pounds, which means sufferers will be able to find a comfortable weight option that will keep them nice and toasty without being too bulky or heavy.
People with sleep apnea can benefit as well from the dual therapy padded blankets. Those with sleep apnea will often have to wear a breathing mask while they sleep to open up their airways and allow them to breathe normally. By wearing the weighted blanket, they can reduce the amount of time their airways are open by a huge amount, and it can also reduce the number of times their airway is obstructed throughout the night.
Finally, the last therapy covered in this article is deep pressure stimulation. This method uses a low-level electrical current to help stimulate the muscles in the body. Those who suffer from conditions such as fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome can greatly benefit from deep pressure stimulation as well. Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome often are caused by the nervous system not being able to adequately communicate messages to the muscles, which causes the muscles to stiffen and be painful.