There really isn’t any sense of calm compared to cuddling up with your favorite blanket after a stressful day of work or school. While the quilt your Granny stitched may bring a twinge of nostalgia, a weighted blanket can give your body a deep pressure touch that produces the serotonin and melatonin you need to promote calm and sleep.
If you’ve never experienced the relief of a weighted blanket, let’s take a look at the benefits of cuddling under a weighted cloth that provides the ultimate physical and mental comfort for sleeping off a long, hard day.
How Do Weighted Blankets Work?
Weighted blankets work based on the principles of deep touch pressure therapy, also known as deep pressure stimulation.
These blankets are designed to provide gentle, evenly distributed pressure across the body, mimicking the sensation of being hugged or held.
The inner layer of your weighted blanket is filled with materials such as glass beads or plastic pellets, which add the desired weight. When an individual wraps themselves in a weighted blanket, the pressure exerted on the body stimulates the release of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, eventually leading to feelings of relaxation, well-being, and the ability to get a good night’s sleep.
What Are The Benefits of Weighted Blankets?
Over the last few years, the popularity of weighted blankets has seemingly gone through the roof. Here are some of the biggest reasons so many people are swapping out the standard for these gentle stress relievers.
Weighted Blankets Can Reduce Anxiety and Stress
Most of us love a great big hug. The deep touch pressure our bodies experience has a direct impact on the parasympathetic nervous system.
This bodily system releases dopamine, encourages relaxation, and decreases the cortisol in our lives that lead to excess stress that can easily damper our mood.
Weighted blankets provide a gentle pressure that can help you self-soothe and gradually refocus the mind into a state that puts anxiety and panic in the rearview mirror.
Sleep Quality Improves
Many people find that sleeping with a weighted blanket helps improve their overall sleep quality and duration.
The gentle, enveloping pressure of the blanket’s weight presses down on the body, creating a calming, cocooning sensation. Not only can the added weight help prevent tossing and turning, which keeps you restless, but it helps lower the heart rate and blood pressure to prepare the body for rest.
The deep-pressure touch from weighted blankets increases serotonin production and gives your body more of the neurotransmitter that helps regulate sleep cycles.
Weighted blankets can help users fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and spend more time in REM and deep sleep cycles. Let us help you and your loved ones wake up feeling well-rested, focused, and ready to take on the day!
They Comfort People With Sensory Processing Disorders
People with sensory processing disorders like ADHD and autism can benefit from deep-pressure touch from weighted blankets.
The pressure from a blanket can create a calming sensation that helps the nervous system regulate, providing a soothing feeling of security.
For people who experience sensory overload, the weighted blanket helps mute the influx of sensory stimuli, allowing them to relax their muscles and mind.
This calming effect helps improve focus while reducing anxious behaviors and restless movement.
How Do You Choose the Right Weighted Blanket
Selecting a weighted blanket for premier comfort goes beyond general visual appeal. After all, too light a blanket won’t produce enough pressure, while a blanket that’s too heavy can feel restrictive and be the antithesis of what weighted blankets are all about.
When buying a weighted blanket, there are three main things to consider: the weight, the size, and the fabric choice.
When deciding on the weight, a good place to start is to look at blankets around 10 percent of body weight. Many people end up preferring heavier or lighter blankets than this though–it’s strongly based on personal sensory preference.
In order to ensure the most effective size, the best option is to buy one that covers you from shoulders to toes and will drape down on either side of you. You’ll want entire body coverage so that the weight will be focused on you and not the bed, so sticking with these parameters will help you make the right choice for better sleep and relaxation.
Choosing the right fabric will depend on your temperature comfort level. If you want a warmer blanket, then you will want to choose a blanket made of a thicker fabric such as Minky; if you want a cooler blanket then you will need a lighter fabric such as cotton.
Keep Calm With Stacy’s Sensory Solutions
At Stacy’s Sensory Solutions, we’re dedicated to promoting the benefits of weighted blankets for everyone, from young children to seniors.
Our custom weighted blankets let you choose your fabric, weight, and blanket size, as well as give you the option between a blanket with a removable or sewn-in cover. Our custom covers and sewn-in custom blankets are made in-house by our own seamstresses at our shop in Plano, Texas.
We love the fact that our products create a natural sensation of comfort and calming that lets you sleep better, remain focused, and push back anxious or stressful feelings.
Whether you need help finding the right-sized blanket for a loved one or are ready to experience the benefits we’ve discussed for yourself, Stacy’s Sensory Solutions is here to help.
Contact us today or explore our online shop to learn more about our weighted blankets, weighted vests, neck wraps, and other stellar products in our Comfort Through Pressure line.
You deserve a break from sensory overload, and we’re here to help you find the solutions you need.
