Who doesn't want to sleep well? When it comes to getting a good night’s sleep, there are countless options out there that promise to help you sleep better. We all want to get deep, restful sleep every night, but that's not the reality for most Americans. You may have seen published support for everything from natural remedies like warm milk and melatonin supplements to new mattresses, sleeping pills, and so much more. It can be surprisingly difficult to figure out which sleep remedies are actually helpful and which are just sales pitches — and then you have to figure out which of those remedies works for you!
This is where a calming weighted blanket comes in. Weighted blankets are a natural sleep remedy; there's no need to ingest anything, you don't need electrical power to make one work, and it promotes a lot of benefits that encourage deeper, more restful sleep. Here's how they work:
What's In a Weighted Blanket?
A weighted blanket is pretty much what it sounds like. It's a blanket that is filled with small, evenly-distributed weights — usually something like plastic or glass beads. In order to keep the weight evenly distributed across the whole blanket, they are usually quilted into squares or other small, even shapes, and each of those pouches is filled with the same amount of weight. From there, the calming weighted blanket can be covered with a weighted blanket duvet in the material of your choice for soft, fluffy comfort.
A calming weighted blanket is a great option for kids and adults alike, and can even be used if you have an anxious pet dog who needs a little help relaxing. They're a great option for a midday nap, sleeping at night, and even just snuggling up on the couch to watch some TV. The biggest perk of a weighted blanket is that they provide help naturally, so you can enjoy those benefits anywhere you can take a blanket!
How A Weighted Blanket Can Help
In broad terms, a calming weighted blanket helps the body and mind relax by triggering Deep Pressure Stimulation, also called Deep Pressure Therapy. This therapeutic technique is often used as a treatment for anxiety, sensory processing disorder, and other similar mental health concerns. Deep Pressure Therapy isn't just limited to weighted blankets, though; it's the term used to describe the physiological feelings and responses that are triggered within the body and mind from certain types of touch. Deep Pressure Stimulation can also come from modalities like massage therapy, support animals, and even a good hug!
The way Deep Pressure Therapy works is by providing gentle but firm pressure that helps calm the nervous system. The nervous system is responsible for our flight-or-fight response, and Deep Pressure Stimulation helps promote a feeling of calm and peace so that fight-or-flight response can get shoved to the physiological back burner for a bit. This way, the body can relax down to the core, and on a subconscious level, not just a conscious one. Basically, Deep Pressure Stimulation helps the body find a feeling of calm all the way down to the core, which is why a calming weighted blanket can help with more than just sleep.
Some of the most common benefits that a weighted blanket provides include:
- Relieving anxiety
- Helping soothe insomnia
- Calming sensory processing disorders
- Improving focus for ADD/ADHD
- Soothing fibromyalgia pain
- Promoting deeper, more restful sleep
- Boosting focus
- Helping symptoms of PTSD
- Calming restless leg syndrome
- And more
That list may look like a lot, which we know can make it seem too good to be true. The good news is that a lot of the benefits provided by a calming weighted blanket are all interrelated — so it's really not too good to be true! Basically all of the concerns we mentioned above are related to the nervous system and mental health. So, by calming the nervous system, the body can focus on relaxing, healing, and taking care of other stressors. For example, when the nervous system is calm, it can lead to reduced feelings of anxiety and better focus. Calming the nervous system can also trigger the release of serotonin, which is a natural hormone produced by the body to help you sleep. Add in the gentle pressure and weight, and a calming weighted blanket can help restless legs stay still, which means that movement is less likely to affect your sleep.
Choosing Your Weighted Blanket
Overall, a calming weighted blanket can provide a wide range of different benefits for the body and mind. If you’re ready to try for yourself, visit the Density Comfort shop online! Choose the right size and weight for your needs, pick a super snuggly weighted blanket cover to go with it, and start enjoying the benefits of a calming weighted blanket for yourself!
