Weighted blankets provide help people with their physical and mental health — all without the need for medication. People who have anxiety, insomnia, depression, chronic pain, fibromyalgia, panic attacks, and PTSD have noticed benefits after using a weighted blanket.
A weighted blanket helps with the following symptoms—backed by science:
Insomnia and sleep disorders
If you’re a bad sleeper, hit snooze too much, struggle to fall asleep, or stay asleep, or wake up too early for at least three weeks or more, you could be suffering from insomnia. A weighted blanket provides a deep and constant sensory input that reduces your physiological level of arousal to help you fall asleep and stay asleep and helps to reduce the severity of insomnia.
Panic attacks
When people are experiencing panic attacks, they’re body is hyperalert, releasing adrenaline, with their “rest and digest” system failing to start. Weighted blankets put pressure on you, giving your “rest and digest” system a jolt, helping you calm down, lowering your heart rate and breathing.
Temple Grandin, an autistic scientist, first discovered the benefits of deep pressure therapy after a big panic attack, she got into a cattle chute that squeezed her giving her gentle pressure that created a wave of relaxation, made her feel instantly calm, and released her anxiety. She noticed that panic attacks could be prevented when an autistic child used this type of pressure.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
PTSD can be debilitating for people experiencing symptoms with it, and starts to affect your functioning and quality of life, Michelle, the founder here at Quietly, was diagnosed with PTSD after her accident she had scared to drive again, and easily startled. For years weighted blankets have been used to treat adults with PTSD. In one study, 359 people with PTSD were able to reduce their sleep medication prescriptions by 14% after using a weighted blanket, specifically if they were young and were diagnosed with depression, anxiety, PTSD or ADHD. Lower stress levels, and anxiety, better sleep, and increased relaxation may offer some relief to people suffering from PTSD.
The increased energy, reduced negative emotions like anxiety and worry may have contributed to the improvement of communication.
Relieves chronic pain
A heavier weighted blanket provides more pain relief than a lighter one, according to one study. When participants used a 15-lb weighted blanket, they experienced a greater reduction in chronic pain, compared to a 5-lb weighted blanket, especially those who are highly anxious. The study found that pain intensity was not altered. A weighted blanket is an easy and low-cost tool to reduce pain.
Helps mask fibromyalgia
Michelle, the founder here at Quietly, was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, and confirms that it does help manage pain just by giving constant deep pressure that calms you, when your nerves are screaming at you, bringing comfort. People with fibromyalgia did notice they could tolerate their weighted blanket but everyone is unique, and someone might have a lower threshold so it may be too much for them.
Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS)
The constant pressure from a weighted blanket provides comfort because it calms your nervous system down, and may have a relaxing effect that helps to reduce the symptoms of RLS and can improve overall sleep quality, with longer stretches of sleep.
Depression
You can use a weighted blanket to help break the cycle of depression. Deep pressure therapy helps kick start your feel-good hormones, and greatly reduces the symptoms of depression.
Anxiety
When you’re stressed or have anxiety, you're constantly on edge, your senses are heightened. Even if you take medication, you can still feel symptoms of anxiety or panic attacks. Weighted blankets help to reduce that fight-or-flight feeling and calm an overloaded sensory system, reducing stress and anxiety. People that are highly anxious have found that a heavier weighted blanket provides more pain relief than a lighter one.
Mental illness / Bipolar disorders
People with bipolar disorders, mood disorders, depression, general anxiety and ADHD, all found that weighted blankets helped them fall asleep faster and improved their sleep problems. It’s been proven to help with daytime sleepiness and energy levels
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
People with ADHD noticed that after using a weighted blanket it took them 30 to 70 minutes less to fall asleep. They noticed their sleep problems improved in just 4 weeks, and a year later it was still helping them.
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
Some people with RA have found weighted blankets as a therapeutic tool to help them relax or fall asleep, especially on nights when pain is keeping them awake. They may also find comfort and relief from pain. People with severe pain in their hands may find it difficult to lift a heavy blanket, so a lighter blanket is recommended.
Cancer
Cancer patients experienced less anxiety less anxiety while using weighted blankets with their treatment of chemotherapy for at least 15 minutes. Another report, shows breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy experience the highest amount of anxiety, so we can assume that weighted blankets could benefit them.
Menopause
Weighted blankets can alleviate menopause symptoms like depression, anxiety, mood swings, sleep disruptions, and daily routines. Our open knit weighted blanket is open and cooling, so you don’t need to worry about overheating.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
People with MS have found that during periods of extreme pain, a weighted blanket provides some pain relief. They found deep pressure to be calming and enjoyable and the only thing that can work for her pain.
“She believes that it’s because pressure activates her nerves which she feels sends a message to her brain.”
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Learn more about how weighted blankets provide several benefits to your physical and mental health — all without the need for medication. Some benefits include better sleep, lifted moods, stress, anxiety, panic attacks, and more.
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