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A weighted blanket can help you sleep better or beat insomnia

2021-01-27T22:25:31.618Z


If you are interested in using a weighted blanket to alleviate sleep problems, here is what you should know about its effectiveness and how to choose


(CNN) -

After my sister gave me a weighted blanket for Christmas, it became the gift I didn't know I needed.

It's one of the best things that ever happened to me.

As someone with anxiety, I have struggled for a restful sleep - falling asleep can take up to two hours or I wake up at least twice during the night.

The first night I started sleeping under a 15 pound blanket, I slept through the night for the first time in months and felt more rested during the day.

After a few days of good sleep, I learned that my sister had done research on gifts;

I had read that people with anxiety tended to feel more rested when using the blankets.

Fascinated, I asked the mental health and sleep experts to explain why these heavy blankets, which are filled with particles of plastic, glass or metal and with layers of additional fabric, have eased the burden of the fight against sleep related to anxiety of some people.

Special needs educators and occupational therapists have used heavy blankets - ranging from 2.27 to 13.6 kilograms - since the late 1990s, but they have become commonplace in recent years.

Normal blankets can weigh between 1.3 and 2.2 kilos.

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The dominant theory is that heavy blankets provide deep pressure stimulation, a sensation that resembles a "firm, yet soft, squeeze or hold sensation and ... triggers these feelings of relaxation and calm," said Dr. Raj Dasgupta. , a lung and sleep specialist and assistant professor of clinical medicine at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California.

Feeling relaxed is what lowers cortisol, a stress hormone that is often high in people with chronic anxiety, stress and other disorders, he added.

  • LOOK: The best 8 weighted blankets (and why you need one)

There is evidence to suggest that deep pressure stimulation reduces arousal of the sympathetic nervous system (that's our fight or flight response) and increases parasympathetic activity, which can cause the calming effect, said Dr. Fariha Abbasi-Feinberg, Director of Sleep Medicine at Millennium Group of Physicians in Florida.

Pressure to stimulate the sensation of touch in the muscles and joints is the same proposed mechanism behind massage and acupressure, added Abbasi-Feinberg, who is also a neurologist on the board of directors of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

"This calming (effect) can promote better quality sleep."

If you're interested in using a weighted blanket to help with sleep problems related to mental or sensory disorders, here's what you need to know about its effectiveness, the caveats, and how to choose one.

What we do and what we don't know

Weighted blankets have gained popularity, but there really isn't much research on their effectiveness.

That may be because of the novelty of heavy blankets, their relative safety, and that other health concerns are more pressing for researchers to study, Dasgupta said.

Some people with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder or insomnia have reported better quality of sleep and feel calmer during the day, recent small studies have found.

Many study participants experienced a 50% or more decrease in their insomnia severity index scores after using a weighted blanket for four weeks, compared to 5.4% of the control group, according to a small published study in September in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.

In the study's follow-up phase, which lasted one year, people who used heavy blankets continued to benefit.

People who switched from light control blankets to heavy blankets experienced similar effects.

And those who used heavy blankets also reported better sleep maintenance, a higher level of activity during the day, remission of insomnia symptoms, and relief of symptoms of anxiety, depression and fatigue.

Researchers who studied the effects of heavy blankets in children with attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder or autism have found some positive associations or no association with better sleep or a reduction in symptoms.

"A 'feeling of grounding' due to the use of heavy blankets can be attributed to the psychoanalytic theory of the 'restraint environment', which states that touch is a basic need that provides calm and comfort," explained Abbasi-Feinberg by mail electronic.

"Heavy blankets are designed to work in a similar way to how tight-fitting diapers help newborns feel comfortable and secure."

Many, if not all, of the available studies on weighted blankets used participants who had a psychiatric, developmental, or sleep disorder, such as anxiety, depression, autism, ADHD, or insomnia.

That is probably due to the "fact that these segments of the population are the ones who could benefit the most from tactile or sensory therapies," Abbasi-Feinberg said.

  • MORE: Mental health is one of the biggest problems due to the pandemic we will face in 2021

However, since heavy blankets might work to lower cortisol levels, they could also help reduce overall stress, Dasgupta said.

Who can use them

People have shared their love for weighted blankets in studies and online, but people with the same psychiatric disorders may not have the same relaxing experiences with heavy blankets.

One person in the follow-up phase of the 2020 study discontinued their participation due to feelings of anxiety when using the blanket.

Claustrophobic people don't do well either.

More studies are needed on the factors that make individuals benefit more or less from heavy blankets, Dasgupta added.

The calming capabilities of a weighted blanket can help regulate breathing, but some healthcare professionals are hesitant to recommend weighted blankets for people with obstructive sleep apnea, asthma, or other respiratory conditions.

"You would have to be quite fragile and very sick if a blanket is going to stop your breathing," Dasgupta said.

But if you're not sure, he added, be careful and talk to your pulmonologist first.

Children should be evaluated by occupational therapists or pediatricians before trying heavy blankets, as many heavy blankets have not been tested for their effectiveness and safety for children.

"Heavy blankets should not be used for young children under the age of 2, as they can increase the risk of suffocation," Abbasi-Feinberg noted.

"It is important that parents always consult their pediatrician before trying a weighted blanket."

Dogs sometimes benefit from pressure-applying clothing during storms or other anxiety-provoking events, but heavy blankets can be dangerous for pets, said Dr. Douglas Kratt, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

"For smaller or older dogs, weighted blankets can be too heavy, restricting your pet's movement in potentially dangerous ways," he added.

"If your pet chews, the contents of these blankets could also present a choking hazard or, if swallowed, cause a gastrointestinal obstruction."

First, talk to your vet about possible behavior modification plans.

What You Should Know When Looking For A Weighted Blanket

If you are looking for a weighted blanket, there are multiple options in terms of weight, materials, and size.

A blanket that weighs between 7% and 12% of your body weight is usually the range to choose, but that may depend on personal preference.

"Some people might want a heavier weight to feel a 'hug' and calm feeling, while others might want something lighter," said Abbasi-Feinberg.

And there are heavy blankets to use year-round, he added: some are made with a higher proportion of layers of fabric made from cotton, which is lighter than other materials and allows air to pass through its fibers, thus , better control body temperature.

Dasgupta thinks of sleep as a puzzle, and sometimes people with insomnia or mental disorders are missing some of the pieces they need to sleep well, but "no one really knows what pieces of the puzzle are missing."

Heavy blankets might help, but they're not a panacea - a healthy sleep routine is still necessary to get enough sleep time and the deeper stages that leave you refreshed.

If you think a weighted blanket might be the missing piece to the puzzle, "it's worth a try," Dasgupta said.

The downside is that these blankets can be expensive.

During the pandemic, "sleep really got affected" in terms of insomnia, altered circadian rhythm and nightmares, Dasgupta said.

“A weighted blanket is something that could play a role during this pandemic… That sense of the basic need to be touched and hugged could actually provide some comfort and security.

Maybe that's why some people benefit from a weighted blanket. '

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Source: cnnespanol

All news articles on 2021-01-27

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