You've probably seen an ad in your Instagram feed featuring a gorgeous, youthful individual cuddling up on the couch in a deep and peaceful slumber within the pleasant confines of a weighted blanket at some point. Yes, a weighted blanket is precisely what it sounds like: a blanket with weighted beads woven into the fabric to add weight. While some health experts claim that weighted blankets not only help you sleep but also lower stress and anxiety (and even help you think more clearly), you'd be forgiven for dismissing these (sometimes expensive) things as unnecessary—like something you'd see in an old SkyMall catalog.
However, recent research published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine made the most strong case yet for purchasing one and giving it an honest try. (Seriously.) So, if you're having trouble sleeping and want to try a new, effective sleep aid, here's why this study says you can't go wrong with a weighted blanket. So keep reading.
1. Putting Weighted Blankets to the Test
Researchers gathered 120 adult volunteers who had both insomnia and a psychiatric disorder, such as "major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or generalized anxiety disorder," for the study. The participants were made up of 68 percent women and 32 percent men, with an average age of 40.
The volunteers were divided into two groups and given either a 17.6-pound weighted blanket (though 10 of the participants considered that too heavy and chose a 13.2-pound blanket instead) or a 3-pound "control blanket," which they used for a month.
2. Here's What Happened
At the end of the trial, individuals who slept beneath the thicker blankets were nearly "26 times more likely to have a 50% or more decrease in their insomnia severity compared to the control group, and they were nearly 20 times more likely to achieve remission of their insomnia," according to the study's official release. The researchers observed that "good effects were maintained" after a full year of follow-up.
3. Weighted Blankets Seem to Induce a Calming Effect
Weighted blankets are said to help because they mimic a hug, according to experts. "When a family member or friend is worried or nervous, it is one of the most natural things to reach out and hug them," Christine Rocchio Mueller, Occupational Therapist at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, told Good Housekeeping. "While a hug may not be able to cure all of your issues, it can frequently make you feel better by calming your body, allowing you to think more clearly."
Meanwhile, the study's authors claim that the blankets have the same effects as a warm massage. Dr. Mats Alder, a consultant psychiatrist at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, noted, "A potential reason for the relaxing and sleep-promoting effect is the pressure that the chain blanket provides on different spots on the body, stimulating the sensation of touch and the sense of muscles and joints, similar to acupressure and massage." "There is evidence that deep pressure stimulation enhances parasympathetic arousal of the autonomic nervous system while decreasing sympathetic arousal, which is thought to be responsible for the calming effect."
4. Should You Get One?
It won't harm to try if you have trouble sleeping. After all, the heavier blankets were reported to be challenging to use by only one person in the study. The key to choosing one is determining the appropriate weight for you. Experts recommend using a blanket that is around 10% of your body weight. (For example, if you weigh 120 pounds, you'll need a blanket that weighs 12 pounds.)