Did you ever wake up in shock and perspiration due to a bad dream? Do you stay awake all night even when you go to bed to sleep? Are you a kicker in bed? If yes, then there might be something you can do about it. Weighted comforters feel relaxed just by talking about it. These are the fluffiest, most comfortable beddings you might have ever seen. But if you haven’t given it a try yet, we strongly recommend that you do.
We’re all familiar with snuggling under a comforter to warm ourselves up and feel cozier, but what about weighted comforters, how much do you know about them? This article is designed to lift the lid on weighted blankets or, what people also call weighted blankets or gravity blankets.
What is a Weighted Comforter?
A weighted comforter is a thick, fluffy and decorative type of bedding used as the top covering on your bed. Like a weighted blanket insert, a comforter generally consists of an outer layer sewn together in a gridded stitch pattern to help keep the filler material in place. But while weighted blankets typically contain glass beads or plastic pellets, comforters are almost always filled with fluffy, airy materials — like cotton, wool, goose-down or down alternative — that provide warmth and give the blanket a cloud-like appearance.
How Good Is a Weighted Comforter?
Weighted comforters have turn out to be noticeably well-known a couple years in the past thanks to the Gravity Blanket on Kickstarter, and users swear by its calming results. That's why weighted comforters have been utilized by therapists for a protracted way longer than most understand. Great for children as well as adults with sensory processing issues, weighted comforters work via the usage of deep contact pressure, which therapists name a form of tactile sensation. But its benefits are not just limited to special people, weighted comforters are good for everyone— right here's how.
No More Tossing
Have you ever found yourself on the other end of the bed even though you slept on one side? Wonder how you got there? This is actually more common than you think. A weighted comforter wraps you up like a cocoon and keeps you in one position. This will improve your sleep quality for sure as there will be less disturbance while sleeping.
Are You A Kicker?
Has your partner complained about you kicking them in your sleep? Well, believe them as you might have RLS - Restless Leg Syndrome. You might not even realize but you may be the reason for the disturbances caused to you while sleeping. If you have ever experienced this then a weighted comforter can be your nighttime pal! The weight of a comforter applies a gentle pressure all over your body thereby keeping you from tossing and moving while sleeping. You can actually sleep like a baby!
Calms You Down
Sometimes you just need to be caressed and soothed. There are people who suffer from anxities, stress, or severe mental disorder that keeps them up all night. And not all people have other people around them to help and support them. This is where a weighted comforter might make a slight difference by providing a sense of calm.
Feels Safe
Some people are prone to night terrors, others have a fear of the dark, and some just feel anxious laying alone in bed. Weighted comforter is well know for inducing a sense of safety with its swaddling effect when wrapped around like a cocoon. It also slips away your tension and stress!
Gives a Big Hug
Ever needed a hug to calm down? We all need that calming sense of comfort when we are down and don’t feel up to anything. Weighted comforters are somewhat similar, they are filled with several kinds of materials such as micro glass beads, sand, steel beads, pebbles, and grains, that spreads a gentle pressure on your body which feels like a calming hug. The fluffy and mushy fabric of these comforters calm your nerves, make you feel safe, and let you sleep like a baby!
A Happy Mind
What one is going through you may never know. People who suffer through mental issues can be up all night. No matter how hard they try, something just doesn’t let them sleep. Insomnia is no joke. Imagine not being able to sleep, even when you want so much. It can be horrifying! Weighted comforter cuts through this psychological barrier and calms people who suffer through depressive disorder, bipolar, generalized anxiety, and ADHD.
Alleviates Symptoms of Menopause
Many women who go through menopause find that they experience sleep disruptions; they also report anxiety and depression. A weighted blanket can help with all of these symptoms — making it easier to get a good night’s sleep.
Helps Manage OCD
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has been linked to low serotonin levels, and as we cited earlier, a weighted blanket can help increase the release of serotonin in the body. The use of a weighted vest during the day can help, but during the night, a weighted blanket is best.
How Does A Weighted Comforter Work?
Weighted comforters act like a hug, which works like a great calming technique known as deep stress stimulation (DPS) to make you feel extra safe and secure. This is a deep yet gentle touch pressure applied to your entire body— with hands, comforters, or other equipment— which could loosen up the nervous system.
Temple Grandin first found deep stress therapy while looking for something to ease the tension in children on the autistic spectrum. She wanted to offer something for those patients that didn’t experience confining or limiting, so she discovered a “hugging machine” that carried out gentle pressure to the body, which showed a release of oxytocin in her patients.
Weighted comforters are inspired from this very study. They offer a similar effect as the “hug machine” by spreading a gentle and light pressure on the body and stimulating a release of oxytocin.
Temple Grandin first found deep stress therapy while looking for something to ease the tension in children on the autistic spectrum. She wanted to offer something for those patients that didn’t experience confining or limiting, so she discovered a “hugging machine” that carried out gentle pressure to the body, which showed a release of oxytocin in her patients.
Weighted comforters act as a deep stress remedy which enhances the amount of dopamine and serotonin in your brain. These are the one and only “feel good” chemical substances that let’s you feel a sense of calm, happiness, and overall health. Weighted comforters had been used to deal with symptoms of autism, mental disorders, and depression because of this.
Sources:
Healthline: Weighted Blankets: Benefits, Do They Work, and More
Casper: What Is a Weighted Blanket? How They Work & 17 Benefits
The Indian Express: What is a weighted blanket, and does it actually help?
WebMD: Weighted Blankets for Anxiety and Better Sleep
