Can Weighted Blankets Improve Your Sleep?
It's getting to be that time of year in the UK when it might be tempting to hibernate in bed all day. When it's pitch black and freezing outdoors, crawling out from beneath the blankets to face the elements can be impossible. But a product that has been gaining popularity recently is assisting many people in awakening with a sense of having had more rest.
Who wouldn't want a little extra energy during the day, even if it makes waking up in the morning and even more hated task?
The use of weighted blankets as a straight forward method for enhancing one's sleep quality has attracted much attention over the past year. However, we wanted to determine whether this well-known wellness product genuinely assists people in getting more sleep.
Because of their many benefits, weighted fleece blankets have quickly become a popular tool for relieving stress and promoting better sleep patterns among many. According to research, people who suffer from various disorders, including anxiety, autism, and sleeplessness, may benefit from using weighted blankets. Let's look at the inner workings of weighted blankets and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of utilising these therapeutic blankets.
What Are The Benefits Of Weighted Blankets For Better Sleep?
When you're under a lot of pressure, your heart rate increases to unhealthy levels; when something like this occurs, you must seek out methods of relieving stress and cultivating awareness, such as practising deep breathing and meditation, in order to slow down your heart rate. A weighted sherpa fleece blanket's moderate pressure applied to your body can help calm you in different ways. One of these ways is stimulating your parasympathetic nervous system, which reduces your heart rate when stressed out.
A weighted blanket employs pressure treatment, which involves applying a calming amount of pressure all over the user's body. This induces a sensation that is comparable to being stroked, held, or even embraced. The requirements of the individual will determine the optimal dimensions and weight of the weighted blanket.
Soothe Your Anxious Mind
When you are apprehensive, the pressure from the blanket could set off responses from your neurological system that slow down your heart rate and respiration. You may find that this helps you wind down and drift off to dreamland. Using a weighted blanket encourages you to stay in one position instead of tossing and turning in bed, which makes it easier to fall asleep.
Anxiousness
Everyone goes through tough times. Anxiety is characterised by unease and worry, typically regarding some aspect of the future. Because of this, it is possible for your heart rate and your breathing to quicken, both of which indicate that your body is preparing for stress.
If your fear doesn't disappear and keeps getting into your life, you could have a panic disorder. You can worry excessively about daily things rather than fretting about something that is short.
This can give your body the impression that it is always or even most of the time being exposed to a stressful event or setting.
Your autonomic nervous system, which controls fundamental biological activities such as breathing, metabolism, shivering and shaking, readies your body for stress or relaxation based on what's happening in your environment. The "fight or flight" reflex is another common name for this.
Some of the signs and symptoms of anxiety, such as a racing heart rate or rapid breathing, can be alleviated by using a weighted blanket since the pressure from the blanket puts your autonomic nervous system into "rest" mode. This has the potential to instil a general sense of serenity.
Initiate The Action Of Organic Substances
The pressure may cause your brain to generate a chemical called serotonin, which is good for calming your mind and body. Your mood can be maintained by serotonin, and it can also help you sleep better. Oxytocin may be released into the bloodstream due to pressure, increasing your immune system's response, alleviating pain and stress, and helping you sleep better.
Affective Disruptions In Sleep
If you discover that you toss and turn in bed on occasion, you should know that you are not the only one who does this. Around 20 million people in the UK experience periodic difficulty falling or staying asleep, and there are over 40 million people who suffer from long-term, chronic sleep problems.
Either stress and worry can be the initial cause of a sleep issue, or they can exacerbate the symptoms of a sleep disorder that already exists. However, stress and worry can disrupt your sleep even if you don't have a problem that causes them to do so. Your nerves about the presentation or test you have the next day may keep you up at night.
A weighted blanket can help you get a good night's sleep and wake up feeling revitalised since it applies pressure to your body, slowing your heart rate and breathing as you get ready for bed.
Also Read: Different Ways To Accessorize With A Sherpa Throw Blanket
Tiredness And Attention Deficit Disorders
The use of weighted blankets has been demonstrated to assist individuals who have insomnia in calming themselves down and falling asleep, sleeping better during the night, and waking up better rested.
The study on whether or not using a weighted blanket can improve overall sleep time is, for the most part, inconclusive and insufficient. However, these kinds of null results could point to a problem with how the study was designed rather than how the subjects used the blanket. After all, it isn't easy to sleep naturally while being observed.
Those who wear weighted blankets report having the sensation that they sleep better, for more extended periods, and in a more relaxed state 80% of the time. They report that the sensation of being weighted helps to relax their anxiousness, prepares their body and brain for sleep, and lessens the tension of having trouble sleeping at night.
People who haven't been diagnosed with a sleep problem but have trouble getting enough quality sleep have also reported feeling better due to the treatment. They also report having a deeper sleep throughout the night and spending less time trying to nod off in the first place. Adults and children who have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other forms of attention deficit disorder are increasingly turning to the usage of weighted blankets and vests to help them relax and concentrate on their work.
For Whom Are Weighted Blankets Not Appropriate?
A weighted blanket is not appropriate for infants, toddlers, or very young children. It is possible for the pellets or glass beads to escape, which creates a choking hazard. A child's face could be obscured while they sleep if they use the thick blanket.
Before using a weighted blanket, you should discuss the option with your primary care physician if you have sleep problems, difficulty breathing, or any other chronic health condition. Before allowing your child to sleep under one, you should consult their paediatrician or therapist first. Children who have epilepsy, problems with their breathing or heart, skin allergies, blood circulation issues, or who are unable to remove the blanket on their own should not use them since they pose a safety risk.
Also check: How To Choose The Right Fleece Blanket.
Enjoy The Coziness Of A Weighted Blanket
If you are interested in becoming more connected with this fashionable sort of blanket, Oxford Homeware's weighted blanket will provide you with the needed material. Our weighted blankets, according to their namesake, are purposefully crafted to be significantly heavier than a standard cover. They can be designed to function as either a throw or a duvet, and their construction can involve the incorporation of weighty materials either into the fabric itself or into an inner layer.
