Weighted Blankets for Anxiety and Insomnia – Find the Best One for your Sleep in 2024!

Weighted Blankets for Anxiety and Insomnia – Find the Best One for your Sleep in 2024!

Weighted-Idea-Weighted-Blanket

Weighted Idea Soft Weighted Blanket

YnM Weighted Blanket

BlanQuil Weighted Blanket

According to the Sleep Health Foundation, roughly 1 in 3 adults suffer from insomnia and/or anxiety.

If you suffer from Insomnia and/or Anxiety, you are most likely tossing and turning all night long and never really getting that deep, restful REM sleep that your body needs.

Before trying different sleep aids such as sleeping pills or Melatonin, you should give weighted blankets a try.

A weighted blanket helps you sleep by helping you relax and feel safe as you fall asleep.

The blanket is heavier and stays on all night long so that you don’t get interrupted when you move and need to readjust the blanket, waking you up and making it hard to fall back asleep again.

Research published in the journal Occupational Therapy in Mental Health found that weighted blanket therapy helped reduce anxiety in 63 percent of adults, thus leading to better sleep.

And for 78 percent of adult study participants, a weighted blanket acted as a “calming modality.”

A weighted blanket is just a normal blanket that has been weighted down.

The very first prototypes had rice, beans, corn, stones, or other small round objects but they have definitely evolved over time.

Today, many weighted blankets are made from plastic pellets or glass beads making them much easier to maintain.

They usually come in two pieces: the weighted blanket itself and the removable duvet cover.

Here’s the Best Weighted Blankets for Anxiety and Insomnia in 2024:

Weighted Idea Soft Weighted Blanket

Weighted Idea Weighted Blanket

Via Amazon

The Weighted Idea Soft weighted blanket has a soft, silky outer layer that stays cool and smooth to the touch.

Its removable cover can be removed during the warmer months and added back during the cooler winter months for extra warmth.

They have different size and weight options making it ideal if you are shorter than average or taller than average:

They recommend choosing a blanket that is 7% of your total body weight so that it is not too heavy.

Key Features:

  • 6 options to choose from ranging from size to weight
  • 4 colors: Navy Blue, Grey, Dark Grey, Light Pink
  • Removable Cover
  • Easy to clean
  • Machine washable Minky Cover

YnM Weighted Blanket:

YnM Weighted Blanket

Via Amazon

With over 4700 positive reviews on Amazon, this weighted blanket by YnM is one of the best you can buy, and the price is not too bad either.

This blanket has glass beads sewn into place so that they don’t shift if you switch positions through out the night.

YnM has a  7-layer system designed to comfortably surround your body and form to your shape while you sleep and the MORE glass beads & LESS fiber fill design offers better temperature control.

The blanket is available within a range of 5-25 lbs and comes in 13 colors and sizes:

They recommend choosing a blanket that is about 10% of your total body weight.

Key Features:

  • 13 colors and sizes to choose from
  • Roughly $50 less than most weighted blankets
  • Glass beads sewn into place

BlanQuil Weighted Blanket

BlanQuil-Weighted-Blanket

Via Amazon

 

Celebrities like Kourtney Kardashian actually swear by this blanket for relief from stress, anxiety, and just for providing comfort after a long day.

This weighted blanket by BlanQuil comes with a moisure wicking Chill cover that’s cool to the touch or you can choose a soft quilted cover instead that is on the warmer side.

It is made with plastic pellets and the outer cover is safe to put in the washer and dryer.

This blanket is available in 15 lbs or 20 lbs and a few color options.

Key Features:

  • 77 independent baffles that keep the eco-friendly glass beads distributed evenly across your body
  • Sized at 48” x 74” and perfectly balanced for a single user
  • For couples or large beds, a set of two is recommended
  • 15lbs or 20lbs
  • Removable, washable covers

ZonLi Weighted Blanket

Zonli Weighted Blanket

Via Amazon

 
The ZonLi weighted blanket is 100% cotton, making it breathable , soft and also hypoallergenic.

If you suffer from allergies due to different synthetic fabrics in bedding, then this is a great option for you.

The high-density sewing technology, two-layer microfiber are added to prevent the loose of the thread and leakage of the beads.

ZonLi recommends choosing a blanket size and weight that is 6-10% of your total body weight for this style:

ZonLi Weighted Blanket

We love that you can even choose the fabric of the duvet cover: 100% Cotton, Bamboo (for hot sleepers), Minky (for cold sleepers).

Key Features:

  • Three cover fabric options: Cotton, Bamboo, Minky
  • Removable cover
  • 100% cotton
  • Hypoallergenic
  • Loops to secure the duvet cover

Can Weighted Blankets Help People with Anxiety and Insomnia?

Benefits of Weighted Blankets

Weighted blankets work by mimicking the feeling of a comforting hug.

The weight of the fabric provides a similar effect to deep pressure touch (DTP) which is a type of therapy that is done by applying pressure gently to the bodies extremities.

Weighted therapy is the use of weighted products to apply weight and deep touch pressure (surface pressure) to the body stimulating the proprioceptive sense enabling those who are “sensory seeking” to relax, focus and have a greater awareness of their body.

Weighted therapy can benefit those who:

  • have difficulty unwinding, relaxing and sleeping – insomnia
  • have anxiety
  • have a short attention span and are easily distracted
  • show tactile sensitivity – need to touch everything or are resistant to touch
  • have a poor awareness of their body or body position
  • display self-stimulatory behavior such as rocking, twirling and chewing
  • have restless leg syndrome

Weighted therapy has many benefits and weighted blankets fall under the category of weighted therapy products.

In fact, weighted blankets are widely used for this type of therapy and are proven to be effective.

A study published in the Journal of Sleep Medicine and Disorders found that the calming effect of the weight caused patients to fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly throughout the night.

How Heavy Should They be?

As a general rule, the blankets should be approximately 10% of your body weight, maybe even more.

If the blanket is too light, then it will not provide the specific DTP therapy that is needed to help treat anxiety and insomnia.

When we review each blanket below, we will mention the recommended manufacturer weight and you can decide if you need a heavier blanket from there!

Although there is no medical proof that these blankets help, there are a lot of testimonials of people who have used weighted blankets for anxiety and insomnia and say that it has helped them tremendously.

Other ways that Weighted Blankets can help:

Help Symptoms of Fibromyalgia

Did you know that 12 million adults in the U.S. suffer from Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgis is a condition characterize by chronic, widespread pain as well as other symtoms including:

  • tenderness
  • fatigue
  • difficultly sleeping

One of the hallmarks of fibromyalgia is intense pain at 11 or more of the medically identified 18 “tender point sites” throughout the body.

These symptoms vary and tend to become more intense over time and can be more present at night when lying in bed.

Myofascial release is a therapy technique that involves gentle, hands-on pressre over trigger points and tender point sites on the body.

A weighted blanket can act in the same way when trying to sleep by applying pressure over the body with the weight of the blanket when lying down or sleeping.

Help Adults with Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States according to a study and it effect roughly 5.5 million Americans.

Unfortunately there is not cure for Alzheimer’s Disease but it is possible to manage symptoms such as Anxiety, depression, and mood swings.

Daily Caring, an award-winning website for caregivers, recommends weighted blankets for adults with Alzheimer’s. “A weighted blanket or lap pad is a simple, non-drug option that can be used day or night. They reduce anxiety, calm nerves, provide comfort, and promote deep sleep.”

Have experience with weighted blankets? We would love to hear how they helped you! Let us know in the comments below!

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