Rhonda James was skeptical when her husband ordered a weighted blanket for her online. But five minutes after wrapping it around her body, she was gone.
“It felt like a really big hug,” said James, a banker in Charleston, South Carolina.
As the temperatures outside grow colder, weighted blankets can be a popular choice for keeping warm. Some people say that the added pressure helps them calm the worries of the day and fall asleep faster.
But research on the effectiveness of weighted blankets is limited. Here’s what you need to know.
What is a weighted blanket?
Weighted blankets come with additional weight in the form of glass beads, pellets, cotton or other filling. Scientists haven’t studied exactly how blankets work, but they have some ideas.
The firm touch of blankets can calm the brain’s fight-or-flight response, Dr. Neal Walia, a sleep medicine expert at UCLA Health.
“The weight evenly distributed over you tells your body, ‘Hey, you’re in a calm environment,'” he said.
The extra pressure can also signal the brain to release what’s called the love hormone, also known as oxytocin. It’s produced during bonding and cuddling, and it can also reduce anxiety, Walia said.
How do I use a weighted blanket?
For most healthy adults, experts say to choose a blanket that is about 10% of their body weight. So a 150 pound person might choose a 15 pound blanket.
Weighted blankets are not recommended for babies or young children as they can impede movement and breathing.
People with sleep apnea, sleep-related disorders, or breathing problems should consult a doctor before using a weighted blanket.
Blankets are not for everyone and each person gets the best out of their blanket differently. For example, some may find them too hot to use during the warmer months.
And extra diapers come at a cost: Quality weighted blankets can range from $50 to over $300 depending on size, weight and material.
James pulls hers out of the closet to relax when she’s watching TV or drinking a glass of wine.
Lucy Taylor, a freelance writer from Wales, uses her blanket to sleep when her anxiety rises during the winter.
“If my body is relaxed, my mind follows suit,” she said.
Can weighted blankets improve sleep?
There isn’t much research on whether weighted blankets really work, and the studies that do exist are in small groups. Most studies do not focus on the average sleeper. Instead, they investigate whether weighted blankets can help people with chronic sleep problems, mental health conditions or developmental disorders.
There are some suggestions that weighted blankets can help with anxiety, chronic pain, and sleep. But the research is not conclusive.
A study of 120 people with insomnia found that weighted blankets helped them sleep better compared to a light blanket. Another study of 67 children with autism found that the weighted blanket did not affect their sleep at all – but the children and their parents preferred it to a regular blanket.
And a third study of 94 adults with chronic pain found that a heavier weight blanket didn’t affect sleep but was better at reducing pain compared to a lighter weight blanket.
Although there isn’t yet strong evidence to support the benefits of weighted blankets, sleep experts say there’s no harm in trying them if you’re willing to give them a go.
Dr. Daniel Barone, a sleep medicine expert at Weill Cornell Medicine, suggests it to his patients after other traditional therapies and medications.
“If it doesn’t hurt and it can help, it’s worth a shot,” he said.
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