In the last decade, weighted blankets have gained widespread significance and continue to find new applications in a wide range of medical conditions.
As a result, Occupational therapists (OTs), psychologists, psychiatrists and health and wellness experts now recommend them as a form of therapy.
The therapeutic benefits of weighted blankets have been studied extensively in several reputable peer review journals such as the Journal of Sleep Medicine and Disorders and the Journal of Medical and Biological Engineering.
In this article, we introduce weighted blankets to those not yet familiar with them, and discuss how they are used for stress and pain relief and to aid better sleep for people who are trying to cope with certain medical conditions.
What are weighted blankets?
Weighted blankets are just like your everyday blankets except for a significant difference – they are embedded with tiny pellets made of plastic or glass beads which make them considerably heavier.
Since their successful application in the management of autistic symptoms, weighted blankets have been experimented with and found useful in many other conditions.
Can you make them yourself?
Since weighted blankets tend to be costly and not covered by insurance within the insurance plans of some healthcare insurance providers, some people have taken to making their own weighted blankets at home.
Homemade weighted blankets use everyday fabric and the filler material can be anything from glass beads to rice.
These improvisations could be, however, potentially dangerous so it is in the best interest of a potential user to purchase an affordable weighted blanket from a certified manufacturer.
Many brands have different methods for creating their weighted blankets and the research put into each of the blankets show that a quick attempt at replication, at home, could not possibly perform better than weighted blankets from a reputable manufacturer.
Why are they weighted?
The reason weighted blankets are designed with heavy filler material is to give a user the feeling of warmth and reassurance, just like receiving a hug from a loved one. Research has shown that this helps many people sleep better.
Occupational therapists prescribe that it is advisable to use a weighted blanket that is at least 10% of the body weight of the user.
However, the weight of the blanket is not the only thing to consider in choosing the perfect weighted blanket for you or your loved one. Other factors will be discussed later in the article.
A lot of you are probably wondering: what is the science behind weighted blankets? What makes the medical device special? Let’s get right to it.
How do weighted blankets work?
The human body has several hormones that are released from time to time to carry out some particular function in the body.
The body has ‘feel-good’ hormones such as Endorphin – the hormone which gives you a pleasurable sense of comfort and Serotonin, a hormone that is ultimately converted to melatonin and aids restful sleep at night.
As mentioned earlier, weighted blankets work by applying a firm pressure on your body.
The weight of the blanket stimulates your body’s deep pressure touch zones thereby inducing some of the body’s naturally-produced relaxation hormones like Endorphins and Serotonin.
This is known as Deep Touch Pressure Therapy.
Another important hormone in the science behind weighted blankets is cortisol. Cortisol is your body’s stress hormone.
Cortisol is also your body’s ‘wake-up hormone.’ By stimulating the deep pressure zones, weighted blankets reduce the amount of cortisol your body releases and increases the release of serotonin and endorphins. This allows for users to have longer and deeper sleep and helps to relieve stress.
Keeping this mechanism of actions in mind, Occupational therapists have experimented with weighted blankets in the physical therapy of many conditions and have found weighted blankets beneficial for a wide range of conditions.
Weighted blanket benefits
Weighted blanket benefits have been demonstrated in a host of conditions. Constant research among psychologists, psychiatrists, and physical therapists continue to unravel new benefits and applications of weighted blankets.
Let’s take a look at some conditions for which weighted blankets can be beneficial.
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Weighted blanket benefits were first noticed in the treatment of people suffering from autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Autism spectrum disorder is a range of developmental conditions evidenced by problems with social skills, impaired verbal and nonverbal communication, and obsessive or repetitive interests.
ASD is usually caused by a combination of genetic and, sometimes, environmental conditions.
The symptoms of ASD in the development of affected children could be psychosocial. Autistic symptoms lead to an inability to socially integrate with regular people, slower cognition, and other challenges.
Developmental impediments to learning, starting to speak, and schoolwork also affect people who are on the Autism spectrum.
Many specialists that manage Autistic children, such as speech therapists, occupational therapists, neurologists, psychiatrists, pediatricians and clinical psychologists are involved in the management of patients with ASD.
The mainstay of ASD treatment is the use of prescribed antipsychotics. However, all the healthcare professionals and specialists we have mentioned play important roles in improving the symptoms of the patient and help parents of autistic children care for the child more properly.
The services these professionals provide include help border around social integration, sleep therapy, speech therapy, behavioral therapy and sensory processing.
Weighted blanket benefits for people living with ASD
Using a weighted blanket can help an ASD sufferer in many ways. Firstly, it improves sleep. Many autistic kids have difficulty sleeping and since they’re still too young to be exposed to sedatives and other drug-based treatment options.
Parents and medical professionals may favor using weighted blankets instead which can help their autistic children fall asleep faster and sleep for longer.
Weighted blankets promote restful sleep due to the released serotonin from the stimulation of deep pressure zones.
ADHD
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder also known as ADHD is a psychological condition where a person is unable to maintain attention to any particular activity and is also hyperactive and impulsive. It interferes with the normal development of kids.
What this means is that a person suffering from ADHD finds it difficult to concentrate on any one given task not because they don’t want to or because they don’t understand the instruction. It’s more of a psychological problem rather than a behavioural one.
By hyperactivity, we mean the person is unable to stay comported in whatever environment they find themselves especially when the affected person is a kid.
Impulsivity describes the lack of social finesse in people suffering from ADHD. It could lead to unexpected responses and actions.
The main symptoms of ADHD are impatience, hyperactivity, and impulsivity as well as cognitive underdevelopment and frequent mood swings.
What causes ADHD?
Research so far has been unable to pinpoint what the root cause of ADHD is. However, some factors have been repeatedly linked with the condition.
People with relatives that have ADHD are more likely than others to have ADHD or have kids that suffer from the condition.
Exposure of pregnant women to radiation or toxins in the environment can negatively affect the unborn child and lead to different conditions. ADHD is one of these.
The low weight of new-born babies has also been linked to ADHD. Injuries to the head that could have negatively impacted the brain during the early stage of development can also cause ADHD.
According to research, males are more likely to develop ADHD than females. It has also been shown that people with ADHD have a tendency to develop other conditions such as anxiety and chronic depression.
Social implications
People suffering from ADHD might encounter social problems while relating with others. For example, since the lack of attention could lead to slower learning of language or speech patterns, it is possible that a child living with ADHD will be unable to integrate effectively with other kids in her age group.
In adults, a disorganized lifestyle, inability to properly initiate or terminate a conversation, inappropriate remarks and actions and other similar symptoms that could result from suffering from ADHD could easily lead to social ostracism.
This could have a severe psychological stress for the adult which can lead to depression. For this reason, it is highly important that social integration and training be factored into the management of ADHD. Everyone has a role to play; community inclusive.
Treatment of ADHD
The management of ADHD is usually quite multifaceted. Since there is no definitive cure for ADHD, a combination of treatment methods such as medication, psychotherapy, physical therapy, education, and training can provide lasting relief to the sufferer.
The medications prescribed by psychiatrists in ADHD are those that tackle the predominant symptoms such as hyperactivity and impulsivity and those that increase focus and ability to learn.
Studies are being carried out to find new prescriptions for better management of the condition.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy via behavioral therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy are also quite important.
Family therapy and marital therapy help members of a family and marital partners learn how to, together, cope with the condition and improve day by day.
Parents also have to be trained about the best ways to manage their kids. Support groups where people who suffer from ADHD can share challenges, develop camaraderie are also beneficial to continuous improvement.
Weighted blanket benefits for people living with ADHD
Physical therapy methods, with weighted blankets, have also been used to surprising success in the management of ADHD, especially with children.
Alongside other treatment methods, weighted blanket benefits the child suffering from ADHD by providing an actual physical weight that serves as a disincentive to hyperactivity. The release of serotonin also leads to a calming effect (for both children and adults alike).
Anxiety Disorder
Anxiety refers to feelings of intense fear, worry and dread that might get so bad that they interfere with everyday activities.
There is a wide spectrum of anxiety disorders. These include panic attacks, post-traumatic stress disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorders and so on.
Anxiety can be caused by stress either in relationships or at school or at the workplace. Financial stress can also trigger anxiety attacks.
What are some causes of Anxiety Disorder?
Emotional trauma and past physical trauma (as in post-traumatic stress disorder), however, is one of the major causes of anxiety disorders.
Diagnosis
People with anxiety problems can usually tell that they feel more anxious than normal.
If you notice symptoms such as restlessness, sweating, inability to concentrate, excessive worry, trembling, inability to sleep, you can reasonably deduce that your friend or child or partner may be suffering from an anxiety attack or an acute bout of anxiety.
However, the most accurate diagnosis will come from a medical professional.
Anxiety could reduce the concentration the sufferer has for everyday activities and activities at the place of work.
Management
Anxiety disorders can be managed by lifestyle changes, medications, and therapy. Lifestyle changes that could improve the health of anxious patients include avoiding stressful activities, exercising more, maintaining a healthy diet etc.
Medications prescribed by psychiatrists are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), antidepressants and sedatives.
Therapy could involve physical therapy or mental therapy. Mental therapy includes meditation, sessions with a psychologist and cognitive behavior therapy.
Physical therapy for anxiety using weighted blankets
Using a weighted blanket is immensely beneficial for people who have anxiety disorders.
Swaddling the affected individual with a weighted blanket benefits them by simulating the same level of comfort given by a tight hug from a loved one and when used at night and helps to improve the quality of sleep.
Insomnia
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V), the authority on the definitions and diagnostics of mental disorders, insomnia is defined as “chronic complaints of unsatisfactory sleep, despite having an adequate opportunity to sleep”.
These complaints of not enough sleep must be chronic, that is repeated over a long period of time. Insomnia is a very common disorder among Americans and the burden grows daily.
Symptoms of Insomnia
Common symptoms of insomnia include difficulty falling asleep, frequently interrupted sleep at night, early waking, not feeling fully rested in the morning, excessive daytime sleepiness, irritability, inability to concentrate and forgetfulness.
The combination of one or more symptoms will lead to decreased daytime productivity.
Prolonged and untreated insomnia can also cause a breakdown in social relationships that could eventually result in anxiety and in severer cases, depression.
What causes insomnia?
Insomnia is often linked to behavioural factors or lifestyles. Common causes are stress, worry, health conditions, irregular sleep schedule, staying up late at night amongst many others.
Other causes include mental health problems, the use of certain medications, an underlying health challenge, other sleep-related disorders (such as night terrors) and excessive use of stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine.
Treatment of Insomnia
Overcoming insomnia can be approached from several angles. One of these is self-care. Self-care involves making a conscious attempt to limit bad habits like irregular sleep, use of caffeine, smoking and alcohol abuse.
Prescription drugs such as sedatives and antidepressants can also be prescribed by certified healthcare professionals. However, as with other brain-acting drugs, the side effects are usually quite unpleasant.
Cognitive behavioral therapy and light therapy has also been tried on to varied success by psychologists and behavioral therapists. Physical therapists recommend aerobic exercises and or the use of a weighted blanket.
Using a weighted blanket for Insomnia
A weighted blanket can help people suffering from insomnia to sleep better by the mechanism of deep touch pressure therapy.
As we have seen earlier, stimulation of the deep pressure touch zones leads to the release of serotonin and the reduction in the release of cortisol. This induced serotonin will be readily converted to melatonin, a hormone crucial for sleep, at night.
When this happens, the person will fall asleep more easily. Moreover, reduced levels of cortisol, the body’s stress hormone will promote longer and more restful sleep.
Stress
Stress is a common denominator of modern life.
We wake up early to beat traffic, resume at work to a huge pile of work, some of us have to deal with a toxic boss, close late from work on a daily basis and return to find we forgot to pick up something for dinner at the grocery store and end up getting some junk food and then the next day, we repeat the cycle with little variation.
With this kind of lifestyle, stress is a very likely outcome. For many people these days, sleep hours have also dwindled due to increased screen time on social media.
Stress can, however, be caused by other factors such as traumatic events, financial problems, relationship problems and so on.
Regardless of the stressor (as factors that induce stress are called), stress is not ideal for healthy living.
While short-term stress may help to boost productivity, continuous exposure to stress has been linked to the onset of many conditions such as anxiety disorders and depression. Stress can also cause a decline in the body’s immune defense system.
This immunosuppression leads to vulnerability which can cause several bacterial or viral infections that your body should normally fight off without any need for pills.
Dealing with stress has inspired a great number of books detailing methods ranging from meditation to tai-chi to green tea, other herbal teas and a host of other “therapies”.
Some people also deal with stress in less than ideal ways such as increased drinking, smoking, stress-eating and just lazying around. Some also resort to medication abuse.
While there are no such things as medications for stress, doctors usually prescribe benzodiazepines such as Valium, Librium, and Xanax to patients who have anxiety disorders and some people take advantage of this to illegally procure these drugs for stress relief. Needless to say, such behaviors are quite a danger to one’s health.
Weighted blankets can help to reduce stress
To get to the bottom of stress relief via physical therapy, you first have to understand the hormonal basis of stress. When we are stressed, a hormone called cortisol (the body’s stress hormone) is released.
This hormone mediates the secondary negative effects of stress on the body. As we have seen earlier, sensitization of the deep pressure touch zones of the body via the grounding and ‘hug-like effect’ of a weighted blanket causes a decline in the release of cortisol. This is the basis of weighted blanket benefits in the relief of stress.
Depression
From time to time, we all have bouts of low mood or sadness caused by some unfortunate event like the loss of our football team but in hours or at most days, we get back to normal and start smiling again.
This is not depression. Depression according to the DSM-IV is the presence of low mood, low energy, and lack of interest in activities that a person uses to find pleasurable. In extreme cases, it can be coupled with suicidal ideation for two continuous weeks.
Depression has particularly been on the rise in the past few years with women having three times the reported number of depression diagnoses than men.
The causes of depression could be a tragic life event, such as the loss of a loved one or a business deal gone awry, that one finds difficult to shake off, or a feeling of the meaninglessness of human life based on other events.
Depression can also be idiopathic, that is, of no known origin and has also be linked with genetics.
Depressed individuals have a persistent low mood that affects their social relationships, their performance at the workplace and their familial relationships negatively.
There are many approaches employed by psychologists and psychiatrists in the management of depression. Psychologists favor the use of psychotherapy in the management of depressed patients.
This involves extensive interviews with the affected person and subsequent evaluation to dig deep into the root causes of the depression.
After the causes are uncovered, the psychologists then use counseling to help depressed patients come to terms with their conditions and achieve recovery.
The mainstay of treatment, however, is the use of medications. Psychiatrists prescribe anti-depressants ranging from tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline, and imipramine to serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as fluoxetine, sertraline, citalopram, escitalopram, and paroxetine.
SSRIs are the most used antidepressants in recent times and work by preventing the removal (reuptake) of serotonin (a “feel-good” hormone responsible for a lot of pleasurable and happy feelings). In extreme cases that do not respond to medication, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), in which electric current is delivered in careful controlled “doses”.
Another treatment alternative is the use of weighted blankets. Weighted blanket benefits in depression are as a result of the stimulation of the release of serotonin by activation of the deep pressure touch zones.
Just as is the case with SSRIs, weighted blankets help manage depression by increasing the amount of serotonin while having fewer side effects than the antidepressants which are notorious for side-effects such as sexual dysfunction, tremors, somnolence, and tachycardia etc.
However, it is recommended that a holistic approach is used in the management of depression with physical therapy, the use of medications and the involvement of psychologists via clinical psychotherapy.
Night terrors
Night terrors are most common among children but could manifest in adults as well. It is a sleep disorder in which the affected person experiences a feeling of great dread or intense fear while sleeping.
This causes the sufferer to thrash about, scream and talk all while asleep. People who suffer from night terrors may not recall any of these events after they wake up.
Night terrors, however, affect the quality of sleep sufferers get. They wake tired and this affects their productivity in school (for children) and at work (for adults). Night terrors could, therefore, have intense and far-reaching effects on the people who suffer from it.
While the exact root cause of night terrors is still unknown, several factors have been linked with them. These include, firstly, a genetic link. Children with parents who experience night terrors are very likely to experience them as well.
Night terrors have also been linked with fever and other health conditions including asthma, RLS, depression and anxiety disorder.
However, they can also be caused by unhealthy behaviors such as not sleeping early over a repeated number of days, extreme stress and workload during the day and, among adults, excessive alcohol use.
Some of the methods used to address night terrors include lifestyle modifications which involve trying to actively cut back on unhealthy night terror triggers.
Therefore people using this method go to bed earlier, reduce their alcohol intake, and reduce the amount of stress during the work-day.
If it is your child suffering from night terrors, you might want to consider reducing play time at night and ensure the kid goes to bed early. This, however, has a limited level of success.
Scheduled waking
Where you try to ascertain at what time night terror attacks usually happen to a sufferer and wake them up about fifteen to twenty minutes before then, is another method that has been used, to limited success, in the management of night terrors.
It also constitutes a challenge for you, the parent or friend, who has to take a break from sleep. Another problem is, after being woken from sleep, some people find it difficult to sleep again.
Medication use has also been employed in the management of night terrors. While for children, doctors suggest no drug treatment is used; adults have been prescribed benzodiazepines such as Valium and Xanax or tricyclic antidepressants such as Tofranil.
However, these drugs and other brain-acting drugs are quite dangerous when used for an extended period of time. Side effects experienced include reduced libido, nightmares, and even liver disease.
Another common side-effect is drowsiness during the day. This prevents adults from working efficiently or using heavy machinery or even driving to work the next morning. Severe but less common effects include amnesia and personality changes towards violence or aggression.
Using a weighted blanket to deal with night terrors
Physical therapy with weighted blankets has, however, been seen to have great effectiveness and also safety.
Weighted blankets benefit sufferers from night terrors by stimulating the release of serotonin, which is converted to melatonin, causing deeper sleep and reduction in the release of cortisol which allows for longer sleep.
The weight of the weighted blankets also reduces the movement and thrashing of the sufferer and therefore prevents them from accidents at night. Many occupational therapists now recommend weighted blankets for effective and safe management of night terrors.
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a medical condition in which the affected person feels constant pain and fatigue all over the body.
The pain felt is not always due to stress or physical exertion as sufferers feel pain even while inactive.
As with many conditions, the exact root cause of fibromyalgia is not really known. However, studies have correlated an increased brain activity and pain receptor sensitivity to fibromyalgia.
This means stimuli that would not cause pain to other individuals will cause pain to those with fibromyalgia.
What’s it like living with Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia sufferers do not suffer only from the pain. The constant pain leads to other conditions such as anxiety, stress, and insomnia. The condition is more common in women than in men and more common in adults than in children.
There is also a genetic link as people suffering from fibromyalgia usually have relatives who have suffered from it as well.
Most people suffering from fibromyalgia resort to excessive use of painkillers. This could be dangerous. The best thing to do is see a physician.
People suffering from fibromyalgia are usually beset with symptoms ranging from pain to discomfort and fatigue.
Other difficulties people living with the condition face include insomnia, anxiety, and difficulty concentrating on everyday activities. This difficulty concentrating is also known as the ‘Fibro fog’.
Drug-based therapy
Treatment options for fibromyalgia are also varied and range from drug therapy with Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to other pain-relief medications. However, long-term use of NSAIDs can lead to unpleasant side effects such as gastrointestinal bleeding and ulcers.
Lifestyle changes towards a regular exercise regimen as well as healthy eating can also give short-term relief from some of the symptoms.
Using a weighted blanket to cope with Fibromyalgia symptoms
Using the physical therapy approach is also highly beneficial in the management of fibromyalgia.
A weighted blanket forms an important part of physical therapy regimens prescribed by physical therapists to help many people who suffer from fibromyalgia manage the symptoms.
Weighted blanket benefits in fibromyalgia are based on the stimulation of the deep pressure touch zones which lead to the release of endorphins, the body’s natural pain-reliever.
During a flare-up (a period of an acute feeling of the muscular pain that is triggered by stress and allied factors), the pain is usually more intense.
A weighted blanket can be utilized, swaddled around the patient in a prone or sitting position. The patient can stay swaddled till the flare-up passes.
Calming the ‘Fibro fog’
Fibro-fog, an acute disorientation, and loss of concentration caused by fibromyalgia can be particularly difficult to deal with while at the workplace. However, this could interfere with work at the office.
A weighted blanket can be swaddled around the sufferer in a sitting position and the sense of warmth and release of “feel-good” hormones will provide relief to pain and a gradual regain of concentration.
Sensory Processing Disorder
Sensory processing disorder (SPD) is a medical condition in which the brain incorrectly processes information coming in from the five senses (sight, touch, smell, taste, and hearing).
Just as with many brain-related conditions, the exact cause of SPD is unknown. Current research is exploring the genetic factors that could be responsible for the condition.
SPD, which affects children, teenagers, as well as adults, can impair social relationships and prevent sufferers from participating in a lot of activities.
Although the symptoms of SPD vary from person to person, the symptoms fall into two broad classes: hypersensitivity and hyposensitivity.
Hypersensitivity
In the case of patients who suffer from hypersensitivity, they feel extreme discomfort from what, to other people, is a regular stimulation. For instance, every day sounds like sirens, music, or people chatting in a park could sound absolutely unbearable.
Relating to touch, normal everyday contact in form of handshakes, hugs, a slight tap on the back are usually avoided by sufferers of SPD.
This could severely affect social relationships with other people who do not understand the condition. These people usually think the affected persons are overreacting.
The sensitivity to light also increases in these individuals and neon lights at nightclubs and sunlight on bright days can be highly disturbing to people suffering from SPD who are hypersensitive.
Hyposensitivity
In hyposensitive patients, there is a reduced level of feeling of the immediate environment. People with hyposensitivity symptoms of SPD find it difficult to feel or respond to external stimulus.
Patients suffering from this class of symptoms of the condition find it difficult to hear or pay attention in conversation, cannot be easily woken up by sunrise in the morning (because of reduced sensitivity to light), have poor proprioception, and very importantly, find it difficult to feel pain after or during an injury.
This last manifestation is extremely important in that pain is the body’s response to danger. If no pain is felt by a sufferer after say a snake bite, or touching an extremely hot object, a serious injury can be the result.
Using a weighted blanket to alleviate SPD symptoms
The treatment options for SPD are sensory integration therapy and sensory processing therapy.
Physical therapy, because of the almost non-existent side-effects is one of the mainstays of sensory integration therapy.
Sensory integration therapy (SIT)
Weighted blankets are a safe, reliable method therapists prescribe as part of a physical therapy program for managing SPD.
By sensory integration therapy, we are referring to a regular set of exercises aimed at the rehabilitation of the sufferer’s natural senses.
These regular exercises constitute what is known as a sensory ‘diet’ which weighted blankets can serve as an important component of SIT for rehabilitating the senses of touch.
Other weighted blanket benefits in the management of SPD include aiding the sleep of patients who can be easily sensitized while trying to fall asleep.
Choosing the right weighted blanket
The choice of a weighted blanket, as we have earlier stated, is not only dependent on the weight. Some of those things you should consider when about to purchase a weighted blanket include the following:
Weight
Weight is a very important consideration. The recommended weight for a weighted blanket is 10% of your ideal weight.
Your ideal weight is not necessarily what you currently weigh, but your optimal weight based on your sex, height and fitness level.
There are several tools to calculate your ideal weight online and you can easily find one by doing a quick Google search.
Material
Another important consideration is the material used to make the weighted blanket. You may have different preferences for the materials.
Some examples of fabric used for making weighted blankets are:
- Cotton (Regular and blended)
- Polyester
- Mink
- Fleece
- Mink
- Rayon-Linen blend etc.
Custom weighted blankets
You can have a weighted blanket made specially designed for you based on your personal preferences. However, custom blankets might cost a little more.
Size
A weighted blanket should be big enough to swaddle your entire body in a sitting or prone position.
Young children or toddlers, except in cases where they are growing rapidly, can use a blanket size of 38 inches x 50 inches (small-sized blanket).
The common weighted blanket size for Adults ranges between 38 inches x 60 inches for medium-sized and 42 inches x 72 inches for large-sized blankets.
The standard adult sizes are also suitable for teenagers, adolescents and the elderly.
Heat and Tactile sensitivity
Another important consideration to make is whether or not you or a loved one is sensitive to any of the materials used for making weighted blankets.
Some people are sensitive to heat and some fabrics might be unsuitable for them, while others can experience skin reactions or allergies from coming in contact with certain types of fabric.
If you fall into any of these categories, always find out what your choices are before making a buying decision.
Last Words
Weighted blanket benefits are seen in several conditions and disorders such as insomnia, autism, night terrors, depression, fibromyalgia, ADHD, stress relief, sensory processing disorder (SPD), anxiety, and post-traumatic disorders and a host of other conditions.
While you can use prescription medicine to treat and manage most of these conditions, a weighted blanket might be a more comfortable and convenient option. It can provide you with instant relief from symptoms and help you get a good night’s rest.
Physical therapy with weighted blankets could be the answer if you or your loved one suffers from any of these conditions. However, it is advisable that you discuss it first with your doctor or occupational therapist.