Weighted Blankets - please can someone explain?

[TrickyD]

I keep seeing them mentioned, but only recently, they must be a new thing.

What is the point? How is their effect different from a good electric blanket and high TOG duvet? Can you use them with an electric blanket?

I see them recommended as good for snuggling on the sofa, but I am more interested in their use on the bed and whether there is any point in suggesting one as a Christmas present. It might help DH avoid his usual panic stricken Christmas Eve trip to Boots hunting for something scented.

@Trees2905

Can anyone share a link of where they got theirs? Keen to look into it for anxiety riddled DS aged 7.

Just look for weighted blankets on Amazon

They are not a new thing. We had one for DS almost 15 years ago. They were quite specialist then and only really available with a high price tag from places that sold disability aids. I remember having to work out the weight of DS to see which blanket weight he needed so when I see them randomly for sale with no weight guidance I always wonder about their effectiveness.

Yes, harper30, we have an electric blanket under the bottom fitted sheet so the weighted one would be on top.

I can see why it would keep you warm but so does a good duvet. So as we are not anxious or a bad sleepers I am not sure whether it is worth bothering with.

Also getting into an electrically pre-warmed bed is nice on a cold night.

My son has autism, it works brilliantly for him

Sometimes I pinch it, it’s extremely reassuring

Weight wise, you're looking for one about a tenth of your body weight. There's quite a jump between the sizes, so go up or down depending on where you are in the range.

I'm pleased that they've become mainstream because the cost was highly prohibitive before, you could easily pay £150 for one, whereas now you can get one for less than £40.

I find mine useful, but be aware that if you have a cat they can damage them! You can put a cover on them to keep them clean, but take into account the additional weight this adds (also look for a blanket with ties in the corner, so the blanket stays in place in the cover).

A weighted blanket will provide deep pressure/proprioceptive feedback which is calming and regulating. They are typically used for people with sensory processing difficulties and also sometimes help with anxiety and are defiantly not new.

It’s not comparable to a heated blanket. I don’t recommend people allow their children to sleep under a weighted blanket unsupervised, although in reality I know people do if they find they work for them! There is a risk of entrapment particularly to young children or those with limited mobility.

I would recommend a high tog duvet extra blankets, tight lycra type pyjamas, deep pressure before bed instead of a weighted blanket to sleep under etc. Weighted blankets are often recommended for a calming sensory break or snuggling on the sofa before bed to bring level of alertness down.

If it’s for a child sometimes parents allow them to fall asleep with it on and then remove it but there is a risk of waking here which may defeat the point.

For weighted products they should be approx 10% of the users body weight (although some people like far more weight). Always check the users guidance which should show appropriateness for age and weight and don’t buy anything without guidance on it. Manufactures guidelines would probably tell you not to use with anything else e.g. weighted blanket but you may find one that would.

That e.g should be heated blanket*

@Trees2905 they're supposed to be around 10% of your body weight , so you'd need to look at that for a child.

@TrickyD

You keep mentioning heat. Heat isn't the purpose of a weighted blanket. If heat is your priority then an electric blanket is what you need.

Thanks for this post. I love heavy duvets and will get one of these. Can they be put in the washing machine as I sweat a lot before my period.

I love mine. I don't use it for bed, but on the sofa.

It just makes me feel more grounded.

I also love my heated blanket, but that is for a very different purpose.

emptyshelvesagain, yes indeed, I like to be warm in bed.

Also we have a cat who feels the same, thanks for the warning Chachacha .

I think weighted blankets are not for us. DH will have to return to random Christmas present buying. But thank you everyone, especially Nalanii for your advice.

Out of general interest, would a blanket knitted or crocheted in chunky or super chunky wool have a similar effect?

They've been around for quite a while now, I remember a friend saying she's bought one a couple of years ago to help with sleeping. She said it worked but as everyone else has said they are nothing to do with electric blankets

The teddy fleece ones are amazing, my DS loves his and sleeps so much better with it.

I got mine off amazon 😀

I got 2 from onlinehomeshop (as linked above) too - brilliant service, I got the teddy fleece ones and they are really good, a bargain compared to other sites.

how do you clean a weighted blanket?

Weighted blankets should only weigh 10% of the user's body weight (unless medically advised otherwise). As pp have said, the pressure helps some people feel calmed and grounded.

I wonder if we did this automatically years ago by having sheets and blankets and tucking them in tightly, or nowadays by allowing pets to sleep on the bed or our laps. If your child insists on filling their bed with toys, they may be craving the additional pressure on them that this creates as they sleep but are unable to explain this.

Hope Christmas shopping isn’t too stressful OP.

A heavy blanket would have a similar effect but that would also depend on the size of the person using it @Pobblebonk. Weighted products are expensive so I always recommend trying heavy blankets or similar first.

@Usernamealreadyexists

Thanks for this post. I love heavy duvets and will get one of these. Can they be put in the washing machine as I sweat a lot before my period.

don't think they can which is why I'd recommend getting a cover

Mine can go in the washing machine. It comes in sections which zip together so it can be put in the machine 1 piece at a time. But as I said mine is a prescription item that I got from my occupational therapist at the hospital.

This is the one approved for medical use where I live:

somna.se/en/produkt-kategori/weighted-blankets/

Hope Christmas shopping isn’t too stressful OP.
Not for me, Nalanii, especially as I now do not have to research weighted blankets any further and guide DH to the chosen one.

Weight not heat.
I often pul a second duvet over me for the weight. I then get too hot. I’ve been known in very hot climates where hotels might have only a sheet or light throw to ask for a blanket or two.
Helps me get to sleep even if I later throw if off as too hot.
I have one as imminent purchase once I can sort out delivery - heavy and bulky.

Washing would depend on weight. Mine is 9.5kg which is too much for my washing machine. But it has removable covers ( a bit like a duvet cover with extra ties do that the blanket stays in place), so I don't need to wash it that often. But when I do it's hand wash and drying flat.