To ask about weighted blankets?

[NewYoiker]

DH is having a hard time sleeping at the moment. He's recently been diagnosed with severe anxiety, and frankly it's debilitating. He can't sleep he's under a psychiatric team and is now medicated thank god but he's still not sleeping.

I've been doing some research and weighted blankets seem to have good reviews to help people sleep.

Anyone had any success with them? Will I be able to sleep under it too? Do you use it with a duvet or instead of the duvet?

So many questions!

Slightly offside but similar principle (DPT I think it's called) works for some people using compression clothing...added bonus that you can wear it all day (under clothing) and drop half a dress size I suffer from anxiety (not on same scale as your DH) and find it very comforting.

I hope your DH gets better soon.

Thank you :) frankly I think I'll give anything a go at the moment!

DD uses one over the top of her duvet and loves it. They’re not cheap though and they weigh a ton. What does DH think?

He just wants to sleep. It's come to a head today when he can't go to work because of the snow and we've had a chat about the blankets and I gave him some info to look at but it was too overwhelming to take in all the information.

Here's an article and couple of links introducing the idea in case he is interested: tonic.vice.com/en_us/article/a3avee/the-connection-between-athleisure-and-anxiety
<a class="break-all" href="https://aspergersandmeblog.wordpress.com/2012/04/02/compression-clothing/www.sensorysmart.co.uk/compression--hug-clothing-for-anxiety-277-c.asp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">aspergersandmeblog.wordpress.com/2012/04/02/compression-clothing/www.sensorysmart.co.uk/compression--hug-clothing-for-anxiety-277-c.asp (

I work in a school and they had heavy old style wool blankets from a grandparents house for a similar sensory exercise. Folded over it was quite heavy. Might be worth starting there in case the weighted blanket doesn't help him

That should have been:

www.sensorysmart.co.uk/compression--hug-clothing-for-anxiety-277-c.asp

and

aspergersandmeblog.wordpress.com/2012/04/02/compression-clothing/

and

tonic.vice.com/en_us/article/a3avee/the-connection-between-athleisure-and-anxiety

My friend made one for her autistic son. It was long and arduous.

I've been wishing for one for many years, but what I DO have is a really heavy cotton woven throw, from Next originally.

I don't even want to know how much that cost, an ex gave it to me because he knew I liked it as a blanket.

They're brilliant and it sounds like it would be worth the expense, OP

I bought a massive good old fashioned bed throw from a fancy linen shop in a sale - it was about £40 I thing. When I’m sick I fold it to 1/4 (it’s massive) and snuggle under it - it’s vwry weighty and it reminds me of blankets and covers from childhood and being all warm and cosy when it was snowing or blowing a gale.

We just got our son one as he has ASD. Got it handmade by a lady we found on eBay for £50 - it's good. It's fleecy so nice and cosy

Sorry about your husband. I suffer from anxiety with varying degrees of severity and it is the worst.

I have a weighted blanket (Amazon, the Buzio one) and it definitely helps me to relax but it's not a magic cure for sleep.

The lack of sleep will hinder his recovery so perhaps ask for his meds to be reviewed? I take Mirtazipine for my anxiety, it's also prescribed for psychosis. It's taken at night and has a sedative effect so it helps with the sleep massively when the dose is right.

Lots of love

Sorry, I use mine under the duvet and it needs to be just covering one person for it to work properly or the full weight of it won't be felt, if that makes sense.
x

To get one you can both sleep under would be very expensive (but technically possible). And it might help, it might not.
I would use it instead of a duvet, although you could put a light blanket on top if you were cold (I think a duvet and weighted blanket would be too warm).

Sounds worth a try.

Some people respond very well to pressure applied to their mid back and shoulders - not a massage, not talking or music; just pressure with a flat hand(s). Like some babies don't like being patted or rubbed but prefer you to rest your hand against them.

I suspect they're the same people who find weighted blankets/heavy quilts and blankets/etc helpful.

we had 1 made for christmas,it didnt work for sleeping like we hoped

he uses it but he likes lying under it to watch telly and it does calm him down a bit

if you have a big child it can be to much weight as if you get them professionally done they do say to cover the whole body so as mine is 8 but already 5ft and 118 pounds and its supposed to be 10-15%of body weight it worked out as 17.7llbs worth of beads and the maker said to allow any extra weigh gain she would do 25 pounds worth or beads

because of his spd he cant do normal blankets/duvet covers so we had a brushed cotton single duvet made up,she sew/sewn(not sure what word to use)the beads inside in square patches

cost a fair bit as it was 15 pounds for the duvet,she bought the beads and she charged 100 pound fort doing it and sending it back as it was going to be heavy and a lot of work(she was england im wales)

have you looked into melatonin?works amazing for 99%,it doesn't work for either of my kids but i know some with severe sleeping disorders who are gone with in 10 mins of taking it

in uk they do say a professional has to prescribe it but there many safe sites you can buy it from and it comes in gummy form

Lovely deep pressure vestibular input. Agree you can get one made cheaper. Your poor husband hope it helps him to feel better. You can take the world on better with a good night sleep. Hammocks also good

I have mild to moderate anxiety and associated sleep difficulties, I got a weighted blanket (gravity blanket) for Christmas and it’s the best thing I’ve ever got. It really helps calm me and I’ve definitely been sleeping better. I currently use it over my duvet or just as a blanket on the sofa. Well worth the money on my opinion.

I was just on here posting about a coupon code I came across for a weighted blanket that scored highly in a review invthr Daily Mail. Unsure if the review was paid but there’s no mention of it being a paid promotion (think publications have to declare it).

Shop: www.snuzi.co.uk
Coupon: PREORDER15

Review: www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-6624577/amp/Can-gravity-blanket-make-sleep-like-baby.html

Od like one for my (suspected asd) daughter hut Ive not seen them as low as 50quid before. I thought they were all over 100 (and out of our price range!)

@Bobbybobbins - could you post a link to your ebay seller please

We got one for our asd son and he loves it. Won't sleep without it now on top of his duvet. Mind you this is also now combined with melatonin so that probably helps. Ours came from an eBay seller as well for 50 ish quid.

Have you tried sounds or music? Soft headphones and sonicaid (free on Amazon prime) or search music to sleep to

@ChristmasFlary the seller name was sensory_slumber

We got good results with a super king size heavy cotton throw / bed spread. It would have been £hundreds new but it was £2 at a car boot sale. Folded into quarters it does the job.

Maybe try charity shops for something similar?

Maybe try charity shops for something similar
Or Freecycle.
I was going to suggest trying to get hold of a couple of good old fashioned blankets. You could probably fold them and pop them inside a single quilt cover as a trial.