To ask for your opinions on weighted blankets?

[Ichangedmynameonce]

My daughter is 11 and in year 7. She has always slept well, no underlying other issues.

Since beginning of Jan she has slept terribly and shes now worn out. Shes worried about school and CV like so many other kids. Weve done all we can to reassure her.

Is it worth investing in a weighted blanket in a situation like this? Do they work? Can anyone recommend one (that ideally doesn't cost the same as a night in Brighton).

Thank you

Yep made a huge difference for our dd, we got ours from remi x

Best. Thing. Ever! We got ours from Online Home Shop. They’re probably not as good as the expensive proper medical ones but they do the job for us.

I dont know what a night in Brighton costs. Weighted blankets should be 10 % of your body weight. It might help if its anxiety based. Is she getting enough exercise? Id see if you can borrow one before you buy.

They had no effect on my ds at all. But I know people who swear by them!

I've just bought one for me. It was £19.99 from QD Stores, and it weighs 12lbs. Which will be too heavy for your daughter. Truth be told it's a bit too heavy for me, so watch what weight you get.
I bought mine for Fibromyalgia and insomnia, it sort of works, but I do find I end up throwing weightlifting it off in the night.

They work for some people, not for others.

How does she sleep, does she like being tucked in, cuddled to sleep?

I hate any kind of weight to a quilt, makes me feel suffocated, I have to have the quilt very lightly draped over me.

I’m hyper mobile and really hurt if I sleep under anything heavy. I’d try Epsom salts bath before bed.

My ds (10) has one and it is great for calming him when he is anxious or needs a break from needing to use the sofas as an impromptu parlour course....but for sleeping it hasn't made a lot of difference to be honest.

We got ds's from John Lewis...it wasn't too pricey, but is for younger children than your dd (ds is very small for his age)

My daughter (9) has a weighted blanket but it doesn’t keep her asleep all night although she does like it. I’ve been working with Cerebra sleep service and they recommended a “fidget bum” It’s like a tube that keeps them tucked in with light pressure but with a zip so they easily get out. I’ve ordered one to try so will let you know how it goes.

www.fidgetbum.com/

Husband is hilarious with his-he literally falls asleep as soon as he gets under it!
Ds was the same when he tried it but it’s far too heavy for him to use really.
Dd (who is the worst sleeper) found it slightly helpful but not the magical effect it had on the boys!

I have a gravity blanket which I love. I love it so much that I bought an Aldi one for another room. The Aldi one is sort of more attractive looking and the weight distributes more evenly but the gravity blanket has a much nicer overall feel. It is like being tucked in by your mum as a kid.

My husband bought me one as I’ve not been sleeping so well recently but I hate it.

Thanks all for your thoughts and alternative suggestions

They are cheaper than i thought so ill give it a try.

Thanks

I love mine. Couldn't recommend it enough. Some things to consider are, as mentioned by a PP, it should be roughly 10% of your body weight. And check if it has removable covers/fits in the washing machine. If not make sure its a standard size so you can get a cover for it. Otherwise you'll end up with something unwashable.

I think they’re due in the Isle of Dreams at Lidl this week?

Aisle not Isle

Got one for my anxious daughter. My youngest liked it so got her one too.... And she's out like a light with it on.

And I liked theirs, so got myself a heavier one. All from online home stores, via eBay. They were £20 and £30.

ooooh thank you@Jumpjumpjumper

Been thinking about one for myself as I sleep horrifically.
Just bought one from Online Home Stores - thanks everyone!

My son hated his, i tried it and i can see why. Its heavy and very very warm.

You needs to be careful with children especially if they have any difficulty regulating heat. They can overheat easily if it's too heavy or warm. This is why the 10% of body weight is important.

My daughter has one - she has horrible anxiety and Tourette’s

She hated it at first, but persevered with it and does find it helpful.

She says she gets too hot though so doesn’t use it in the summer

I bought one in November, It's brilliant, definitely helps me sleep better.

I've had to stop using it temporarily post covid - changing the cover suddenly became really hard work because of the weight, and I could happily sleep for twenty hours a day anyway.

I got mine from eBay - 9kg seller was theyorkshirebeddingcompanyltd and it was £40. would definitely recommend.

On of my teens loathes it, says they feel like they're being pinned down and in danger.

The other teen adores it, and will sleep for 13h under it. If they use it on a school night they ask me or dh to take it off them when we get up because otherwise they sleep through the alarm clock.

Ours is smallish - about the size of a cot-bed blanket. Dc has it on top of their other bedding. They use it over a quilt in winter or a thin blanket on summer. It doesn't have a cover, instead I chose one made in a cheerful fabric.

In case you think a teen generally sleeps 13h - not this one. We got the blanket when they had gone from being a good sleeper to being unable to fall asleep and rarely sleeping more than 3-4h at a time. The blanket had an instant effect.