Best Weighted Blanket For Anxiety For A Good Night’s Sleep
Weighted blankets are designed to help calm the body, alleviate stress and anxiety, and help restless and poor sleepers get restful sleep.
Occupational therapists first introduced the blankets as a treatment for behavioral disorders, but they have become one of the go-to options for anyone seeking calmness and relaxation.
The best-weighted blanket for anxiety is designed to offer what experts term "deep pressure therapy". The overall idea is the pressure from the weighted blanket can increase serotonin, a chemical in your body that makes you feel happy and calm. Though the blanket does not promise to cure any conditions, it promises to help relieve the tension and help you get a restful sleep.
Finding the best one takes time, and there's also the question of whether it really works. This article outlines the 5 best-weighted blankets in the market and features to consider when buying.
Best Weighted Blankets For Anxiety
1. Gravity Blanket
The Gravity Blanket ranks highly as the best-weighted blanket for anxiety as it's extremely beneficial for those who suffer from sleepless nights from anxiety or restlessness.
The Gravity blanket is made of super-soft micro-fleece; hence it has a velvety feel. The inner blanket is made of super-soft cotton filled with fine-grade glass beads. The weighted blanket is held in place inside the duvet cover by a zipper system. While the interior features gridded stitching that ensures the glass bead remains uniformly distributed during use.
The Gravity Blanket is designed for one user at a time with dimensions of 72” x 48”. The weighted blanket was designed because each user requires a weight specific to their body weight. The available weight options are 15, 20, and 25lb. You also have the choice between three colors (grey, blue, and white)
The weighted blanket is made of breathable fabrics, and both the weighted inner layer and outer duvet cover are machine-washable.
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YnM Weighted Blanket offers 14 sizes and weights ranging from 5 to 30 pounds. The weighted blanket also comes in various color options. It's the best-weighted blanket for anxiety if you're looking suffering from conditions like restless leg syndrome, ADHD as well as anxiety.
The weighted blanket features 7 layers that are designed to contour to your shape, ensuring maximum comfort. The design includes glass beads in smaller compartments for even weight distribution, and there's thinner fiberfill which offers better temperature control.
You have the choice of breathable cotton, bamboo, or cozy Minky for the duvet cover material. However, it does have to be purchased separately.
2. YnM Weighted Blanket
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3. ZonLi Weighted Blanket
The weighted blanket features 6 layers, with 2 layers of 100% cotton fabric which is ideal for regulating temperature. The blanket also contains 2 layers of microfiber, which prevent the movement and leakage of odorless and non-toxic glass beads. The polyester padding is hypoallergenic; hence it helps keep dust, mold, and other allergens at bay.
There are 12 colors to select from, and the weight ranges from five to 30 pounds. The weighted blanket features a tight quilting thread that evenly distributes the weight of the beads. It also has eight loops that can fix the blanket without running.
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One of the benefits of using weighted blankets is calming down restlessness and anxiety, hence helping you sleep soundly. The Layla Blanket promises to help you fall asleep and sleep soundly. By utilizing Deep Touch Pressure, which is that calm and soothing feeling, we experience when we hug a loved one. The weighted blanket promises to make you feel comfortable and calm by applying the same pressure across your body.
The Layla Weighted Blanket features a 300-thread count, with the bottom layer being 100% cotton bottom layer. This allows you to sleep comfortably as the material is breathable and soft. The weighted blanket hexagon pocket quilts are designed for weight distribution. Between the two layers of polyfill batting, there are 100% glass microbeads. The pocket quilts ensure that they are evenly distributed.
The fleece top layer is machine washable and offers comfort and warmth without overheating. It helps lower stress levels while improving your sleep quality.
4. Layla Weighted Blanket
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5. Baloo Weighted Blanket
If you're a hot sleeper, then this best-weighted blanket for anxiety is for you.
The cooling weighted blanket is made of breathable material that ensures you a restful and soothing all-night sleep.
The weighted blanket features a tight, quilted pattern that holds the micro glass beads. It's designed to stimulate the feeling of a hug, encouraging serotonin and calming the nervous system. This is similar to compression therapy or deep pressure therapy. The white color helps promote comfort, hope, and calmness.
The cooling weighted blanket is a perfect size for twin beds, for one person to use in a large bed, or even lazing on the couch. The weighted blanket features 6 hooks that you can connect to the matching linen duvet cover (sold separately), allowing you to hold it together.
The cooling weighted blanket is safe for regular washing in the machine and dryer. It's advisable to use cold water on the gentle cycle with whites only and dry low heat.
What's also great about the cooling weighted blanket, that it features double-quilting stitching that helps keep the microbeads in place; thus, they don't bunch up during use.
The Baloo brand recommends choosing a weight depending on your sleep position or if you’re looking to alleviate a certain pain, including joint sensitivity in your knees, hips, or back.
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Features To Consider When Buying The Best Weighted Blanket For Anxiety
a) Heaviness
Though there isn't much research on how heavy a weighted blanket should be, most weighted blankets tend to range between 15 and 30 pounds. It is recommended that when selecting the best-weighted blankets for anxiety, look for one that's equivalent to 10% of your body weight. For instance, if you weigh 160 pounds, you'd use a 16-pound weighted blanket.
However, you don't necessarily have to be exact. What counts is being within the 7-12% range. What you should avoid is oversized blankets as the blanket shouldn't hand off the side of your bed.
Something else to note is that a larger size means that the weight will be more spread out; hence you'll feel less pressure. This means if you have a larger bed, you may want to consider using a twin or individual-sized weighted blanket.
Lastly, weighted blankets should not be used by anyone that can't move freely beneath the weight. This means you should take caution, especially if you have children. Though there are weighted blankets for children, it's advisable to seek advice from a pediatrician first.
b) Size of Your Bed
When searching for the best-weighted blankets for anxiety, it's best to consider the size of your bed. You can buy a weighted blanket that's either the same size or slightly larger than you.
The rule of 10 % applies here, the Chin to feet rule. The weighted blanket should be long enough to reach a person’s chin and feet. Some prefer to have their upper bodies covered depending on the person, while others prefer to have their lower bodies covered. Regardless of your choice, both have their benefits. For instance, covering the upper body can stimulate pressure points that calm the nerves and help relieve anxiety.
c) Type of Filler
Weighted blankets contain two types of fillers: plastic or glass beads.
Glass beads are similar in size to salt crystals or sand grains. They are heavier and take up less space in the weighted blanket since they are smaller. This makes the blanket appear thinner compared to those filled with plastic pellets. This filling is more durable and ideal if you enjoy bulk-free bedding. This filling is more durable and ideal if you enjoy bulk-free bedding.
Poly pellets are tiny and round and are made from plastic materials that have not been exposed to other chemicals and toxins. Some manufacturers opt for them as they are cheaper. They make the weighted blanket bulkier and can seem a bit noisy. However, they are more affordable but much harder to find as most manufacturers have switched to glass beads. They work best suited for people who prefer a cozy, duvet-like blanket.
Other weighted blankets include polyester fiberfill. Fiberfill adds warmth hence giving you a more normal blanket-like feeling. They are, however, less breathable. If you are looking for a more breathable blanket, you can opt for one without fill.
Sand is also used in some weighted blankets. It is also affordable but is that it does not wash well. It swells and becomes lumpy when in contact with water.
d) Duvet Covers
Most weighted blankets with fillers will feature a detachable duvet outer cover. The outer cover helps regulate body temperature, offers the option of swapping duvet cover colors and materials without the need of purchasing a new blanket, and allows for easier washing (the actual weighted blanket is not washed as much as the exterior cover).
The classic weighted blanket cover is made of soft microfiber. However, weighted blankets can be made from various fabrics such as velvet, polyester, flannel, fleece, satin, and cotton. Fabric choice is dependent on your preference. For instance, if you for temperature control, having a lightweight fabric like cotton would be ideal. This is especially is you sleep hot.
You can also choose to have two weighted blankets, one cooler and breathable for summer and another warm and flannel-like for the cold winter months.
If you suffer from sensory-related issues, organic cotton or satin fabric tends to be the preferred option.
e) Washable Removable Cover
Weighted blankets are usually quite tough to wash because of how heavy they are. Weighted blankets that are 10 pounds and above can be washed in a commercial washer and dryer. If worried about your blanket getting stains or pet fur, it's advisable to search for one with a removable cover. Most covers are available in organic cotton or a soft minky fabric.
Cotton is breathable, while Minky is cozy and warmer. Some companies will include it, while others offer it as an add-on.
Frequently Asked Question About Best Weighted Blanket For Anxiety (FAQ)
a) Do Weighted Blankets Really Work?
Yes, weighted blankets work.
There are actual benefits to using a weighted blanket. One of them includes calming down anxiety. The best-weighted blankets essentially will have the person feeling like they are receiving a hug. The blankets simulate deep pressure stimulation providing calming effects to your body. This helps you feel a little better, relax and thus can help you fall asleep.
