You might think your bedroom is decked out with the latest in sleep technology, but have you tried using a weighted blanket?

Yes, we may be biased but weighted blankets are so dreamy! These hug-mimickers can have lots of benefits that can transform your sleep and help you get the rest and restoration that you need.

Designed for kids, adults and the elderly, they contain glass beads for an environmentally friendly way to distribute the weight perfectly over your body. With research from thousands of people who suffer sleepless nights, we believe a weighted blanket (also known as gravity blanket, heavy blanket, or anxiety blanket) is literally the stuff of dreams!

Learn more about the benefits of a weighted blanket so you can decide if this sleep trend is right for you.

1. Deeper, Longer Sleep

Weighted blankets consist roughly of 10% of your body weight. They work by minimising your body movement during sleep time. Through this process, it maximises relaxation and allows us to dose off faster, sleep for longer and enjoy deeper sleep we all deserve!

A weighted blanket for sleep features evenly distributed weights that provide a gentle downward force across the body. This force helps deter movement and encourages stillness during sleep.

Our weighted blanket can help you fall asleep within ten minutes of getting into bed. This improvement means you don't have to go to bed expecting to lie there for an hour before you get to sleep. Drift off within minutes under our soft, snuggly blankets.

2. Reduces Stress and Anxiety

Anxiety can be debilitating. It sends the body into overdrive, releasing adrenaline, cortisol and cortisone – all chemicals to help you in a fight. And in a fight, it's no good falling asleep. The problem comes when this response isn't required but the hormones keep coming.

A weighted blanket provides a medication-free, evidence-based solution. Deep pressure therapy is now widely used in the management of anxiety in adults and children and that's what a weighted blanket can provide.

The pressure makes the body release oxytocin which is the chemical that tells your body you're ok, you're safe and secure. Turn the fight and flight response off.

A weighted blanket can help with sleep problems but it's also really useful at other times during the day if anxiety builds up. It's a cycle that can be stopped by snuggling under the blanket for a few minutes, perhaps using mindfulness techniques.

3. Keeps you Comfortable

Our weighted blankets are made from luxurious materials to keep you comfortable throughout the night. We believe if you're going to spend eight-plus hours with something in bed it better be cosy!

People who suffer from restless leg syndrome experience unpleasant sensations in the legs. Weighted blankets reduce the urge to move them and even if they do move them underneath a weighted blanket, they will be less likely to wake up, allowing a more rested sleep.

4. Self-Soothes Health Conditions

A weighted blanket delivers benefits for a whole host of health conditions including ADHD, OCD and autism. The gentle pressure helps self-soothe and alleviate symptoms associated with the conditions.

They work in the same way as ‘deep touch pressure’ therapy. The pressure of a weighted blanket can help increase levels of serotonin, a chemical that helps people feel more relaxed, creating a sense of calm and aiding sleep.

5. Help Boost your Mood

A weighted blanket can help trigger feel-good hormones. The deep touch pressure can increase dopamine levels, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate emotional responses and movements, controlling feelings of pleasure and reward.
As you feel the weight of your stress blanket, you’ll start to feel calm, increasing your chances of drifting off and creating a sense of happiness. By this point, you’ll be able to encourage a sleep cycle that will become routine. Once in this routine, you’ll keep having a good night’s rest and subsequently be in a better mood. There’s no better way to boost your emotional state than to have a good night’s sleep!

If you’d like more information on how sleep can change your mood and other benefits you can reap the rewards from, check back in next week for another blog post.