Restless Sleeper? You Need a Therapeutic Weighted Blanket to Reduce Anxiety and Stress and Encourage Healthier, Deeper Sleep
Not to be confused with simple down-filled blankets or duvets with a higher tog rating, weighted blankets are specially designed for medical purposes rather than just to provide warmth. When used at night, a therapeutic weighted blanket creates a wonderful sense of comfort and well-being. This allows the user to unwind and relax faster and easier than they normally would.
For those suffering from anxiety or depression, the stillness and quietness of bedtime is often where negative and worrying feelings manifest themselves. The knock-on effect of this is that it takes much longer to fall asleep - if sleep comes at all – and restlessness during sleep is common. Frequent waking and tossing and turning means you are not getting the quality of sleep your body desperately needs to function effectively during waking hours and you will wake up feeling groggy and underslept.
Is This For Real? YES!
A Weighted Blanket Can Help You Sleep Better and Lower Your Cortisol Levels!
A study reported in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine indicated that grounding the human body while sleeping is an effective way to level out cortisol production, so it is only produced when nature intended it to be – never at nighttime when sleeping or trying to sleep. Grounding helped reduce cortisol production in the participants during sleep which improved their sleep and alleviated stress, insomnia, and pain.
The perfect balance of cortisol levels in the body is absolutely vital to your mental and physical health. We know that elevated cortisol levels:
- Interfere with learning and memory
- Lower immune function and bone density
- Increase the chances of weight gain, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease
- Negatively affect sleep
- Increase feelings of anxiety and/or depression
Additionally, a study in Sweden found that people who used a weighted blanket slept longer, were less restless, and reported that they felt more refreshed in the morning. [1]
What is Deep Pressure Touch and How Can it Help?
Deep Pressure Touch (DPT) is a therapy whereby firm but gentle squeezing, hugs, or holding are applied to the body with the aim of relaxing the nervous system. Pressure can be applied with the hands (by a qualified therapist or after seeking advice and techniques from one), with the use of specialised massage tools, or through the use of products that you wear or wrap around yourself to provide pressure. Done properly, this therapy triggers a chain reaction in the body that releases an overall sense of calm and peace.
When you apply DPT to the body, the body switches from running on its Sympathetic Nervous System - this is the system in control during ‘fight or flight’, to its Parasympathetic Nervous System - the system running the show during ‘rest and digest’. If your Sympathetic Nervous System is in control for too long, you will notice feeling anxious, irritable and tired; your quality of sleep will suffer, and you may begin to experience issues with your digestive system. If these symptoms sound familiar to you or someone you care for, DPT therapy can help.
Weighted Blankets Have a Positive Impact on Sufferers of Dementia and Alzheimer’s
A weighted blanket or lap pad is a simple, non-drug alternative treatment that can be used day or night to reduce anxiety, calm nerves, provide comfort, and promote deep sleep in sufferers of Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Alzheimer’s and dementia often cause sufferers to feel agitated and anxious and can disturb their sleep in a big way. These awful illnesses present a scary and lonely world to the sufferer and leave them feeling afraid and isolated; even in a room full of people who love and care for them. There is currently no cure, just drugs that slow down the process but cannot stop the decline. Giving a loved-one a weighted blanket provides comfort through the naturally pleasant feeling of being held. The comforting weight of this blanket replicates the feeling of a hug. Being able to give your loved one a ‘hug’, even if you are not there physically, can help relax and calm them during housing transitions, medical check-ups and whilst settling in for the night.
Which Weight Weighted Blanket Should You Buy?
The Natural Health Supports™ Weighted Anxiety Blanket comes in three weights:
- 15lb/6.8kg
- 20lb/9kg
- 25lb/11.3kg
The weight that is suitable for you is a direct correlation to your own body weight. Please use the table below to ascertain the best weight option for you and select your weight and colour from the drop-down menu above.
Persons weighing under 120lb should use the 15lb weighted blanket under supervision.
What Anxiety-based Conditions Might be Eased with a Weighted Blanket?
Anxiety based conditions are proliferating at an alarming rate, modern living, IT, social media and chemicals have all been pinpointed in possibly having an adverse affect on our wellbeing. Here is a checklist of medications, conditions and symptoms that might amplify anxiety - try using our weighted blanket to benefit from the relaxing and comforting properties it can give you - or as we prefer to say anti-anxiety blanket!
- If you have you been exposed to environmental toxins like pesticides, mold, heavy metals, fragrances, phthalates or air pollution? (Sadly, all of us have!)
- Those who take prescription antidepressant, antianxiety, ADHD or other medications
- Those using prescription fluoroquinolone antibiotics, acetaminophen, asthma meds, Accutane or Miralax
- Have anxiety and Lyme disease/co-infections Bartonella and Babesia, parasites, PANDAS/PANS or candida.
- Those who consume alcohol, sugar, gluten, green smoothies, MSG and/or nut flours. (Many nut flours contain high levels of phytic acid)
- Those with Tourette’s, trichotillomania, globus pharyngeus, misophonia, autism or eye-poking behaviour.
[1] https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/ss/slideshow-new-ideas-sleep-hyginene?ecd=wnl_wmh_120722&ctr=wnl-wmh-120722_lead_title&mb=2h7VZNF%40UCKXnhcqdHAbk%40HnVev1imbCS0D8WrY%2FhhQ%3D