Weighted blankets come with extra heft in the form of glass beads, pellets, cotton or another filling. Scientists haven\u2019t studied exactly how the blankets work, but they have a few ideas. The blankets\u2019 firm touch may calm the brain’s fight-or-flight response, said Dr. Neal Walia, a sleep medicine expert at UCLA Health.<\/p>\n
The extra pressure also may signal the brain to release what\u2019s called the love hormone, also known as oxytocin. It\u2019s produced during bonding and cuddling, and can also lower anxiety, Walia said.<\/p>\n
For most healthy adults, experts say to choose a blanket that is about 10% of their body weight. So a 150-pound person may opt for a 15-pound blanket. Weighted blankets are not recommended for babies or toddlers since they can hinder movement and breathing. People with sleep apnea, sleep-related disorders or respiratory problems should check with a doctor before using a weighted blanket.<\/p>\n
The blankets aren’t for everyone and each person gets the best out of their blanket differently. For example, some may find them too hot to use during warmer months. And the extra swaddling comes at a cost: quality weighted blankets can range from $50 to over $300 depending on the size, weight and material.<\/p>\n
There isn’t a ton of research on whether weighted blankets actually work, and the studies that do exist are on small groups. Most studies don’t focus on the average sleeper. Instead, they investigate whether weighted blankets can help people with chronic sleep problems, mental health conditions or developmental disorders.<\/p>\n
There are some hints that weighted blankets can help with anxiety, chronic pain and sleep. But the research isn’t conclusive. A study on 120 people with insomnia found that the weighted blankets helped them sleep better compared to a light blanket. Another study on 67 children with autism found the weighted blanket didn\u2019t affect their sleep at all \u2013 but the children and their parents preferred it to a regular blanket. A third study on 94 adults with chronic pain found that a heavier weighted blanket didn\u2019t affect sleep, but was better at reducing pain compared to a lighter one.<\/p>\n
Even though there\u2019s not yet strong evidence to back up the benefits of weighted blankets, sleep experts say there\u2019s no harm in giving them a try if you’re willing to splurge. Dr. Daniel Barone, a sleep medicine expert at Weill Cornell Medicine, suggests it to his patients after other traditional therapies and medicines. \u201cIf it doesn\u2019t hurt and it may help, it\u2019s worth a shot,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
A: Choose a blanket that is about 10% of your body weight. For example, a 150-pound person may opt for a 15-pound blanket.<\/p>\n
A: No, weighted blankets are not recommended for babies or toddlers since they can hinder movement and breathing. People with sleep apnea, sleep-related disorders or respiratory problems should check with a doctor before using a weighted blanket.<\/p>\n
A: Quality weighted blankets can range from $50 to over $300 depending on the size, weight and material.<\/p>\n
A: Some people may find them too hot to use during warmer months, and the extra swaddling comes at a cost.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
What is a Weighted Blanket? Weighted blankets come with extra heft in the form of glass beads, pellets, cotton or another filling. Scientists haven\u2019t studied exactly how the blankets work, but they have a few ideas. The blankets\u2019 firm touch may calm the brain’s fight-or-flight response, said Dr. Neal Walia, a sleep medicine expert at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":6489,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-6488","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-shopping"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/media.nbcnewyork.com\/2024\/12\/AP24339759328979.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&resize=1200%2C675&w=1200&resize=1200,675&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6488"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6488"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6488\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6490,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6488\/revisions\/6490"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6489"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6488"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6488"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6488"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}