Sep 14, 2022
Can You Sleep with a Weighted Blanket?
Here at Gravity Blankets, we make several weighted products aimed at helping you relax your body and mind — from our best-selling Gravity Weighted Blanket to our top-rated weighted eye masks and robes. One of our most frequently asked questions is, “Can you sleep with a weighted blanket?” The short answer is yes. It’s not just acceptable to sleep with a weighted blanket — it’s also encouraged!
Research suggests that slumbering with a weighted blanket can greatly optimize the quantity and quality of your snooze, especially if you deal with anxiety or another mental health disorder. That said, there are a few blanket rules you should follow to maximize your safety and get a better night’s sleep (sorry, we had to).
1. Choose the Right Weighted Blanket
Finding the best weighted blanket for your body weight and sleep preferences can make all the difference when it comes to sleeping comfortably and soundly.
Everyone is different, so don’t assume your friend or partner’s weighted blanket will work for you. Some people prefer weighted blankets with glass beads because they’re quieter and help keep the user cool, while others prefer plastic beads because they retain heat and are generally less expensive.
Of course, you’ll also want to choose the correct size for your body weight. Note that most manufacturers recommend curling up with a weighted blanket that is approximately 10 percent of your total body weight for optimal comfort and relaxation.
2. Take Temperature into Consideration
Temperature is another important factor to consider when purchasing a weighted blanket. Some people wake up in the middle of the night sweating, while others can’t seem to get warm enough.
If you’re a cold sleeper, consider choosing a polyester weighted blanket with plastic poly pellets. These materials are insulating, meaning they will retain heat and help you stay warm on brisk nights.
Do you sleep hot? If so, try our special cooling weighted blanket. This sleek blanket is made from 100 percent premium cooling lyocell, an innovative fabric derived from eucalyptus. It’s a hot sleeper’s dream!
Get Your Cooling Weighted Blanket
3. Book an Appointment with Your Healthcare Provider
Although weighted blankets are chock-full of benefits, they can also pose risks for certain groups of people. That’s why it’s generally a good idea to check in with your healthcare provider before you decide to sleep with a weighted blanket.
While not particularly common, weighted blankets can exacerbate symptoms in people with chronic respiratory and circulatory issues. Additionally, they can pose health risks for very young children, frail adults and dementia patients.
4. Wash Your Weighted Blanket Regularly
If you want to sleep soundly, make sure you’re washing your weighted blanket regularly. The reality is that dust mites and other allergens can hide in our bedding, causing allergic reactions that contribute to a poor night’s rest. Indeed, the Sleep Foundation reports that allergy sufferers are twice as likely to suffer from insomnia compared to those without allergies.
To keep allergens at bay, most experts recommend washing your weighted blanket insert every three or four months and washing the weighted blanket cover at least every other week. If you have oily skin or sweat excessively at night, you might want to wash it every week.
If washing your weighted blanket cover on a weekly basis sounds exhausting, there are a few simple steps you can take to stretch the time between washes. First, shower at night to wash off the dirt and grime from your body and use a top sheet to avoid direct contact with the weighted blanket. Also, consider having your pets sleep elsewhere.
5. Give Your Body Time to Adapt
With so much hype around weighted blankets, you might be expecting to fall into a blissful sleep the second you curl up with one. But you might want to temper your expectations. While some people notice an immediate difference in their sleep quality, others find that it takes about a week to adjust to the sensation of a weighted blanket, and then another two weeks to start experiencing the actual benefits.
To get used to your weighted blanket, it may help to sleep with it on the lower half of your body first. Each night, pull the blanket up a little bit more until it’s covering you from the neck down.
Tuck Yourself into Bed with Gravity Blankets
Getting enough high-quality rest is crucial to our overall health. And, yet, many people find themselves regularly missing out on the seven to nine hours of sleep they need each night. Uncontrolled worries about work, school, finances and relationships are often to blame, flooding our bodies with hormones that activate our fight or flight response. Our weighted products counteract this unwanted stress response by delivering soothing pressure to the body, calming the central nervous system and preparing your body for sleep. Tuck yourself into bed with our Gravity weighted blanket or wind down for bed with our luxurious weighted eye mask and you’ll notice the difference in sleep quality the next morning.
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