What do weighted blankets do?
Are they really good for anxiety or just a marketing gimmick?
To answer this question, you must be logged in.
Already have an account? Login.
By Signing up, you indicate that you have read and agree to Sage's Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
Answers ( 1 )
Weighted blankets are rather like chamomile tea: If it works for you, it works, but the actual scientific evidence for it working is slim.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32204779/
There are people who swear by them- in fact,. most who go to the trouble and expense of finding the perfect-for-them weighted blanket will tell you they simply can no longer sleep without it, or that their teen aged son on the spectrum who has sensory issues sleeps so much better now, or that they found the perfect one that combines weight with cooling features so they can use it all year long-- people who like them really, really like them.
The challenge for science, then, is to turn these self-reported, subjective accolades into evidence- and that's a whole 'nuther kettle of fish. Studies are out there, but they aren't as robust as science usually likes, so the data is not hard, but rather squishy- meaning you can conclude whatever you like from the data provided.
https://jdc.jefferson.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1020&context=student_papers
My advice would be, if you have night time anxiety, speak to your licensed health care provider first, and between you set up your own trial of different strategies and interventions which might include yoga or meditation, visualization, other stress-reducing techniques and a weighted blanket. Set up ways to track what you used and your anxiety/sleep quality and go over those results together after a few months.
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/can-weighted-blankets-banish-nighttime-anxiety/
There's something to be said, you see, for the placebo effect: Most folks seem to believe it means whatever thing used didn't really work- you "thought yourself well"- but here's the thing: If it works, it works. And that holds true for weighted blankets, too.