What is a weighted blanket?

A weighted blanket is – simply – a blanket that is deliberately made heavier than an ordinary blanket. The weight comes from its bead filling, which is evenly distributed through the whole blanket.

These heavy blankets help relieve stress and anxiety. This, in turn:

• Helps you go to sleep quicker and stay asleep for longer;
• Calm down if you are overexcited or having a meltdown; and
• Focus.

How does a weighted blanket work?

Weighted blankets apply Deep Pressure Touch to your body. Deep Pressure Touch has been clinically proven to help calm you physically and mentally. This helps you go to sleep and stay asleep. (You can learn more about Deep Pressure Touch here.)

Who can benefit from using a weighted blanket?

A weighted blanket’s Deep Pressure Touch can help relieve anxiety. Medical professionals – like occupational therapists – recommend weighted blankets for patients who have:

• Autism;
• Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD);
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD);
• Dementia;
• Insomnia;
• Restless leg syndrome;
• High levels of anxiety and stress; or
• Sensory disorders.

Is there scientific proof that weighted blankets help?

There have been a number of clinical studies that have objectively measured the calming effects of Deep Pressure Touch on the body.

One clinical study found that use of deep pressure touch device resulted in reduced stress and feelings of calmness in as little as three minutes in adults. It measured this through collecting heart rate and respiration data by putting electrodes on the study participants’ chest and back. It also measured skin conductance to assess the level of sympathetic nervous system activity.

A second study specifically studied the safety and effectiveness of a weighted blanket on 32 adults.

• 68% of the study participants reported lower anxiety after using the weighted blanket; and
• 78% preferred the weighted blanket as a calming tool.

There is another clinical study that caught my eye. It found that “grounding” the human body by weighting it down during sleep reduces the level of cortisol. (Cortisol is the stress hormone.) The study participants reported improved sleep patterns and reduced pain and stress.

Who shouldn’t use a weighted blanket?

However, weighted blankets don’t work for everyone. They will not help anyone who doesn’t like heavy weights on their chest.

Children and babies under 2 should not use a weighted blanket.

How to use a weighted blanket

You can use your weighted blanket to:

• Help you go to sleep and stay asleep longer;
• Calm your panicked and anxious feelings; and
• Improve your focus on school or other work.

Using a weighted blanket to improve sleep

Just simply put your weighted blanket on your bed and climb in. You can use an electric blanket or other blankets on top of it if it is cold.

Using a weighted blanket to calm anxious feelings

To use your weighted blanket as a calm-down tool, just simply wrap it around you or climb under it. You can either sit or lie.

Using a weighted blanket to improve focus

A weighted blanket’s calming deep pressure touch can help you pay more attention and focus. The calming pressure leaves you more alert and can stop the “wriggles”.

Many adults and children use weighted lap blankets or pads to help pay attention and focus at work or school.

Weighted blankets should never be used as a restraint. Please do not roll anybody up in a weighted blanket.

How heavy should a weighted blanket be?

Occupational therapists recommend that weighted blankets be 10% of the user’s body weight. We recommend adding 1 kg to the blanket weight if you buy a double, queen or king size weighted blanket or quilt insert.

Why a Calming Moments weighted blanket?

Ready to take the next step? Here are some reasons for you to choose a Calming Moments weighted blanket.

All Calming Moments’ premium weighted blankets and quilt inserts are manufactured to our high quality standards in Western Australia. They are all certified Australian-made.

We have engineered the blankets to optimise each weighted blanket’s Deep Pressure Touch action. This maximises the Deep Pressure Touch’s calming and soothing effect to help you go to sleep faster and sleep for longer.

• Each blanket has evenly spaced, individually sewn pockets. These are each filled with an equal weight of our Australian-made micro glass beads. This means that the blanket’s weight is evenly distributed across your whole body.
• The Australian-made glass beads are the size of mustard seeds with smooth edges. This means that you can’t feel any hard edges. And the glass is silent. This means that there is no rustling or whooshing noise to interrupt your rest.
• Because the glass beads are made in Australia, we know that they are made to this country’s high quality manufacturing standards. That means that you can be secure that there are no potentially toxic fillers chemicals. And that the beads are beads, not powdered glass or some other potentially harmful material.
• The glass beads also have the advantage that they make the blanket compact and easy to fold up. This makes it easy to store and transport.
• We fill each blanket with two layers of cotton wadding. This keeps the glass beads evenly spread through each pocket. It means the beads don’t “pool” in one corner. This maximises the Deep Pressure Touch effect on every part of your body.

We make each blanket individually. That means you can choose the fabric type and colour you love best.

• Plus, we can make your weighted blanket completely unique by embroidering your name on it.
• Our unique Calming 2-year guarantee covers every blanket. So that you know that we’re not just saying our quality standards are high. They are world class. No other weighted blanket offers this guarantee.
• You can machine-wash all our weighted blankets on cold, gentle cycle.
• We double-line and triple-stitch each blanket on the edges with hems. This ensures that the pockets will not break – so you get evenly applied Deep Pressure Touch.

Calming Moments’ weighted blankets come in a large choice of blanket sizes and weights.

• Our weighted blankets all come in single, king single, double and queen size.
• They are designed to fit on top of a bed with no overhang. This gives the best Deep Pressure input for people with sensory processing issues.
• Our weighted quilt inserts are the size of an ordinary duvet or doona with an overhang. The come in single, king single, double, queen, king and super king sizes.
• We offer the widest choice of blanket weights in the market. Across all our bed blankets we offer over 20 different weights, starting from 2.5kg in 0.5kg increments up to 12.0kg. This means that you can choose the blanket weight that will give you the best Deep Pressure Touch experience.

But don’t take our word for it. Here are just a few reviews from our happy customers or you can see more on Facebook here.