Weighted blankets can have positive effects on sleep quality, ranging from helping you fall asleep faster to promoting more restful deep sleep. But how do they actually work—and how important is it to choose the right weight? Niklas Sundström, a product specialist at Novista, explains how weighted blankets affect the body and our senses.
At Novista, he works with both healthcare professionals and elite athletes who want to improve their performance by optimizing their sleep—and helps clients achieve better sleep.
– We train prescribers on our products and guide our customers on everything related to our weighted blankets and weighted vests. What I’ve learned from my clinical experience is that everyone, to a greater or lesser extent, would benefit from a weighted blanket. The benefits can range from simply optimizing sleep and achieving a deeper sleep to significantly improving sleep and well-being in cases of severe anxiety and distress,” says Niklas Sundström, continuing:
– We’ve seen many great results; one example that stands out to me is a boy diagnosed with ADHD who had severe sleep difficulties but, after receiving his weighted blanket, was able to calm down and fall asleep within 30 minutes—previously, it had taken him up to five hours. Research also shows that our weighted blankets are effective for people who wake up frequently during the night.
Guide: Finding the Right Weight for Your Weighted Blanket
How does a weighted blanket actually work?
– The weight against the body has a calming effect, and the enveloping pressure increases the production of the body’s “feel-good” hormone, helping the user to relax. The weight accelerates the body’s natural process and helps release oxytocin, the “calm and tranquility” hormone, lower cortisol, the stress hormone, and increase melatonin, the sleep hormone. This is a hormonal process that occurs naturally when you’re about to fall asleep, but if you have trouble sleeping, it takes the body longer to reach that state. A weighted blanket won’t solve every problem, but it’s a tool that can make a big difference in your sleep and overall well-being.
Explore our weighted blankets
Why is it important to choose the right weight for your comforter?
– A blanket that’s too heavy feels uncomfortable; you should be able to move freely and easily remove the blanket. A blanket that’s too light has no effect at all. It’s important to know that you shouldn’t base your choice on your own body weight; rather, the severity of your sleep difficulties, restlessness, and anxiety determines the weight of the weighted blanket you should choose. Generally speaking, the more severe your sleep difficulties, the heavier the blanket should be; conversely, milder sleep difficulties often mean you can use a lighter blanket. But this varies greatly from person to person, so the best approach is to try it at home for a few days—if the weight doesn’t feel right, you can contact us for a consultation and get help choosing a new weight.
