One of the most common misconceptions about weighted blankets is that your body weight determines how heavy your weighted blanket should be. While this may work for some people, there’s a high risk of buying a weighted blanket with the wrong weight.
Niklas Sundström, a product specialist at Novista, works with both healthcare and social care providers and elite athletes who want to improve their performance by optimizing their sleep—and helps customers achieve better sleep.
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 take the blanket off. 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 switching to a different weight at no cost.
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.
