Have you ever considered getting a weighted blanket? I have and after recently buying one for myself I feel confidant enough to come up with at least ten things I have personally benefited from simply by owning one. But I am also aware that they are not for everyone, so I am going to keep this list simple and personally truthful. If you do think you might benefit from one this list of ten things will be invaluable to you…
They Help You Sleep Better
At first, I thought it was just me being super-tired (hence the main reason I got a weighted blanket in the first place), but after a few weeks, I started to notice it was the blanket itself that was helping me sleep better. While I could go into the science of this with talk about the increase in the hormone oxytocin (which helps you relax and sleep better) I just know it did help me, but I am aware not everyone will get this benefit.
Helps You Think Clearer
While this is not so much a side effect of the blanket, it is an effect from the benefit of deeper sleep. Even now, months after owning one I wake up feeling fresher, sharper and more willing to face the world and when you have BPD as I do you will know that is something rather rare, but since owning a weighted blanket those rare days have become far more common.
It Makes You Feel Happier
This is once again a side effect of the blanket helping you to sleep better as throughout the day I have noticed feeling significantly happier. Maybe it is that reassuring hug-effect it has that makes you feel a little more optimistic to face the world, or maybe it is just all down to the extra sleep.
Fewer Toilet Trips
Now, I am aware that this could be a good thing for many people like myself who are still relatively young and have a strong bladder, but it could also be a bad thing for those with weaker bladders. Whatever way you look at it, I did notice I got up for a toilet trip far less since owning one. Maybe it is the extra weight that means it is a real effort to get up, or maybe you are in a deeper sleep and don’t notice it. Either way for me personally this was a real benefit as it meant more sleep and of course a high-quality deeper sleep.
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Less Jibbing
Many people would call ‘jibbing’ something more general like ‘Restless Leg Syndrome’, but that is what I call it. It is that odd tingling in your legs that will often cause you difficulty dropping off to sleep as your leg (or legs) seemingly want to jib-out and start dancing all over the place in a spasmodic twitching kind of way. Since purchasing a weighted blanket I haven’t noticed that happening even once. I am not sure what the science is behind that happening (or not happening as the case might be), but I do know for me it has pretty much stopped.
They Are Good For Daytime As Well
Suffering from BPD (Borderline personality disorder) as I do there are times in the day when I am not feeling 100% and the simple act of curling up on the sofa with a weighted blanket can help me feel a lot better. I will be truthful here and tell you that it doesn’t always work to help me relax, but many a time it will. If you tend to sleep with a weighted blanket you will be better off getting two fo them, one for daytime and one for the night.
They Can Reduce Stress and Anxiety
I can personally confirm that owning a weighted blanket has helped me reduce both my stress and anxiety, but I am intelligent enough to know this will not happen for everyone. At first, even I wasn’t really seeing much benefit from owning one, but after giving myself time to get used to it the increase in both sleep and mood does mean I am better able to cope with the daily struggles that come with a mental health disorder.
The Sence of Touch
This is a hard one to truly describe as I am not a therapist, but that sense that the blanket is there, that sense of “touch” that it offers is what makes them so good. It really is hard for me to describe, but it’s like a resting weight on you that you know is there and maybe keeping you safe, or possibly grounded. As I said, I am not sure on the “science” of this, but I do know the touch (or hug) it gives you feels pretty nice.
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It Helps The Mind Relax
Is there is one thing that kept me up most the night it was my own mind racing though my thoughts at a million miles an hour. Don’t quote me on this, but I believe it is called ‘Sensory Processing Disorder’, but since getting a weighted blanket I have noticed a lot fewer thoughts racing through my head as I lay there just before dropping off to sleep.
Going to Sleep Quicker
If there is one thing I noticed almost straight away it was the fact that I was (and still am) falling asleep a LOT quicker with it. Maybe it is how relaxed I feel under its weighted embrace, but whatever it is I do know it was something I had a real issue with before and now it has gone. I get the general feeling that once I am in bed my body feels it can’t really go anywhere, so making sure you get the right weight of blanket will be imperative as getting one too heavy might see the reverse happening of many of the benefits I have listed here. All I can tell you is how it makes me feel and if you are having thoughts about getting one I can highly recommend going for it.
