Weighted Blankets Helped Cure My Insomnia
I, much like this pug, have had trouble sleeping most of my life-anyone else with the chronic anxiety??
2020 has been a taxing year on our nervous system, as the understatement of the year- the pandemic, the election drama, the current state of the climate are more than enough on their own to send you into an anxiety spiral- add them all together it’s enough to keep you up at night (raise your hand if you’ve ever been personally victimized by a late night news alert”).
But I’ve been managing my generalized anxiety disorder since long before 2020 and have amassed quite a tool kit to not just deal- but thrive with mindful movement and breathing exercises coming in as my MVPs.
Being the wellness inclined person that I am, I jumped on the weight blanket bandwagon a few years ago. To be perfectly, honest, I thought they were a fad but I had to see what they were about. I was so pleased to admit that they work (for me at least, as usual, our physiology are all different, so you may have to experiment for yourself)
Conclusion
In my experience, a weighted blanket is NOT just another expensive item to add to your wellness routine- but actually a crucial part of my nightly ritual. Experts at Penn Medicine agree that weighted blankets help with anxiety and several other conditions to help us find calm using “pressure therapy”, like a long, tight hug, to recreate the sensation of being held (think, why swaddling a baby helps it sleep) and lower your heart rate and activating your parasympathetic nervous system (in charge of rest and digest- we need to activate this to get out of the sympathetic, or fight or flight state) which is necessary for a good night’s sleep- but can be utilized anytime you feel your heart start to race.
Bonus: When I use my weighted blanket, I’m more likely to fall and stay asleep on my back, rather than twisting onto my stomach and setting up my body for back pain for the next day.
In case you were wondering, this is the one I have and recommend. The comforter itself is white, and can be inserted into your duvet cover to match your bedding. I also have their luxe sheets and I have to say, as someone who has never seen the point of “nice” sheets before- I’m a convert. I’ve used a few different, cheaper weighted blankets, that were fine, but the fact that you can get this to match the size of your bed makes all the difference (just imagine trying to schlep a 20 lb throw blanket from couch to bed and you’ll agree).
**This is not an affiliate link, but I was gifted this comforter- and tbh THANK GODDESS I was because holy hell, it. is. incredible.
Not sure a weighted blanket will do the trick? Check out the Release and Restore collection and Stretch classes on HPS to find a movement practice that helps you manage stress and improves your sleep quality!