Getting a good night’s sleep can make or break your mood, focus, and day. Even though sleeping well is one of the pillars of our physical and mental health, we’re still quick to sacrifice it if things need to be done. Then there’s the fact that if we’re stressed or overworked, exhaustion could negatively affect our sleep patterns.
That’s why it’s vital to prioritize getting enough sleep continuously, but sometimes that’s easier said than done. Thankfully, there are many therapeutic tools that can help you relax and sleep better, and some of the most popular options are weighted blankets and pillows. If you’ve never used them, here is some useful information to remember.
How do weighted blankets and pillows work?
The main reason we can’t get good shut-eye is that our bodies get stuck in the stress of the day, and stress hormones are produced instead of the ones that help you sleep. One of the simplest and most effective ways to regulate this state is to use weighted blankets and pillows that mimic Deep Pressure Stimulation, a form of gentle full-body pressure that lets your body unwind.
If you cover yourself with a blanket that’s around one-tenth of your weight (up to 30 pounds), you get a sensation similar to getting a hug. And when your body feels that pressure, becoming more relaxed comes naturally, and snoozing comes much more quickly.
Now, it’s worth noting that using a weighted blanket will require some getting used to, and it can feel constricting in the beginning. If you’d like to start slowly, you can use a weighted pillow instead. Having the weight of a cuddle pillow press gently on your legs or chest gives you a sense of being protected, and you can also hug it if you need a bit more comfort or a sense of closeness. Then, when you get a better sense of what it means to have a weighted sleeping aid in your bed, you can upgrade the experience to using weighted blankets.
How Weighted Blankets Can Transform Your Sleep Routine
Deep Pressure Stimulation is key to harnessing the power of weighted blankets, and it can transform the quality of your sleep in several ways.
- Keeping cortisol under control. We live in a cortisol-fueled world, where stress and anxiety can prevent us from functioning normally, and our sleep patterns also get hit by it. As one of the main stress hormones, cortisol is in charge of waking us up in the morning, that’s what gets you out of bed and puts you in action.
Cortisol levels should be at their lowest when you get to bed, but more often than not, that’s not the case. The result is restless nights, waking up regularly, not sleeping deeply, and that’s just to name a few. Weighted blankets and pillows can calm you, lowering your cortisol levels and letting you fall asleep faster.
- Boosting serotonin and melatonin levels. These two hormones facilitate relaxation and sleep, and Deep Pressure Relaxation is the key to jump-starting them. When you’re under your weighted blanket, your whole body feels protected and comfortable, which allows cortisol to subside and serotonin and melatonin to take over.
Serotonin is in charge of making you feel good, and when you feel good, stress gradually fades away. After that, melatonin takes over and lets your body know that it’s time to go to sleep, and before you know it, you’re off to dreamland.
- Feeling safe. One of the main reasons cortisol runs rampant in our system is because the feeling of safety eludes us, and we’re constantly in the “survival mode.” The body can’t rest when it’s expecting danger at all times, and a weighted blanket can provide that feeling of safety and protection, similar to how you felt when you were a swaddled baby.
There’s definitely an adjustment period to using a weighted blanket or pillow, so when you decide to get one of the two, be prepared for a bit of discomfort at first. However, as time passes, the process of relaxation will become easier and quicker, and deep sleep will follow.
Conclusion
Weighted blankets come with an array of perks, but if you have circulation and breathing problems, they may not be the best option for you. Otherwise, using weighted blankets can be a powerful way for you to get the sleep you need to be your best self.
