Weighted blankets have trended heavily over the last few years among sleepers of all shapes and ages. Supposedly, the sensory compression of a weighted blanket calms anxiety and improves sleep. But is this fad based on fact?
In this article, I’ll review how a weighted blanket may or may not impact your health – specifically your sleep. I’ll also introduce the 3 best weighted blankets on Amazon and give you a few more reasons to make better sleep a high priority.
How Weighted Blankets Affect Sleep
A weighted blanket is thin, multi-layered, and embedded with sand or microbeads. Depending on its size and density, a weighted blanket can weigh anywhere from 5 to 35 pounds.
Sleeping beneath the deep pressure of a weighted blanket is therapeutic for many people. Just as swaddling clothes can calm an infant, sensory compression can reduce the body’s level of arousal and stress.
This idea has been tested in only a few experimental studies, with some significant results. Using a weighted blanket has shown to reduce anxiety in several populations, including cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and children with Autism or ADHD.
So if anxiety is the cause of your sleep disruption, then a weighted blanket could be the perfect solution for you.
What about insomnia? The research on whether a weighted blanket improves total sleep time is generally inconclusive and incomplete. But such “null” results might reflect an issue with the study’s design rather than the participants’ use of the blanket. After all, it’s hard to sleep naturally when you’re being studied.
Despite the science, the anecdotal evidence is resounding. By a large majority (80%), people who use weighted blankets truly feel that they sleep better, longer, and calmer. The weighted sensation calms their anxiety, settles their body and brain to sleep, and reduces the stress of nighttime insomnia.
Finding the Best Weighted Blanket
Because weighted blankets are so popular, there are hundreds of varieties for sale online. As you browse brands and products, keep in mind the following facts:
Weighted blankets are heavy
After all, that’s the point. Make sure you buy the size and weight recommended for your size and weight, and keep pets and small children out from underneath your blanket.
Weighted blankets are small
Don’t expect it to be a heavyweight bedspread. It’s not designed to cover the whole bed – just you.
A weighted blanket is not for sharing
Although some brands say a large size fits couples, it’s mostly a marketing ploy. A weighted blanket is much less effective when shared. The two of you will create a tent effect and lose out on the swaddling sensation.
If you go up in size, go up in weight
The larger your blanket, the less dense its weight distribution.
Weighted blankets contain sand or beads
In order to stay both slim and heavy, most blankets have an interior layer of glass microbeads or sand. A blanket of cheap construction is more likely to leak this sand in your bed.
Weighted blankets are not machine-washable
Even if the manufacturer says it is, you’re better off hand-washing it. Plus, machine washing can wear out garments faster, leading to breakage and leakage (see above point). I recommend buying a blanket with loops and a truly machine-washable duvet cover.
Polyester fiberfill is hot
Synthetic materials, such as polyester, trap more body heat than natural materials, such as cotton or bamboo. If you’re looking for a warm, weighted blanket to use on chilly winter nights, then you can skip this point. But if you sleep “hot” or live in a warm climate, you may prefer a blanket that doesn’t include any synthetic layers.
Give yourself time to adjust
Look for a company that has a long return window, at least a couple weeks. Sleeping under 15 pounds of weight takes some getting used to, so only return the blanket after you’ve given it a fair trial.
Top 3 Weighted Blankets on Amazon
You can take the guesswork out of buying a great weighted blanket by checking out the three brands below. Duvet covers for any of these products are recommended and sold separately.
Amazon’s Choice: Waowoo
Not only is it affordable and highly-rated, Waowoo is “Amazon’s Choice,” for whatever that’s worth. I don’t know Amazon’s rubric for products, but this one is well-weighted, comfortable, and effective for improving sleep.
Whether you have anxiety, insomnia, or restless leg syndrome, there’s a good chance you’ll benefit from this blanket. It comes in multiple sizes and weights, so everyone in your family can have one.
Packaged in its own carrying case, this low-cost blanket has surpassed the expectations of many reviewers. If all you’re looking for is a standard, functional weighted blanket for your size and weight, then the Waowoo might be perfect for you.
Pros: cheap and soft
Cons: product quality is questionable
Price for a 12lb, 48” x 72” blanket: $50
Wide Variety: YnM
When it comes to your sleep, you have a right to be picky. YnM has nearly every permutation of fabric, size, weight, and pattern you could ask for in a therapeutic blanket.
Looking for a soft, fluffy spread? Meet YnM’s minky blanket, their best-rated product. YnM also offers bamboo and cotton blankets if you want more natural materials. However, it’s unclear what the interior layers are made of. The company simply states “less fiberfill,” so the cotton blanket might not truly be “100% cotton,” as advertised.
Besides fabrics, with YnM you also have a wide range of patterns, sizes, and weights to choose. Although the patterns are fun and enticing, keep in mind that you’ll probably end up covering the blanket with a washable duvet. After all, some reviewers say the prints don’t appear as advertised.
Pros: variety of fabrics and patterns
Cons: some mismatch between advertised and manufactured product
Price for a 15lb, 48”x72” blanket: $40 (minky), $60 (cotton), and $80 (bamboo).
Quality Controlled: Baloo
If you spend any time on Amazon, you know that many top-rated products are actually cheap knock-offs. But if you go with a brand like Baloo, you’ll know you’re getting a quality product, no matter the marketplace.
Baloo makes their weighted blankets from 100% organic cotton and entirely without synthetic materials. That’s good news for someone who sleeps hot or prefers a blanket with a smaller carbon footprint. Although the product is made in China, Baloo is an American-owned company.
Reviewers had only positive things to say about this blanket. It’s naturally cooling, with good weight-distribution and soft, soothing compression.
A Baloo blanket may be soothing to use, but beware the sticker shock. It costs nearly twice as much as other weighted blankets on Amazon. But if product quality and company integrity matter to you, the price will be well worth it.
Pros: high-quality, natural products
Cons: expensive
Price for a 12lb, 42” x 72” blanket: $156
Better Sleep is Worth the Expense
Regardless of which weighted blanket you choose, getting better sleep is priceless.
From a PT’s perspective, sleep is essential for rehabilitation and healing. Nearly every patient could benefit from better sleep, for one reason or another.
Getting Your Best Rest
Many doctors recommend adults get 8 hours of sleep each night. But to truly reap the benefits of good sleep, you need both quantity and quality.
Luckily, there are many ways to improve sleep quality at home. You’ve probably heard them all before: put the phone away, avoid caffeine and alcohol, and keep a consistent bedtime schedule. Using a weighted blanket is another drug-free, affordable option for when sleep is elusive.
But are all these efforts really worth it? Let’s take a closer look.
Benefits of Better Sleep
It’s easy to take for granted the effect sleep has on your entire wellbeing. If you’re deprived of adequate sleep, you’ll suffer in more ways than drowsiness the next morning.
In fact, poor sleep can amplify your physical pain, which in turn makes it harder for you to fall asleep. No wonder nearly half of all people with chronic back pain have a sleep disorder.
Sleep quality also plays a significant role in your exercise performance. Whether you’re a professional-level athlete or a knee replacement patient, your progress in the clinic will directly correspond with your sleep habits.
But besides reducing pain and speeding recovery, there are many other reasons to prioritize rest. Getting consistent, sound sleep can help you:
- Resist infection
- Reduce your chances of being overweight or diabetic
- Lose fat mass instead of muscle mass when dieting
- See an improvement in your concentration
- Reduce your chance of having a heart attack
- Live longer
Sounds good, right? The health benefits of better sleep far outweigh the price of a weighted blanket and its accessories.
Although a weighted blanket isn’t a silver bullet for complex issues such as chronic pain, insomnia, or anxiety, it can be a first step towards improving your sleep – and overall, your health.
