The number of weighted blankets on the market is burgeoning, each a must-have for warmth, anxiety-reduction and self-care. So, if you’re already shunning screens thirty-minutes before bed, spritz your pillow in sleep spray and listen to a Headspace meditation pre-kip, it might be time to add a weighted blanket to your bedtime arsenal.
Designed to evenly distribute weight across the body, the best weighted blankets are supposed to promote feelings of calmness. Typically filled with thousands of tiny glass beads that apply pressure to your body, weighted blankets mimic a therapeutic technique called “deep pressure therapy”. Basically, it’s just like receiving a big hug.
So, if you’re up for being swaddled like a baby, we’ve tried and tested the best options on the market to help you spend your money wisely. A good night’s sleep is incoming.
Meet the experts:
- James Higgings, Sleep Expert & CEO of Ethical Bedding
What are the benefits of a weighted blanket? | Who should not use a weighted blanket? | How heavy should a weighted blanket be? | Do weighted blankets help with restless leg syndrome? | How we tested | Our full reviews
Best weighted blankets at a glance:
- Best Weighted Blanket Overall: The Mela Weighted Blanket, £75, Aeyla
- Best Weighted Blanket Runner-Up: Grey Oodie Weighted Blanket, £99, Oodie
- Best Affordable Weighted Blanket: Teddy Fleece Weighted Blanket, £37.99, Amazon
- Best Single Weighted Blanket: The Simba Orbit Weighted Blanket, £126.75, Simba
- Best Weighted Blanket for Hot Sleepers: The Dreamer Weighted Blanket, £129, Aeyla
- Best-Looking Weighted Blanket: The Lounger, £125, Remy Sleep
What are the benefits of a weighted blanket?
Great for promoting an overall sense of security and grounding, weighted blankets essentially have the same effect on adults that swaddling has on a baby. Both swaddling and weighted blanket use are forms of Deep Touch Pressure (DTP) therapy, which researchers claim has a “calming effect on the alleviation of anxiety”, and can also benefit those with autism and other medical conditions.
Studies have also shown that this gentle application of even pressure can reduce the body’s levels of the stress hormone cortisol, while also boosting the production of both mood-boosting serotonin, and sleep-inducing melatonin.
Who should not use a weighted blanket?
Despite their benefits, there are some groups of people who wouldn’t be well-suited to sleeping underneath a weighted blanket. “Elderly individuals, older adults with reduced mobility, those with conditions such as sleep apnoea, and pregnant women should consider avoiding weighted blankets, as the added weight could make it difficult for them to change positions in bed,” says James Higgins, CEO & Sleep Expert at Ethical Bedding.
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