I haven’t had a decent night of sleep since 2007. I suffer from a wide range of sleep issues from insomnia, night sweats, night terrors, and exploding head syndrome (look it up- it’s a real thing). I’m lucky to get a good four hours of sleep a night. I spend most of my life caffeinated with bags under my eyes and a mind that is fuzzy and tired. But it’s my normal.
Until… a friend of mine told me that she had bought a weighted blanket and it really helped her sleep better. I was skeptical; I have had everyone and their dog tell me ways to help me sleep, and nothing has really helped; not an entire bottle of melatonin, ZzzQuil, Ambien, or even anti-anxiety meds. A lack of sleep has just become my normal.
I had heard of weighted blankets before; I know a couple of mom friends who used them with their Autistic children and had a lot of success with sensory issues. I had never thought about using them as an adult, but the idea intrigued me. The cost of the blanket from Amazon was a bit shocking, but I took my friend’s advice and ordered one since I could return it if I didn’t like it.
When I first crawled under the 15 lb. queen-sized blanket, I was instantly calmed. It was like crawling into a very tightly tucked in a bedsheet. I love the secure feeling of being swaddled and tucked in. I thoroughly enjoyed the sensation, but I wasn’t convinced that I would sleep any better.
Over the course of the two weeks of sleeping with the weighted blanket, I felt calmer, more relaxed, and a bit safer. I can’t say that it has ended my insomniac bouts, but it definitely has decreased my nightmares and panic attacks at night. I used to spend my nights with my brain who wouldn’t stop replaying everything and wouldn’t stop making lists and lists of things that I needed to do. Now I don’t have to worry about a brain that won’t turn off and can go to sleep easier.
Some recommendations for those wanting to experience a weighted blanket: determine what your ideal weight is. I very much wish that I had a heavier blanket; 15 lbs for me isn’t enough. I have considered getting an additional 15 lb. blanket and use both of them but haven’t been able to afford it yet. Also, I think it is also imperative to get a weighted blanket that has cooling beads in it as the glass beads can also increase the heat which can make it entirely too hot to sleep at night. The cooling beads help you stay cool, but if you get too cold, you can just drape another blanket over it, and it’ll warm you up.
So, weighted blankets might not have “saved” my life, but I am very grateful to my friend who suggested it as it has made me calmer, more relaxed, and more collected.
