We all have our preferred ways of unwinding after a stressful day, but not everyone opts for a glass of wine or sweaty workout—some prefer to lay pinned beneath a hefty weighted blanket, cocooned by a thick swathe of soft fabric packed with heavy glass balls.
Weighted blankets first became mainstream in the mid-2010s, with the trendy lounging accessory hailed as a solution for all sorts of ailments and complaints, from anxiety and insomnia to autistic burnout and stress.
Their origins lie back in the 1970s when they were used by occupational therapists to help neurodivergent children, and they became commercially available in the 1990s.
But unlike bog-standard blankets, when it comes to weighted ones, one size does not fit all.
Available in weights ranging between 2kg to 13kg, it’s recommended to pick a blanket which is roughly 10 per cent of your body weight.
The idea is that the blanket creates a ‘deep pressure stimulation’, akin to being tightly held or cuddled, which in turn soothes the parasympathetic nervous system—the body’s counter to the ‘fight or flight’ response—and helps you relax.
Aficionados claim they’re the best invention since sliced bread… but do they actually work?
There have been several scientific studies looking into the blanket manufacturers’ and superfans’ claims, and while the results have overall pointed to weighted blankets being beneficial, there are some substantial gaps in the research.
Weighted blankets have become a common wellness tool—but do they really do anything?
A 2020 study of 120 psychiatric outpatients found that weighted blankets lessened insomnia in people diagnosed with major depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety and ADHD.
At the end of the month-long trial, the researchers concluded that weighted blankets are ‘a safe and effective intervention for insomnia in patients with some mental health disorders’.
Similar outcomes came from smaller studies, including one which found 63 per cent of adults described the weighted blanket as decreasing their anxiety levels after just five minutes use.
Another found 60 per cent of psychiatric inpatients experienced lessened anxiety during hospital stays when using the blankets.
Anecdotal evidence also echoes these findings, with men, women and children reporting improved sleep and a heightened sense of wellbeing while beneath one of the bead-loaded blankets.
However, there has been a lack of studies into how weighted blankets affect people without psychiatric conditions—or how the blankets merely act as a placebo, soothing people who struggle to sleep or relax without offering any genuine benefit.
Writing in The Conversation, Craig Jackson, Professor of Occupational Health Psychology, Birmingham City University, pointed out that there are still a lot of questions surrounding the blankets, which can be picked up for as little as £18 on Amazon.
He said: ‘While weighted blankets may help people with clinical anxiety or sleep disorders, there’s insufficient evidence that they benefit casual users without existing mental health conditions.
Weighted blankets come in a variety of colours, weights and textures
‘Also, about half the research on weighted blankets doesn’t meet quality standards for robust scientific evidence—a significant problem given the confident health claims found on product websites and glowing reviews in lifestyle magazines.’
Prof Jackson also points out that the blankets aren’t suitable for everyone, and people with ‘diabetes, asthma, sleep apnoea, circulation problems, high blood pressure or claustrophobia should consult their GP before opting to use one.’
Previously, Swedish researchers found melatonin levels were a third higher in those who use a weighted blanket at night than those who used a normal blanket.
Melatonin is naturally released by the brain each night to make a person tired and regulate the circadian rhythm.
The blankets boosted the amount of melatonin by putting the nervous system into ‘rest’ mode and reducing some anxiety symptoms, such as a quickened heart rate or breathing.
When under stress, your heart beats too quickly, which blocks the production of melatonin.
Researchers at Uppsala University, in Sweden, monitored 26 participants for two nights.
On night one, participants slept with a weighted blanket. On night two, they used a regular bed sheet.
Blankets used for the study, published in the Journal of Sleep Research, were matched to participants by their weight.
Weighted blankets were 12.2 percent of the person’s overall body weight, while regular sheets were 2.2 percent.
Participants went to sleep at around 10pm and had a saliva sample gathered every 20 minutes until 11pm.
Results showed that by the end of the hour, sleeping with a weighted blanket generated 32 percent higher levels of melatonin.
