Does anyone here use a weighted blanket? I’ve been reading this discussion on reddit, and I’m intrigued.
My sleep is really crappy. I’m super fussy when I first settle down-- pillows, blankets, temp all have to be just so-- and even then I wake up a lot. I am inclined toward anxiety and the weighted blanket is supposed to help with that. Like a Thundershirtfor people. In that discussion, many women say the blanket is instantly calming, but others say it’s claustrophobic and too hot. Some say they only use it for relaxing, TV watching, etc., and can’t sleep with it. Others say it helps them sleep through the night like a dead rock at the bottom of the ocean (if only).
I haven’t tried one but I can see where it would work. I know one of the reasons I sleep better in cooler weather is I like the feeling of lots of blankets on me.
I just use an old blanket. It’s heavy because it’s from before people invented artificial fibers. I find most modern covers too lightweight; my wool blankets are Just So and, when the weather is too hot to actually sleep under them, get kicked to the floor as soon as I fall asleep. Dad was the same way.
Mine is probably too heavy. It gets hot in the summertime, but it’s nice in winter.
Also makes it a bit of a workout just to change body position… and if a little too much drapes over the side, it’s pulling down the entire blanket and much of the covers with it.
I love it, husband doesn’t. I like to keep my bedroom very cold so I can snuggle under lots of blankets and I do sleep more soundly. We bought one for my son, but he didn’t like it. My daughter took it over and LOVES it. She even uses it in the summer! She’s 15 and can have anxiety problems. My friend’s son, who is 10 with ADHD, also loves his. If you already like that feeling of having heavy covers/blankets in bed, it’s definitely worth trying.
Bought one for my son when he was a sprog, worked wonders for sleeping and for helping him to calm himself down. I don’t think he uses it anymore because he’s all grown up (21) and such things are for children. So he’ll come back to it when he’s a little older. I’ve always liked having the extra weight when I sleep. Like Nava, when I was growing up I used heavy blankets (and lots of them in the winter!) so maybe I’m just used to it or maybe it makes me less nuts, dunno. But yeah, summer is a challenge because I absolutely do not like the feel of just a single sheet. Vampires can bite right through it for one thing.
I hear ya on that one! When I was a kid, I never slept with my hands outside the covers for just such a reason. :eek: I was always terrified at night.
I’ve outgrown that, but I do like the feeling of *some *weight, even in the summer. I especially like the feeling of the covers pinned up against my back. When I lie on my side, I roll forward a little so that the covers drape all the way over my back and then roll back to pin them there-- like a cocoon. In the past, when another human shared my bed, I’d always ask my bedmate to tuck the covers tightly around me. No drafts!
I might give one a try. Easy enough to return. I appreciate the comments very much.
I don’t even like the weight of a regular blanket on me. Feels like too much weight pushing on my chest, and when it’s cold enough to need to use it I have to adjust it every time I roll over.
We got one for our son (who is ASD) before they became trendy. He also never really wanted to be under it and instead would sleep on top of it. Guess he liked the sensation of the bead-filled pads but not the actual weight of it on him.
I’ve been using one for the last couple of months. I bought it because I need weight when I sleep. I can’t sleep with just a sheet or even a lightweight quilt. I like it but I don’t feel I sleep any better. It’s wonderful now that it’s so cool at night (40-50’sF). I have my window open and a fan blowing on me. I can snuggle down under my blankets and get cozy. The only thing that’s a pain is that it tends to move around a lot. I have to practically redo my bed every day because the weighted blanket has slid down or the comforter has slid around. When I changed my sheets this weekend I tried something different. The weighted blanket is a plain cottony material on one side and a velour/velvety fabric on the other side. I was placing it on my bed with the velvety side up. My comforter kept slipping around. This time I put the velvety side down on top of the top sheet. Last night was the first night with that method and it seems to work better.
My son uses one because it was recommended to help with his anxiety/ADD related sleep problems. He likes it. I have no idea if it’s actually “doing anything” or not.
I live in a warmish climate, plus I hate that heavy feeling so I’d hate it. I have a down duvet which I use in the winter (it does get cooler at night – esp. since I’m on the coast), and most other seasons I just use the empty duvet cover.
The only time I’ve liked heavy blankets on me is when I did apheresis donations at the Red Cross. It’s a surprisingly cold process.
I think it’s the sort of thing people know from their other experiences. I love the feel of heavy blankets, so I am sure I would like it. Unfortunately, the cost of having one shipped to my island, plus the fact it’s too warm to use it for at least half the year, means I have no plans to buy one. But as long as I was in a cool enough room, I know I’d adore it.
I really like mine. I am a light sleeper and have a hard time getting back to sleep. The weighted blanked seriously makes my sleep better. It has been too hot to use it lately, though.
