How to choose a weighted blanket? Are you planning to purchase a weighted blanket soon after learning about all the advantages?
You have the right to. On the market, you will certainly find a model that meets your expectations and guarantees optimal daily use.
Nevertheless, it is not always easy to make a choice as the options are numerous. To be sure of making the best possible choice, you must take certain criteria into account.
In this article, I explain how to choose your weighted blanket!
Also, read: Benefits Of A Weighted Blanket
Let’s go.
How Does A Weighted Blanket Work?
A weighted blanket feels like a big, warm hug. It wraps around your body and helps relax your nervous system. Like a baby wrapped in a towel.
The weight and pressure cause a feeling of comfort and relaxation and also stimulate the production of serotonin to improve mood.
The same chemical reaction is converted into melatonin, which signals your body to rest and relax.
A weighted blanket is ideal for anyone looking for a natural, non-drug therapy that is both safe and effective.
see this article: Study shows that weighted blankets can reduce the severity of insomnia
Who Is The Weighted Blanket For?
The weighted blanket is designed for people who have to deal with stress, anxiety, and depression. It is often used when you are not sleeping well.
These sleep disorders can have different origins, such as stress, anxiety, pain, or even an event that stresses you.
A weighted blanket is an essential tool for anyone who wants to feel more relaxed. There are many reasons why you might be interested in purchasing a weighted blanket.
You may have heard that weight blankets are great for people with autism or ADHD, but they’re also great for anyone who just wants to relax. Weighted blankets are suitable for everyone!
A weighted blanket is also often recommended by therapists for the following illnesses and conditions:
- Stress/anxiety
- Anxiety attack
- Insomnia (insomnia)
- Depression
- Autism
- ADHD
- Anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Traumatic brain injury (cerebral injury)
- restless leg syndrome
- Rett or Tourette syndrome
- People with Alzheimer’s disease
A weighted blanket can help you relax and fall asleep more easily if you have any of the illnesses or conditions listed above.
Weighted Blanket: What Weight For Optimal Efficiency?
Weighted blankets have a reputation for being heavy. But they do not always display the same weight. This usually varies from model to model. Indeed, a heavy duvet weighs between 3 kg and 25 kg.
How to make a choice in these conditions? It is not a question of proceeding at random.
The weight of your weighted blanket should be 10% of your body weight.
This is the sine qua non for experiencing comfort in this type of duvet. You must therefore make sure of this before any other procedure.
To help you can read: What weight to choose for your weighted blanket?
So, although these duvets are designed to be used by adults and children, the weight will not be the same depending on the profile of the sleeper.
For children (from 3 years old), it is better to opt for the lightest models to facilitate handling. In this case, the weight of the weighted duvet should be between 3 and 5 kg.
For optimal use by teenagers and adults, make sure the duvet weighs more than 5 kg.
For larger sizes, it will be necessary to opt for the heaviest models to be assured of effective pressure on the body.
What Color Should You Choose For Your Anti-Stress Blanket?
If the color does not determine the performance of a weighted blanket, it does however condition the user experience. Thus, it was necessary to include it in the selection criteria.
There are several colors of weighted duvets on the market. The user can therefore opt for one color rather than another according to his preferences.
So, you have the choice between warm colors (beige, orange, yellow, red, etc.) and soft and cold colors (green, gray, purple, pink, blue, gray, black, or white).
But your color preferences do not necessarily guarantee you a calm and peaceful sleep in case of disorders (anxiety, stress, hypersensitivity, hyperactivity, etc.).
You should know that colors and sleep are closely linked. This link, sleep specialists quickly perceived it. Thus, they recommend to their patients to pay particular attention to the decoration of their rooms.
In this case, the sleeper must accord the dyeing of these bed linens, in particular his weighted blanket, to his particular condition.
In general, he is asked to opt for soft and cold colors that have soothing properties. Indeed, they act as anxiolytics and help fight against insomnia.
Which Fabric To Choose?
The fabric of your weighted blanket will determine the comfort you will have on a daily basis. Manufacturers only use two materials to make their products.
These are cotton and minky (or comforter).
On the market, there are therefore cotton models (organic cotton) which are suitable for use in summer because they keep you cool and comforter models (ultra-soft synthetic material) which are suitable for winter use.
Indeed, in comforter weighted duvets, you are guaranteed to be warm.
Thus, most brands therefore offer seasonal duvets; which in the end is neither practical nor economical for users.
Since then, the offer has diversified. Having understood the interest of customers to acquire products with a practical utility, some brands offer models with a protective cover.
The user can therefore enjoy optimal comfort in summer and winter alike.
What Size Should Be Preferred For Our Quilted Blanket?
There are several sizes of weighted blankets. It is generally necessary to take into account the destination to make a wise choice.
We, therefore, consider that the type of bed (single or double bed, queen size, or king size) will determine the size of your duvet.
When choosing the size of your weighted duvet, you must take into account the number of users and the weight of each sleeper.
If you sleep with a partner, you absolutely must buy a size above that is suitable for solo use.
Depending on whether it is a single or double bed, the size will therefore not be the same.
How to wash your weighted blanket?
Proper maintenance of a sensory duvet will determine its durability. If it is recommended to opt for an easy-care model, it is especially advisable to find out about the washing procedure by consulting the characteristics of the product.
Indeed, some models can be washed in a washing machine while others are only hand washable.
Also read: How to wash a weighted blanket?
For machine-washable heavy blankets, the protective cover should be removed and washed separately.
Before starting the cycle, make sure your washing machine settings are set correctly for the type of fabric (cotton or minky) and the weight of the blanket.
In case of unsuitability, you can always opt for a professional wash.
In the case of cleaning by hand, it will absolutely be necessary to use a chlorine-free detergent so as not to damage the fabric and to ensure that the blanket can fit completely into the container you have provided for this purpose.
Whichever method you choose, you will need to prepare your weighted blanket first.
At the end of the process, it will have to be dried.
Two options are possible:
natural drying (in the open air or in the sun),
drying in a clothes dryer.
If the natural method ensures that you preserve the texture of your duvet, drying is much faster with a dryer.
Opt For A Heavy Blanket In The Summer, When It Is Hot
It is the material of the fabric of your cover that will determine its effectiveness. Indeed, depending on whether the temperatures are high or low, you must choose organic cotton or the ultra-soft texture of minky.
In summer, the ideal is to favor a model in 100% ecological cotton fabric. Indeed, cotton has breathable properties, unlike minky which releases enough heat.
Thus, in a cotton weighted blanket, the user will tend to be more comfortable in the summer. He finds himself in the cool although the conditions are not really favorable for sleeping.
The Weighted Blanket: A Danger To Your Health?
The weighted blanket can actually pose a risk to the elderly, children, and pregnant women. Caution should therefore be exercised when using them.
This is because there is a risk of suffocation in toddlers if the blanket covers the face or is used inappropriately.
In addition, the pressure exerted by the blanket can cause circulatory problems if the person has pathologies such as circulation problems or even diabetes.
In these cases, it is therefore not recommended to use a weighted blanket without supervision, especially with the elderly or children, or without consulting a healthcare professional.
If you want to know more about our weighted blankets, do not hesitate to contact us, we will be happy to answer you if you have any questions.
Conclusion
Now you know how to choose a weighted blanket, have in mind that better sleep, without night-time awakenings, is possible with a heavy comforter.
Instead of looking for the best-weighted blanket on the market, it’s better to seek medical advice to choose the right weighted comforter for your needs and morphology.
I have an extended article stating: How to wash a weighted blanket?