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Weighted blankets are currently experiencing an explosion of popularity. People are finally starting to learn about the proven benefits they can provide and the current demand for weighted blankets is higher than ever.
Today we are going to learn a little bit about what you should be looking for in a good weighted blanket, how they help, and what they do. We’re also going to provide you with several recommendations of what we think are the best-weighted blankets for adults on the market right now (hint: we like YnM the best).
Let’s get started.
What Is A Weighted Blanket?
As the name suggests, weighted blankets are products that have been specifically made heavier to provide potentially beneficial properties for people with certain illnesses or conditions. They are most commonly used with children and younger people, but there’s no shortage of adults who appreciate the benefits they provide too.
The concept behind weighted blankets is that the additional weight they provide can make people feel much more secure and comfortable throughout the night. This releases a certain kind of hormone that will help to improve the amount of sleep you get (and the quality of your sleep too). They can be used to help combat depression, autism spectrum disorder, and most commonly – anxiety.
Weighted blankets can be filled with a variety of different materials, like glass, plastic, or even occasionally wooden beads to make them heavier. These weights are usually surrounded by a number of different padding materials (like polyester or wool) to ensure the blanket remains comfortable and soft.
There’s a wide range of different weights and densities of blanket available on the market, but usually, they are going to be somewhere between 5 and 30 pounds. The weight you should choose depends on the size and age of the sleeper (and personal preference). In general, smaller younger children should be given lighter weighted blankets, and larger children and adults should go for heavier products.
Do Weighted Blankets Really Help With Anxiety?
Yes they do, they are a potential treatment for nighttime anxiety in both children and adults. Countless people every night get better, deeper, and longer sleep because of them.
The way they work is that by pushing you down into the mattress slightly they are “grounding” or “earthing” your body – which has a very calming effect and reduces anxiety. They also work around the principle of DPT therapy (Deep Pressure Touch).
DPT therapy is usually a manual process that involves someone essentially firmly pressing down on you to calm nerves and reduce the chronic stress that can be associated with anxiety. Weighted blankets try and provide similar benefits without requiring someone to actually administer the treatment. They are admittedly not as effective as normal DPT therapy – but they are a noticeable improvement over a standard blanket for most people.
There have been lots of different studies into how and why these kinds of blankets work, most of them revolve around a hormone called cortisol. This is a stress hormone that is responsible for the instinctive fight or flight response that we all have inside of us. It is one of the most common causes of long-term stress and anxiety.
Seratonin and dopamine are almost the exact opposite of cortisol, and they are hormones that are released when we are happy, relaxed and generally content. DPT therapy (and weighted blankets) can relax you enough to promote more serotonin and dopamine to be released, which goes a long way to combating anxiety.
An interesting study tested the effectiveness of weighted blankets and looked at how they can help reduce anxiety in adults. 32 participants undertook sleep trials with weighted blankets, and just under 65% of them reported lower levels of anxiety and better sleep.
4 Benefits of using a Weighted Blanket
Let’s quickly take a look at some of the main benefits you’re going to experience when using a weighted blanket.
Less Anxiety
As we’ve mentioned above, the main use of weighted blankets is to reduce night-time anxiety. Your days of lying awake at night are going to be a thing of the past.
You’ll Fall Asleep Quicker
Your mind won’t be racing at a million miles per hour when you get into bed thanks to the reassuring comfort a weighted blanket provides – allowing you to fall asleep from the moment you hit the mattress.
Your Quality Of Sleep Will Improve
The serotonin and dopamine that can be released by using a weighted blanket will allow you to sleep deeper and easier than ever before.
You’ll Have Fewer Nightmares
Again, the release of serotonin and dopamine will have a calming effect on your subconscious, promoting happier dreams and fewer nightmares.
Overall Best Weighted Blanket for Adults: YnM Weighted Blanket
We’ve found a few great recommendations that we are going to talk about later, but we think that this product from YnM is probably the overall best weighted blanked on the market right now.
The blanket is weighted through the use of high-quality glass beads. The beads themselves are reasonably small (so you can’t really feel them) and they are made from hypoallergenic non-toxic materials to ensure complete safety for all sleepers that use the product.
The beads have been evenly distributed throughout the blanket and are separated into small individual pockets. This means that the beads will stay in one place (more or less) and regardless of what you do to the blanket – there is going to be a consistently even distribution of weight (which is a problem for cheaper products).
Each pocket of small beads is individually wrapped with a super soft fiber which encases them entirely. This stops the possibility of the little pockets bouncing against one another and causing annoying noises throughout the night. The covering of this product is super breathable and has been designed to allow optimal airflow through the blanket to prevent overheating – which can be a problem for cheaper products.
The blankets come in a wide range of weights ranging from 5lbs to 25lbs and they also come in various shapes – ranging from sofa and twin sized blankets all the way through to king-sized products. Prices start at around $70 for the smallest blankets, and considering the kind of comfort, quality, and performance YnM provides – we think it’s great value for money.
Apart from maybe your mattress, there’s no other product in your home you’re going to be using more than this blanket – it’s worth investing in a high-quality product the first time around. Can you really put a price on years of good sleep? – Buy It
Runner-Up: ZonLi Cool Weighted Blanket
The second best-weighted blanket for adults on the market right now is probably this brilliant product from ZonLi. It provides excellent amounts of comfort and it’s great value for money too.
In all honesty, it’s very similar to the product above. Again it uses small glass beads that are non-toxic and hypoallergenic to provide the additional weight that’s going to comfort you and reduce anxiety. ZonLi uses a similar kind of pocketing technology as the product above, which means the beads are going to remain evenly distributed and not pool in certain parts of the mattress.
The covering is made from a lovely high-quality cotton material that’s machine washable and breathable, and the non-glue based polyester padding of the blanket will provide you with luxurious huggable comfort throughout the night. For added protection two layers of microfiber have been added to either side of the beaded sections to prevent accidental leakage without making the product too warm for comfort.
It has been quality checked at least 5 individual times along the manufacturing line, which is something we really like to see. Even some higher quality products can suffer from defects due to the nature of the pocketing systems and the ease at which issues can occur.
It’s a great product that almost made it to the top spot today, and if you like our overall recommendation this is a product you should add to your shortlist too. – Buy It
5 More Top Rated Weight Blankets for Adults
To finish off this article, we’re going to be looking at 5 other excellent weighted blankets for adults that stood out to us when we conducted our research for this article. They weren’t quite good enough to make our overall recommendations above, but we think they are more than worthy of an honorable mention here.
CuteKing Cool Weighted Heavy Blanket
This is a great heavy weighted blanket that provides lots of pressure and grounding that is specifically suited to the needs of an adult. The super breathable cover comes in a stylish grey color, and the cotton material it is made from is soft to the touch and provides great wicking throughout the night.
It’s a glass bead product that again uses non-toxic beads, and it uses a similar compartmented design to most the other products on this page. We love how loose cotton has been added alongside the beads in the compartments to prevent rattling and shaking throughout the night. – Buy It
Quility Premium Adult Weighted Blanket & Removable Cover
One of the things we really liked about this product that made us mention it here today was the soft polyester navy blue cover it comes with. This is one of the most luxurious feeling products on the market, and as it’s machine washable – it will stay fresher for longer. It uses another pocket based system and the small glass beads inside will stay evenly distributed throughout the blanket all night long. – Buy It
Sonno Zona Anxiety Blanket Weighted 15 lbs
This is a dual sided product that has two different textures, one side has a ridged “minky dot” section, and the other is a super smooth cashmere wool blend that provides a lovely opulence and luxury to the product. It’s a cover and blanket combo, and the cover is very easy to remove with the high-quality zipper. It’s a great value product from an excellent brand, and you should seriously consider adding it to your shortlist. – Buy It
Ourea Perfect Size Weighted Blanket
This is a product for the ladies (or any guys that like pink). The fun and exciting color allow you to feel fashionable while sleeping like a baby. The super small beads that have been infused into the reasonably large compartments will feel lovely against your skin, and the weight they provide is evenly distributed and has a very natural feel to it. It’s available in several sizes, and it’s one of the most cost-effective weighted blankets on the market. – Buy It
Dr. Hart’s Weighted Gravity Blanket Deluxe Set
This is one of the most expensive weighted blankets we have seen, but it’s also one of the best – if it was cheaper we’d of easily chosen it as our overall pick today. It has been scientifically engineered to provide the best stress-free sleeping experience possible. The product includes a weighted comforter and a super plush microfiber cover.
The blanket was designed by Dr. Karen Heart who is one of the worlds leading experts in treating sleep disorders and she has enjoyed a long and distinguished career full of happy patients. She has put that expertise to use while designing this weighted blanket – and it’s one of the most effective (and positively reviewed) products on the market. It’s not cheap, but if you’ve got the budget for it – you’re going to know where the extra money went. – Buy It
Conclusion
So there you have it, we hope that you now know a little bit more about the world of weighted blankets and benefits that they can provide.
We’ve tried to give you a wide range of recommendations here today with our product selection. We stand by our overall recommendation, it provides some of the best performance and comfort on the market without breaking the bank.
However, all of the products we have mentioned in this article are winners – they beat off some tough competition to be mentioned here today.
Any product on this page is going to reduce anxiety and provide you with an excellent night’s sleep.
They are all more than worthy of your consideration.
