If you’ve been looking for a way to sleep better at night and feel less anxious during the day, a weighted blanket could be just what you need. Preliminary research shows that weighted blankets may be beneficial for those who are seeking relief from sensory issues and more. Deep Pressure therapy embedded in a weighted blanket helps regulate your sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The main driving fact to find the best weighted blanket for yourself is to find the right size and weight in a weighted blanket.
Both adults and children can benefit from the comfort of a weighted blanket. As a potential buyer, you’re probably aski8ng yourself “how do you choose the right blanket for yourself and/or loved one?” Within this guide, We’ll discuss everything you need to know to choose the right size and weight of a weighted blanket.
The information on Namaste Blankets is intended to be used as guidelines. Do not replace our advice with a registered health professional or therapist’s advice. It’s best to consult with your healthcare professional for serious inquiries.
Last update on 2023-03-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
What is Deep Touch Pressure?
First off, Deep Touch Pressure (DTP) is a form of sensory integration therapy employed by occupational therapists who work with hyperactive children and adults. These patients usually include children with autism and other disabilities. Ultimately, Deep touch pressure is a form of tactile sensory input that includes firm holding, stroking, cuddling, or hugging sensations. It’s aimed to mimic physical bonding.
This technique gets hyperactive children and adults to calm down. The target of DTP is to attack symptoms of objective and subjective anxiety within these patients. Deep touch pressure acts as a calming or focusing agent to increase activity in the parasympathetic and sympathetic division of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS).
What Weighted Blanket Size Do I Need?
Weighted blankets are not a one-size-fits-all tool. There are many different sizes and shapes. There are weighted blankets specifically for children and others for grown adults. The ideal blanket really comes down to your needs and wants. With the right weighted blanket, you’ll sleep faster, easier, and longer and with the wrong weighted blanket, it’s the opposite.
The Right Weighted Blanket
If you have the right weighted blanket, you’ll sleep a lot better. Firstly, you have to figure out how big do you need your blanket to be. If you’re sleeping on a king-size bed, it doesn’t make sense to get a small 41″x60″ weighted blanket. Our recommendation would be to get a blanket that covers the top of your bed.
Secondly, if you’re a parent getting your child a weighted blanket, you have to factor in their size as well. If your child is small and active, you want to get a weighted blanket they can carry around. Young children like to carry their blankets around. For a young child, look into a small versatile blanket they can carry around. They can crawl under the blanket at any point during the day to feel calmer and less overwhelmed.
As you can see, the dimensions are pretty easy to figure out. Just think how large you want the blanket to be. Do you want it to cover just you, or your entire bed? How large is your bed? Do you want to be able to wrap yourself up in it? The easiest way to get the right measurements is to find a blanket you already own which is roughly the size you want. Use a tape measure to find out its length and width. Then use that when ordering, or something close to it.
Last update on 2023-03-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The Wrong Weighted Blanket
Getting the wrong weighted blanket can ruin your sleep. Firstly, if you get a blanket that’s too big for your bed, you’ll constantly feel like you’re trapped when you’re sleeping. The point of a weighted blanket is to feel like you’re being cuddled, not bear-hugged. This is why most weighted blankets aren’t completely the size of your bed. Most weighted blankets only cover the top of your bed. If they were to go over the edges of your bed, it would create a trapping effect. Having children with disabilities experience this trapped feeling would be detrimental to their sleep. This is getting the right sized weighted blanket is important.
Secondly, if you’re getting a blanket as a couple, you need to get one that can cover both you and your partner. You don’t want to purchase a blanket that’s too small.
How Many Pounds Should My Weighted Blanket Be?
The next thing to figure out is how heavy the blanket should be. You might think that this would be complicated to calculate, but it is surprisingly simple. And guess what? You do not need to do any math if you do not want to. The weight of the blanket you need is based on your own body weight. If you know that, you can reference the chart on this page to select the most suitable weight.
It usually is recommended that you go with a blanket which is 10-12% of your body weight. That does mean that there is some room for subjectivity. Some people prefer their blankets to be a little bit heavier. You can probably figure out based on your own experiences which would be the most soothing.
Once you know the size and weight you need, the only other considerations you must think about when selecting a blanket are the materials and colors which you want. Make sure you are purchasing a high-quality weighted blanket that will distribute the weight evenly across your body.
We suggest you go with a weighted blanket with glass beads instead of plastic, rice, or sand. Glass beads distribute weight the best for weighted blankets.
Last update on 2023-03-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Conclusion
Now you know how to choose a weighted blanket in terms of both size and weight. When you use a blanket that is ideally suited to your own body, you can experience the anxiety-relieving benefits of deep pressure therapy to its fullest. To reiterate, in terms of size, get a blanket that fits your bed size. If you’re getting a blanket for a child, get a weighted blanket that they can carry. Not getting the right-sized blanket can be more harmful than beneficial.
When it comes to weight, get a blanket that’s between 10-12% of your body weight. Make sure to get a blanket that contains glass beads though. The reason for this is because they distribute weight the best. If you have any questions, comment below or send us an email. We’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
