
Weighted blankets might ease insomnia and anxiety - laurex
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/home/weighted-blankets-might-ease-insomnia-and-anxiety-heres-what-to-know-before-buying-one/2019/01/18/71b1aefa-1a6f-11e9-8813-cb9dec761e73_story.html
======
nickjj
I very rarely have sleep issues so I never looked into blankets or gadgets but
I will say this:

Recently my neighbor got a really bright outdoor light on the side of their
house and even with black out blinds it wasn't close to enough blockage
because light kept leaking through the sides and even pierced the blinds.

The first night I noticed that, I was like "jesus, why is it so bright
outside" and I tried to sleep unsuccessfully. I was up until about 3am when I
normally goto bed at 11pm'ish. I tried everything to block it on the spot like
trying to pile up a sheet near my face but it had no effect since the light
just illuminated the room. It was so light that I could see details across the
room, like individual fan blades on a 12" fan. I typically can only fall
asleep on 1 side but switching sides made no difference either.

So the next afternoon I decided to try an experiment. I took a black garbage
bag and completely covered the window. I actually laughed out loud to myself
at how dark it was when it was bright outside.

That night was remarkable. I didn't think a room could be so dark. It was the
most peaceful sleep ever, except now my TV's little red dot is a distraction
where as even pre-outside light it wasn't noticeable.

So if you have trouble sleeping, you may want to try to make your room as dark
as possible as a test. Even in hostile lighting conditions a black garbage bag
(one of the big ones you would use for leafs) can solve the problem. I hung
mine with 2 nails, so when I wake up I just unhook 1 side to get natural
light. The only problem is it looks completely stupid from the inside.

~~~
alexhutcheson
100% agreed - this makes a big difference.

It’s also worth getting a nice eye mask (one that’s comfortable on your face)
for when you’re on the road. Hotels, Airbnbs, etc. are full of super bright
LEDs now, and many of them (e.g. smoke detectors) can’t be easily covered or
turned off.

~~~
danShumway
If anyone has recommendations for good (cupped) eye masks, I'd love to hear
them.

I currently use the cheap contoured cupped kinds (I think Bucky, currently),
which are adequate. I find the cups vastly preferable to having something
pressed against my eyes, and I dislike masks that feel heavy. A cheap mask
will keep out most light (but not all of it). For the most part, they work.
Sleeping with a mask is better than sleeping without one.

The problem with the cheap brands is that they always inevitably fall apart
3-5 months after being purchased, especially if you wash them. They're almost
all glued, not stitched. They use materials like velcro everywhere.

A while back I tried to do some research to see if there was a premium market
for nice, really durable, stitched brands. I couldn't find anything that stood
out, it was a big surprise. I've considered trying to find someone on Etsy to
try and custom make something.

Right now I'm paying $10-16 every 4 months for a disposal mask. I'd happily
pay a ton more for a lightweight, cupped mask that actually blocked 100% of
the light and that would last me a few years.

~~~
iaresee
These are my favorite:
[https://dryeyeshop.com/collections/nights/products/tranquile...](https://dryeyeshop.com/collections/nights/products/tranquileyes-
starter-kit-travel-sleep)

I went through about a dozen different masks over the course of 6 months and
these were the most comfortable. I like the removable inserts -- sometimes I
want the pressure on my eyelids, sometimes I don't. They completely block out
the light. And they trap moisture so your eyes stay moist overnight.

------
Cthulhu_
Re: the heat problem, my parents gave me a sheep woolen duvet a while ago
(Texeler brand, kinda local to NL though) - it's not a knitted or scratchy
contraption, it's a duvet like you know them. However, it's a lot heavier than
normal duvets (about twice as heavy I'd gauge), and it's perfect in terms of
heat regulation - even in summer I can sleep under the covers without feeling
too warm or sweaty. I think the problem with the heat of weighted blankets as
mentioned here is down to the materials used, non-permeable plastics and glass
and the like.

~~~
colechristensen
I like to sleep with a folded in half (double thick) Pendleton wool blanket.
It adds weight and is much more heat-friendly than other blankets.

~~~
wcunning
I use a rayon (bamboo) weighted blanket and so long as there's reasonable air
flow, it isn't unreasonably warm and is also a lovely weighted blanket.

------
lysp
From a study of 1: It definitely works for me.

I would take 30+ minutes to get to sleep tuning 15-20 times as I dozed off.

Since adding the blanket (9kg / 20lb), I find I'm asleep in less than 5
minutes. With 2-3 turns at most.

I didn't initially get it for sleep - just tried it and now it stays mostly on
my bed.

~~~
nemothekid
Another study of 1:

I bought the Chilla 20lbs weighted blanket back in March and I don't use it
anymore. I found it really unconfortable and I would get incredibly hot under
them in the middle of the night.

The one I bought seemed to have great reviews, and I paid ~$160 for it, but it
didn't seem worth it. It now collects dust in my closet.

~~~
fullstop
Someone out there thinks that I want to manage the thermal properties of my
bed since the ads which squeeze through uBlock and friends are all for
"BedJet" and other bed air conditioners.

With that being said, it is an interesting idea and might be worth
investigating.

------
not_a_moth
I bought one ~6 months ago and my 2 sleep trackers reported slightly longer
duration and more deep sleep for about a week, and then numbers went back to
normal. Concluded that it may have been a placebo effect.

~~~
vladharbuz
I think there might be a better measure than what your sleep trackers say —
how did you feel?

~~~
riffraff
that is even more susceptible to the placebo effect.

~~~
maaaats
but ultimately it's what matters, right?

~~~
lnenad
I don't understand why is it so hard for some people to grasp this, if you're
actually feeling better because of something the root cause of it is
irrelevant.

~~~
dao-
The question is not about the cause but about the actual effects. You might
feel better and that's goog in itself, but it's not good enough if you want to
treat something with real, measurable symptoms.

~~~
braythwayt
First, you are absolutely correct in fact.

But that being said, if person A has no measurable symptoms, and person B
does, then A's experience with a weighted blanket may not translate to B even
if A experiences positive, measurable "improvement."

So I agree that A's subjective endorsement is no good for B, but then again
even if A had sustained objective improvement it still might be no good for B.

At the end of the day, if B has real, measurable symptoms of poor sleep, the
very best thing is a controlled test of people with the same symptoms of poor
sleep.

IMHO, of course. If my medical diplomas were laid end-to-end, they'd stretch
from Albuquerque to Albuquerque.

------
Moeg
Around 9 years ago I was prescribed a weighed blanket with chains inside it,
an enormous help to my sleep quality and even helpful daytime during stressful
times. I have Aspergers. Nice to see these become more common alternative to
medication.

~~~
Kaibeezy
Thanks to you and OP for the reminder and encouragement. I’d been meaning to
get one for my sleep-challenged Aspie.

~~~
Zenbit_UX
I've only ever heard that term being used derogatoroly online, do you really
use Aspie as a term of endearment towards your family member?

~~~
TheOperator
Aspie is usually not considered derogatory... more casual and friendly. Some
may not like the word but it doesn't have any sort of sinister connotation. I
see pretty much every synonym for Autism or Aspergers being used derogatorily
online.

------
notacoward
I've been using a weighted blanket for a couple of months now. It's no
panacea, but I find it pleasant. One issue people might not be aware of: if
you use any kind of body pillow, the extra weight can make turning over much
trickier. I'm a side sleeper and I use a tubular pillow to reduce stress on my
knees. That means repositioning the pillow every time I switch sides (few
times a night) and with the weighted blanked this can be _considerably_ more
of a struggle. It's not the weight itself so much as the extra friction from
the blanket pressing down more on a soft object. It's not a deal-killer, but
maybe something for people to be aware of.

~~~
wazoox
> _I 'm a side sleeper and I use a tubular pillow to reduce stress on my
> knees._

Care to explain? I don't understand how using a tubular pillow would reduce
knee strain... Do you keep a pillow under your legs while in bed?

~~~
Tyr42
Between your knees perhaps. (That's what I did)

~~~
notacoward
Exactly. Keeping my knees together is uncomfortable (not enough padding), but
having them offset while I'm on my side causes the top one to slope down
toward the mattress twisting both knees and (even worse) lower back. It's a
_very_ common problem, and quite a market for specialized knee pillows. I use
a simple tube, but the principle's the same: provide some separation and/or
elevate the top leg to avoid twisting.

------
Bootwizard
I guess this is a little off topic, but can anyone recommend a good side
sleeper pillow? I've bought around 6 pillows in the last few years and all of
them cause me to wake up with neck and back pain because they don't hold my
head up.

I've had insomnia for a long time and I'm still tackling the causes. I'm
definitely going to try one of these weighted blankets, and maybe a sleep
mask. I made the leap a few months ago to buy a Casper mattress and that's
helped a lot. It's not as dramatic a difference as I'd hoped but replacing a
?? year old mattress with anything is better.

~~~
ndaiger
[https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-pillow-for-side-
sleep...](https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-pillow-for-side-sleepers/)

I use the Xtreme Comforts Shredded Memory Foam Pillow recommended; when I
replace it I'll probably buy the upgrade pick mentioned in the article just to
see if it's much nicer.

I've spent years trying different pillows (usually super-expensive ones) and
the memory foam is by far the best for me (I am also a side sleeper).

Other random insomnia advice: try to focus on relaxing each and every muscle
in your body so that you are totally slack. Mindfulness apps/podcasts can help
you do this. It helps me a lot. Low-dose melatonin (1mg) is good when you're
training yourself to sleep but I wouldn't take it long-term (very vivid dreams
are a side effect).

~~~
Bootwizard
I've tried mindfulness and melatonin before. Definitely took melatonin long
enough to get the side effects. I'll try to get back into mindfulness but it
was a difficult habit to form.

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll definitely check out this pillow.

------
neonate
[http://archive.is/3JXLJ](http://archive.is/3JXLJ)

------
DenisM
Another thing that helps with anxiety is the psychiatry and psychotherapy
combo. It helps with sleep as well, consequently.

If you haven’t tried it yet you stand a great chance of significant
improvement, both from medication and therapy. The key to getting good help is
a) convincing the doctor you need help and b) convincing yourself you need
help.

The doctor part is simple - you need to demonstrate tangible effect on quality
of life. Does your condition make you late or no-show for work? Avoid social
situation? Something tangible, not just “I’m so anxious all the time”. It also
helps to keep a sleep journal, it can used as evidence of QOL impact if you
sleep 4 hours per night.

Convincing the patient who is not already convinced is near-impossible using
standard rhetoric. The only thing I know to work is peer pressure - unearth
three friends who already went through the therapy and the frightened mind of
the sufferer might follow the herd. Which is why it’s important to talk about
it.

------
johnchristopher
Anecdotal: I love getting under the blanket but for some reasons I had to
learn to sleep without one last year and it took a week for sleep to come in
less than 5 minutes (as per my usual habit). Even though I am using blanket
again I now can easily fall asleep when it's hot or if I don't have one.

------
amelius
Could it also help with bruxism?

EDIT: Unrelated but, wow, there's even a book about weighted blankets:
[https://www.amazon.com/Weighted-Blanket-Guide-Everything-
Con...](https://www.amazon.com/Weighted-Blanket-Guide-Everything-
Conditions/dp/1849057184)

------
winrid
I know I feel better when I have things around me in bed. A bunch of boxes? Oh
yeah, time to sleep.

------
JustSomeNobody
Foster parents have used these for quite some time to help with anxiety in
children. Also used frequently are lycra sleeves they can wrap around
themselves to kinda of hug themselves tight. These don't work for all
children; some have tactile anxieties and these make that worse.

------
ladyattis
Just anecdotally I've noticed whenever I have trouble sleeping I wind up
putting a pillow on my chest or otherwise build up something that leans on my
body. I don't know why it makes me feel safer maybe it's just the animal
instinct to hide from possible predators?

------
bradlys
My significant other deals with some insomnia and anxiety, we think it's been
helpful. Mind you, not a cure-all but she likes the blanket.

We got a bearaby. Ridiculously expensive ($300) but it seems to be enjoyable
for her. I look forward to that one coming down in price. I justified it as a
really expensive throw if it didn't work out.

Personally, I can't sleep with it. I move a lot and the weight of it has lead
me to feeling a lot of pain in my joints when I wake up. (pressure on my
shoulders from sleeping on my side with it, knees and feet hurting from being
compressed down when laying on my back)

------
sand500
I grew covering myself with two comforters just for the weight. Switched
recently to a cooling weighted blanket and I no longer need a fan and AC all
the way down to keep me cool. Still keep the fan for white noise tho.

------
evo_9
Another approach - non-THC based CBD's. I started taking this most nights and
it works incredibly well. I'm not typically anxiety prone, but having just
gone through a very stressful period (started a new job a month ago, opened a
commercial store with my wife 3 weeks ago), it's worked really well. Sleeping
really well, waking up refreshed and seems to take the edge off the day too. I
was skeptical it could do much about sleep or anxiety issues but in my case,
it's worked very well.

~~~
jokoon
thanks for the ad!

~~~
jedimastert
OP's account is 9 years old and hasn't mentioned CBD once in the last few
pages I read.

You need to not.

------
RickJWagner
I wonder if there's any danger for weak or infirm people?

Seems it could come to rest on someone's throat, or the weight on the chest
could become the straw that broke the camel's back.

------
codingdave
Depending on how handy you or a family member are, these also can be hand-
made. My wife made one for me, and all our kids, each with sci-fi/geeky fabric
patterns, so it was not only something to help us rest, but was personalized
to some things we like. She found making them to be tedious, but not
difficult.

They really do help me get better sleep. My kids don't get as much direct
benefit, but they love having them anyway.

------
jquery
I've tried this but I sweat like a pig. Do they have weighted blankets for
people who tend to sweat when they sleep?

~~~
tpowell
I bought a chilipad[1] awhile back after reading Sam Altman's post on
productivity[2]. I leave it on 66 or 67 degrees, and fall asleep much faster
than I did before. I snake the tube under the bathroom door to muffle the
sound, but it's totally worth a little white noise to have a perpetual cool-
side-of-the-pillow feeling the whole night. Since it's removing the heat from
under you, I suspect it would work quite well in tandem with a weighted
blanket.

[1] [https://www.chilitechnology.com](https://www.chilitechnology.com) [2]
[http://blog.samaltman.com/productivity](http://blog.samaltman.com/productivity)

~~~
balfirevic
Do you know know the air temperature in your room?

I can't imagine sleeping on something so cold. Just tonight I had to put on
T-shirt in the middle of the night because it felt a bit cold, even though the
air temperature was around 26 degrees Celsius (I have a digital thermometer
next to my bed). I don't use a blanket at these temperatures though, just a
thin bed sheet.

Do you use chillpad to be able to use the heavy blanket even though it's not
cold inside the room?

~~~
jfim
With a weighed blanket, the temperature in the bedroom is 19°C (66°F) and the
Chillipad is set to 14°C (57°F). This is the same temperature I was using
before getting a weighed blanket.

I believe that's a rather unusually cold sleeping temperature for California,
however.

------
dasanman
My GF has had a 10kg chain blanket for ages to help with sleeping (she has
ADHD). Not so suprised by this headline :D

------
idlerig
My experience with weighted blankets was uncomfortable back pain, due to the
inevitable shift of the blankets off my chest and around my waist. My I moved
from my back to each of my shoulders through the night, hips were effectively
pinned into position. We returned the blanket after a week or two.

------
b_tterc_p
A similar lesson was learned for cattle. Compressing them en route to
slaughter makes them significantly calmer.

------
gadders
I don't know about weighted blankets, but I think I definitely sleep more
deeply when my cat is on the duvet next to me. That could be due to additional
weight, but I wonder if it's a caveman thing where you can sleep more deeply
because you can rely on the animal to alert you to any danger.

~~~
abyssin
Maybe it's a social thing where it feels better when you're not alone?

~~~
gadders
I don't think so. I lived on my own with no pets for years. I have no issue
falling asleep, it just seems deeper.

------
kunkelast
I've heard that knights a few centuries ago were sleeping in chairs. Only
slaves were sleeping in horizontal position. I'm not sure whether it's true or
not, but this is what a tour guide told me.

------
trhway
>Weighted blankets

recipe for the best weighted blanket for the best sleep - takes one regular
blanket and a cat: cover yourself with the blanket, let the cat to lie on top.
Enjoy. For even better result - pet the cat.

------
oxplot
I have a glass pellet weighted blanket (no heating issue) that has made a huge
world of difference in my quality of sleep. It's about 7 kg. If I double it
up, I fall asleep almost immediately.

------
dagw
We bought one for my 9 year old daughter and it has done amazing things for
her sleep. Before we got it her sleeping through the night was the exception,
but now it's pretty much the the rule.

------
pbhowmic
Did not work for my son. One problem: these are really thick and warm, so
using them in a Houston summer night is murder.

------
b34r
I bought one a few weeks ago and tbh it does nothing except make me
uncomfortably warm.

------
thrownaway954
all I know is that I bought one of those thundershirts for my pom and he loves
it. and yes, it has helped with his anxiety during storms. same concept as a
weighted blanket I guess.

------
theworld572
The best thing you can do for sleep is to stop worrying about it so much.
Ditch the weighted blankets, the sleep trackers, the obsessively strict sleep
hygiene routine, the meditation, the mindfulness, the blue light glasses etc.

~~~
theworld572
Weird this is getting downvoted. Its true for my own experience - my life is
much better since I've stopped with all the sleep gadgets and panicking when I
get less than 8 hours sleep in a night.

Its also a view backed up by professionals:
[https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/jun/17/why-
sle...](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/jun/17/why-
sleeptrackers-could-lead-to-the-rise-of-insomnia-and-orthosomnia)

And there are books written on this too:
[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1456492543/](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1456492543/)

~~~
jplayer01
> Weird this is getting downvoted

It's because there are legitimately people who have problems falling asleep
that _are not_ tied to obsessing about sleep gadgets. How can you be so
unbelievably callous and dismissive of people's problems?

I've spent months barely getting 4-5 hours of sleep because I can't shut off
my brain and how oppressive life is/can be. I don't see what any of that has
to do with tracking sleep or buying a weighed blanket or whatever else. Mainly
because I didn't try any of it - but if I do buy a weighted blanket and it
helps me fall asleep ... what exactly do you have against that blanket helping
me?

~~~
theworld572
The pearl-clutching is strong in this post.

------
hsnewman
So they might not ease insomnia and anxiety?

------
Apocryphon
Bought one recently, it's comforting but not a cure-all. My mattress is too
soft and the weighted blanket hasn't offset the discomfort of it.

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einpoklum
I'm being blocked by a paywall ! :-(

... added the following rules to uBlock Origin:

||subscribe.washingtonpost.com/ www.washingtonpost.com/wp-stat/

and that seems to have solved the problem.

~~~
JustSomeNobody
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