The COVID-19 pandemic has been accompanied by a range of intense emotions, and for many people these include acute feelings of insecurity and concern. It seems that some people have tried using weighted blankets for comfort as sales have increased during the pandemic.
Manufacturers often tout the blankets as a non-pharmaceutical method of relieving anxiety, insomnia, stress, restlessness, discomfort and other symptoms.
A 2015 study by Swedish researchers from the Journal of Sleep Medicine & Disorders found that patients with insomnia who started using weighted blankets reported improved sleep quality, fell asleep better and felt refreshed in the morning.
How do these demands stack up in the area of professional advice? Are These Blankets Really Helpful for Symptoms of Mental Illness? Do practitioners and clients discuss the use of weighted blankets – and their potential benefits – in counseling sessions?
CT Online collected thoughts on the use of weighted blankets from professional consultants in the United States. Add your experiences in the comments section at the bottom of this article.
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The challenge for weighted blankets is that they provide physical weight, but not the compression or actual pressure that many with attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism seek. Although many people report that a weighted blanket helps reduce their overall stress levels and enables them to sleep more effectively, I really think the question should be: does the weighted blanket actually make these improvements, or are the positive changes reported actually due to the weighted blanket? let us sit still a little bit?
This slowdown during our typically fast-paced day could be a major reason why so many of us truly believe that weighted blankets help. Trend or not, I think weighted blankets hold great promise when it comes to helping people become more aware of their busy lives.
I have found that weighted blankets offer minimal benefits to children with ADHD or autism. Although many of the children I work with enjoy the weight, parents or children usually report significant benefits. Although a large number of my families have purchased weighted blankets, very few use them on a consistent basis. I think it's because of the concept of weight versus compression.
While weight can feel good, it doesn't provide enough sensory input for the children I work with to make a difference. Instead, they often look for compression or pressure.
Although weighted blankets [retailers] often talk about the "pressure" they exert, the difference is in the details. It offers pressure, but not the deep pressure many with ADHD or autism seek during times of dysregulation. In fact, children with tactile and / or proprioceptive sensory behavior often seek deep pressure to regulate their nervous system. This means that they often need more than a weighted blanket can provide.
I have found that my children who like weighted blankets use all of the weighted blankets in the house and often use three or four weighted blankets at the same time! This means that the weight they are looking for is much higher than the 10% of their own body weight [that is the recommended guideline].
While weighted blankets are definitely a trending item, I firmly believe they will stay here. However, they are probably most useful for those who want to sleep with extra blankets just because they like the weight [feeling of the]. For everyone else, I think compression elements are often the way to go.
Michelle Tolison, a licensed clinical psychological counselor and owner of Dandelion Family Counseling in Charlotte, North Carolina. As a registered play therapist, she works with children who are twice exceptional (especially with ADHD).
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As a child therapist, I have long known that occupational therapists use weighted blankets to help children with sensory problems and anxiety, including children with ADHD and autism spectrum disorders. These blankets have made their way into the mainstream, but just because they're popular doesn't mean they can be used to help children without first consulting a doctor or occupational therapist.
A weighted blanket exerts deep pressure on the body, which can contribute to relaxation. However, there are physical safety concerns when it comes to children and weighted blankets. They should not be used in children under 2 years of age. The child must be able to remove the blanket on their own and their head should never be covered. If the pellets fall from the ceiling, they can be a choking hazard. Parents should always supervise their child when using a weighted blanket.
The American Occupational Therapy Association does not recommend sensory interventions such as weighted blankets unless children have been thoroughly evaluated. In my opinion, professional advisors are not trained to provide sensory assessments or suggest sensory interventions. Suggesting a weighted blanket as an intervention for a child would be outside of our scope of practice and could be viewed as unethical.
If a parent has concerns about their child's anxiety, hyperactivity, autism, sensory processing disorder, or the inability to sleep and fall asleep, I encourage them to speak to their pediatrician before using a weighted blanket. Your pediatrician may recommend an examination by an occupational therapist.
Pam Dyson a licensed professional counselor and registered game therapist based in Spring Hill, Tennessee providing virtual monitoring and counseling for game therapy.
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, there is no doubt that mental health symptoms are on the rise, most commonly anxiety and depression, but also in people diagnosed with autism and ADHD as it seems much more difficult to regulate his emotional / behavioral state in these uncertain times. Interestingly, sales of weighted blankets were also found to have increased during the pandemic. Coincidence? I do not think so.
Adding weight / pressure to our large muscle groups (with a weighted blanket) activates the proprioceptive sensory system of the body. Activating this system increases both dopamine and serotonin in the brain and helps people feel more emotionally regulated, calmer, and better in control of their emotions and behaviors.
Dopamine is our main neurotransmitter for wellbeing and our main neurotransmitter for focus. When enough dopamine is not produced, retained or transported, a "lack of reward syndrome" occurs. Hence, the brain needs increased stimulation to maintain a sense of satisfaction / reward, which is evident in the hyperactive response of people with ADHD or autism when searching sensory (turning around) or when looking for novelty (getting stuck) a two-story railing). Because of these struggles, they tend to seek excessive proprioceptive input to calm their nervous systems – but in ill-adjusted ways. Their excessive movement can be messy to themselves and disruptive to others.
During a pandemic, with a long period of time at home and without the full structure of school, clubs, organized sports, etc., this in itself can lead to an increase in these symptoms. A weighted blanket can aid in the retention of dopamine so that these individuals do not have to seek stimulation in such ill-adjusted ways and can therefore maintain more control over themselves. This means that a weighted blanket can be beneficial for people with autism and ADHD who have difficulty planning their movements and regulating their level of arousal. Feeling the pressure of a weighted blanket on their large muscle groups can actually give them more organized proprioceptive input, resulting in increased alertness, less internal chaos, and less disruption to others.
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that calms us down when we feel stressed. Serotonin is also involved in our survival mechanism to regulate our sleep, food cravings / appetite, and sexual desire. It is involved in memory, mood / irritability, and sensitivity / insecurity / confidence. When not enough serotonin is produced, transported, or retained, people feel anxious, irritable, and may have trouble sleeping. A weighted blanket can add proprioceptive input to help keep serotonin in the brain so that one can feel calmer, calmer, and more confident and confident.
The physical containment by a weighted blanket can help to facilitate the emotional containment [and] to develop a feeling of stability and to promote the regulation of behavior. (Think of it as a similar concept to "swaddling" a baby to calm them down when they're upset and to help them sleep.) It's no wonder the sale of weighted blankets for children and adults in a time of uncertainty increases
Donna Mac a licensed clinical counselor at a school in the Chicago area specializing in serving students with emotional disorders, higher functioning autism, secondary learning disabilities, and other health impairments.
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More than one customer has reported an improvement in their sleep after using a weighted blanket (or even several regular, heavy blankets if they couldn't afford one) to apply pressure at home. With all that we now know about the effects of trauma on the body, it makes a lot of sense to look at as many sensory modalities as possible when working with this population.
As a personal anecdote, I have a nephew on the autism spectrum and there was a dramatic change in his behavior after he started using a weighted blanket to improve his sleep quality at night. I understand that the plural of anecdotes isn't data, but I've certainly had enough positive feedback from people to suggest it as an option for customers to explore.
Kirsti Reeve a licensed professional counselor in a group practice, Transcendence Behavioral Health, in Royal Oak, Michigan. She specializes in working with self-harm, teenagers and trauma and is a certified drug and alcohol counselor.
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