It’s really amazing how a simple product like Restasy weighted blankets for adults can help you so much by simply wrapping one around you. Fall asleep faster, lower your stress/anxiety, and make more out of your “me time.”
Weighted blankets aren’t just some “woo-woo” alternative medicine. They are backed by decades of science showing the many benefits weighted blankets have on individuals suffering from insomnia, anxiety, ADHD, Autism, and sensory issues. A “heavy blanket” can be used as an at home therapeutic tool to relax, increase focus/concentration, or brighten your mood.
Sizes of Weighted Blankets for Adults
Currently, Restasy only carries weighted blankets for adults, but we plan to expand soon to help children out as well.
Besides the occasional childlike design like dinosaurs or rainbows, the main difference between kids’ blankets and adult weighted blankets are the sizes and weighst of the blankets.
Dimensions
The standard sizes of adult weighted blankets are usually 48” x 72” or 60” x 80”. The smaller size makes for a much better throw blanket that is great to keep in a living room or on-hand in your office. The larger blankets are perfect for taking to bed and using alone as a comforter or on top of your blanket for some added deep touch therapy.
Both of these sizes are made for twin, full, and queen-sized beds. The weighted blanket is smaller than a comforter since they are meant to lay on top of you rather than draping over the edges of the bed where the extra weight would be useless.
Weight
The best weight is generally a matter of preference if you are just considering one for a bit of relaxation. However, for the benefits to present themselves, studies recommend that your blanket is at least 10% of your body weight. So if you weigh 150 pounds, a 15-pound weighted blanket would be ideal.
Most weighted blankets come in 4 different weights for adult use – 12lbs, 15lbs, 20lbs, and 25lbs. If you do the calculation and find yourself between two blanket weights, experts recommend adding up to the next size. Still, it is a matter of preference and your own comfort level.
Additionally, your regular blanket probably weighs somewhere between 3-7lbs. Combined with your weighted blanket, that could make up for the difference.
15lb Weighted Blanket
Recommended weighted blanket weight for adults 100-170 pounds
20lb Weighted Blanket
Recommended weighted blanket weight for adults 150-210 pounds
What are the Weighted Blanket Benefits for Adults?
Sleep and Insomnia Treatment
A weighted blanket can help drift you off to dreamland…
Do you ever find yourself having trouble falling asleep and/or sleeping through the night?
Lately, weighted blankets have become one of the most popular non-prescription options for people who have sleep problems stemming from common ailments like restless leg syndrome or stress and anxiety.
Scientists at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden went looking for a non-pharmaceutical approach to treating insomnia. The study concluded:
“Objectively, we found that sleep bout time increased, as well as a decrease in movements of the participants, during weighted blanket use. Subjectively, the participants liked sleeping with the blanket, found it easier to settle down to sleep and had an improved sleep, where they felt more refreshed in the morning. Overall, we found that when the participants used the weighted blanket, they had a calmer night’s sleep. A weighted blanket may aid in reducing insomnia through altered tactile inputs, thus may provide an innovative, non-pharmacological approach and complementary tool to improve sleep quality.” – Positive Effects of a Weighted Blanket on Insomnia, 2015
Think about it this way…when you lay down in your bed, do you feel more comfortable and ready to fall asleep under just a lightweight bedsheet or does your comforter, which is much heavier, help bring you to sleep? If you said the comforter, imagine how much more relaxing it would feel with just a bit more pressure from a weighted blanket.
Weighed Blanket for Anxiety and Stress Relief
Experience a new state of relaxation under the embrace of a weighted blanket…
Originally, weighted blankets were used to provide therapeutic relief for children with anxiety and autism. It was only recently that the general public learned about these blankets and how they can help relieve stress and anxiety for adults as well.
A very basic way of describing how weighted blankets work would be to say that they mimic the feeling of a good hug. Biologically, your body is responding to the touch and extra weight as if you are getting a comforting and reassuring hug. The light pressure applied evenly throughout your body by the blanket triggers something called “deep pressure stimulation.”
Holistic Calming and Self-Care with Weighted Blankets
Use your weighted blanket for self-care “me time” to feel better in multiple areas of your life…
Even if you don’t suffer from insomnia or high-stress levels, weighted blankets are a remarkable therapeutic tool to increase overall well-being holistically for most adults. They can be added to a self-care routine with no effort required.
As mentioned above, the deep pressure stimulation has a positive effect on your hormones. The happy/feel-good hormones (serotonin, oxytocin, melatonin) are released while the anxiety-causing hormone (cortisol) is lowered. Regularly cuddling up with your weighted blanket can cause a positive feedback loop that can have a profound effect on your mood, energy levels, and overall well-being.
Lots of adults that have discovered weighted blankets look forward to coming home at the end of a long day to cuddle up with their Restasy blanket to distress or just kick back and relax with added comfort. Our customers have written to us saying that a favorite part of their day is sitting on the couch with a glass of wine or tea with their Restasy weighted blanket draped over their shoulders, or reading a book on a Lazy Sunday with the cozy feeling of a weighted blanket helping them tune out the hustle and bustle around them.
References
- Positive Effects of a Weighted Blanket on Insomnia, 2015 – https://www.jscimedcentral.com/SleepMedicine/sleepmedicine-2-1022.pdf
- What You Need to Know About Using a Weighted Blanket – https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sleep-newzzz/201907/what-you-need-know-about-using-weighted-blanket