Can Weighted Blankets Help with Anxiety?

Weighted blanket benefits go way beyond a good night’s sleep. As calming as a full-body hug, they take snuggling to a whole new level.

Weighted blankets come in many sizes and materials. What makes them different from regular blankets? They’re filled with plastic pellets or woven with heavier materials to give them heft.

Some only add a few extra pounds and are suitable for children over age 3. Others add as much as 30 pounds and are designed for adults — a good rule of thumb when you’re looking for a weighted blanket is to find one that weighs about 10% of your body weight. More than that can be uncomfortable.

Feeling anxious?

Everyone feels stress from time to time, and with stress comes anxiety. Your heartbeat accelerates. Your breathing becomes shallow. Your body releases adrenalin and cortisol to help you deal with the perceived danger. It’s all part of the fight, flight or freeze response that served our ancestors well when they were dealing with predators on a daily basis.

Nowadays, we’re seldom chased by saber-toothed tigers, but we still have plenty to worry about. And since our dangers are less concrete, it’s hard to know when it’s OK to stop worrying. That’s why anxiety often becomes chronic — and it takes a toll on your health.

How do weighted blankets work?

Weighted blankets work by activating your parasympathetic nervous system, lowering your heart rate while creating the sensation of deep pressure touch (DPT), an approach used by occupational therapists to relax hyperactive children and calm adults that includes hand holding, hugging and swaddling.

DPT has been used to help people with anxiety by:

Minimizing repetitive behaviors
Lowering impulsive behaviors
Increasing attention and focus
Improving fine motor skills

People with chronic anxiety may also have depression, pain and fatigue — all side effects that can be soothed by DPT.

“Weighted blankets give you the sensation of being swaddled or held closely like a baby in its mother’s arms,” explains Anne Dall, MD, a psychiatrist at Geisinger.

“Maybe that’s why many people find the extra weight helps them sleep like babies, too. But if you’re having trouble sleeping or still feeling anxious after using a weighted blanket, ask your doctor to help you find a better solution.”

Weighted blankets aren’t for everyone

Weighted blankets aren’t recommended for very young children or for adults who are too frail to lift them off their bodies. Anyone with claustrophobia, sleep apnea, asthma or very low blood pressure should check with their doctor before trying them.

And if you have a pet who likes to snuggle under the covers with you, think twice about getting a weighted blanket — that 10% of body weight applies to them, too.

Not just a blanket treatment

If a weighted blanket isn’t helping your anxiety, start by talking to your healthcare provider to find the right solution.

“Besides the blanket, they may also recommend other treatments like mindfulness exercises, meditation, physical exercise and medication,” Dr. Dall says.