HEALTHY LIVING
Weighted Blanket May Help Insomnia
Some people swear by them, but the evidence is sparse. :: BY CHRIS ILIADES, M.D.
U
p to half of adults have trouble sleeping, which can lead to daytime fatigue or brain fog.
A study in the Journal of Clinical
Sleep Medicine found that a weighted blanket may help reduce insomnia. Severe insomnia is much more
common in adults with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Usual treatments include talk
therapy (psychotherapy) and sleep- aid medications, but psychotherapy takes time and medications have side effects, so a weighted blanket could be a safe and simple option, if it works. “A weighted blanket is typically
made in a variety of sizes and a variety of materials,” says S. Justin Thomas, Ph.D., director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Behavioral Sleep Medicine Clinic.
“They have additional weighting to
make them heavier than a traditional blanket or comforter.” While there are some studies
supporting the use of weighted blankets, a 2020 systematic review pointed out that evidence-based research on their effectiveness is sparse, according to Thomas. “Weighted blankets are rather
expensive,” Thomas says. “I tend to start with cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), since it
The evenly distributed mass of a weighted blanket works like “deep pressure stimulation” — a gentle to firm pressure similar to therapies such as acupressure and massage.
has the best evidence for helping both insomnia and anxiety. “If someone asks me in clinic,
I tend to tell them that a weighted blanket might help, but let them make their own decision.” According to the American
Psychological Association, CBT-I is the most effective insomnia treatment and should be tried first. During six to eight sessions with a
sleep therapist, CBT-I focuses on how the way we think and act affects how we sleep. A therapist helps a person understand how these thoughts and actions can lead to insomnia and how to change them.
HOW THEY WORK The evenly distributed mass of a weighted blanket works like “deep pressure stimulation” — a gentle to firm pressure similar to therapies such as acupressure and massage. This pressure may reduce the
body’s stress response. Some theories offered to explain the response include reducing the stress hormone cortisol or increasing the hormone oxytocin, which promotes relaxation and sleep. “I don’t think we completely
know how weighted blankets work,” Thomas says. “In general, they apply pressure described as receiving a hug all
MARCH 2024 | NEWSMAX MAXLIFE 83
KATELIN KINNEY/SHUTTERSTOCK
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