1203 Worth The Weight: Weighted Blanket Improves Sleep And Increases Relaxation

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Weighted blankets are designed to create deep touch pressure stimulation, to simulate the feeling of being held or hugged. The deep pressure provided by a weighted blanket, along with consistent sensory input from its weight, is thought to work by lowering stress and reducing physiological arousal, thereby improving sleep. We tested whether a weighted blanket would improve sleep. Methods 30 participants with objectively measured sleep onset and sleep maintenance issues participated in a 6-week field study, using a non-counterbalanced pre-post intervention design. Intervention consisted of the use of a weighted blanket every night at home. The blanket was filled with microbeads and weighed approximately 10 percent of each participant’s body weight. Sleep was measured objectively using ResMed S+ every night and by daily self-report. Paired t-tests and multilevel regression were used to test for statistical significance. Results Objective sleep data from the 28 participants who completed all study requirements showed 7% improvement of Wake After Sleep Onset, 2% decrease in Light Sleep, and slight improvement in Sleep Efficiency (1.5%) and Sleep Maintenance (1.4%) during intervention (all ps < 0.05). Additionally, participants felt they fell asleep faster (13% faster), experienced better sleep quality (14% better), felt more rested in the morning (17% more rested), and felt they slept better through the night without waking up (36% improvement). They also reported feeling 13% less stressed at bedtime and 17% more relaxed while trying to fall asleep. Conclusion Using a weighted blanket reduces self-reported feelings of stress, enhances feelings of relaxation, and can improve sleep and reduce time awake at night in people with sleep onset and sleep maintenance issues. Support Gravity Blanket