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
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