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=                          Weighted_blanket                          =
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                            Introduction
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A weighted blanket is an especially heavy blanket that is used to aid
sleep and reduce anxiety. Initially, weighted blankets were most
commonly used in deep pressure therapy to assist autistic people,
individuals with dementia, and mental health conditions. They have
subsequently become a mass-market product. Scientific evidence does
not support their use as an aid for insomnia, and they can be
dangerous, particularly for children.


                       Deep pressure therapy
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Deep pressure therapy (DPT) or deep touch pressure (DTP) is a sensory
integration therapy used to help calm neurodivergent people with
sensory processing sensitivity through the application of a firm,
gentle pressure to the body. DPT may be applied with weighted
blankets, but also with weighted vests, hug machines, or a heavy pet.
DPT provides a soothing sensation akin to a warm, reassuring embrace
that can help regulate the nervous system and decrease stress.


                                Uses
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Weighted blankets are used in occupational therapy in an attempt to
help individuals improve their emotional and physical regulation.
Specifically, weighted blankets are used in a type of occupational
therapy called "sensory integration therapy", which helps autistic
people or people with mental conditions focus on sensory experiences.
Weighted blankets are just one of the many tools occupational
therapists use to provide "deep-touch pressure", a form of physical
stimulation that, according to experts, may help individuals regulate
their emotions and behavior.

The main concern when considering a weighted blanket is to choose the
appropriate weight because if the blanket is too light, it will just
feel like a normal duvet; if instead it is too heavy, it may feel
uncomfortable. A weighted blanket should be about 10% of the person's
body weight: for about 97% of people this feels right. The blanket
should also cover the body from the toes to the chin. After following
the aforementioned weight recommendation, if the weight of the blanket
doesn't feel right, it is more likely that the blanket is too heavy
than too light.

Although early research indicates that weighted blankets may be an
appropriate therapeutic tool for reducing anxiety, reviews in current
medical literature note that research in this area is sparse.

Other studies have indicated that weighted blankets may reduce anxiety
and, as a result, allow the user to fall asleep more quickly. However,
in relation to insomnia, medical experts note that more research is
needed, as there is not yet enough evidence to prove that the products
reduce symptoms. Additionally, there is a significant placebo effect,
which will need to be accounted for in future studies.


                              History
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Some of the earliest research into the form of deep-touch pressure
that weighted blankets use began in 1965, when an American scientist
with autism, Temple Grandin, invented the hug machine. She later used
it to study the calming effects of deep-touch pressure in other
autistic people.

Keith and Lynda Zivalich produced the first version of a weighted
blanket in 1997, when they created a bean-filled comforter now called
the "Magic Weighted Blanket." They made their first sale in December
1998.

The first official study of weighted blankets as an avenue for
deep-touch pressure occurred shortly after, in 1999. Tina Champagne,
an occupational therapist, began researching them as a coping device
for individuals in the broader special-needs community. Weighted
blankets continued to increase in popularity in the special needs
community, and several companies began creating product lines
throughout the early- and mid-2000s.

However, it wasn't until 2017 that weighted blankets secured
mainstream popularity, when the science news site 'Futurism' launched
a Kickstarter campaign for a product called the Gravity Blanket and
raised almost $5 million. The company sold more than 128,000 units by
putting a new spin on the product and marketing it to the public as a
sleep aid and stress reducer.

In 2018, 'Time' magazine named "blankets that ease anxiety" one of the
best inventions of 2018 and cited the Gravity Blanket specifically.
They noted that although 'Futurism' didn't invent the weighted
blanket, the company perfected the art of marketing it to the masses.
Along these same lines, 'The Atlantic' linked the Gravity Blanket's
success, and the subsequent rise in weighted blankets, to a new way of
describing and marketing their uses, describing the Gravity Blanket as
a story about "the promise of life-changing comfort to the
meditation-app-using, Instagram-shopping masses." 'The New Yorker'
linked the Gravity Blanket's popularity to both good timing and
marketing, arguing that the previous years saw a marked rise in
feelings of stress and worry in the United States and that it's "not
coincidental that Gravity’s Kickstarter success arrived deep into a
period when many Americans were beginning their e-mails with
reflexive, panicked condolences about the news."

Retail stores around the world began selling variations of the
blankets throughout 2018 and, by the end of the year, weighted
blankets were on practically every gift guide on the internet.

Since securing popularity, medical doctors have noted that, while some
findings have been intriguing, more research is needed to verify the
efficacy of the products as sleep aids and stress reducers.


                            Composition
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A common type of weighted blanket is made out of a fabric blanket
divided into small compartments, which are then filled with plastic
pellets or small beads. Plastic-filled blankets are typically more
affordable, but bulkier; and some consumers prefer to avoid plastics
for personal or environmental reasons. Glass or metal are considered
less likely to cause allergic reactions; and due to their inherent
density, less bulk is required to achieve the same weight.

All-fabric types of weighted blankets are also available. They are
often knitted or crocheted with thick and heavy materials, such as
T-shirt yarn (also known as "tarn" or "T-yarn", made out of T-shirt
weight cotton), which is sometimes available as recycled materials,
deadstock, or byproducts of the garment industry.


                        Safety and efficacy
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A 2018 systematic review, which investigated the effectiveness of
using weighted blankets to decrease anxiety and insomnia, found that
weighted blankets may be an appropriate therapeutic tool in reducing
anxiety in limited settings and populations. However, the researchers
also found that there is not enough evidence to suggest they are
helpful with insomnia, and investigating their use was hampered by
inconsistent practice.

Scientists caution that studies on the safety of weighted blankets in
healthy adults cannot be generalized to children, and even less so to
children with disabilities. Weighted blankets may be over 25 lb and,
due to this excessive weight, improper use of weighted blankets
carries risk of harm to children, having been responsible for at least
one child's death.

Weighted blankets are widely recommended for autistic children by
support groups and in online forums. A 2013 review found no relevant
scientific studies on the topic;
there was insufficient evidence to support this use as of 2019.


                                Care
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Due to size and weight, weighted blankets are often difficult to
launder (some are also made of materials that cannot be
machine-washed). Therefore, many blankets are sold alongside a
machine-washable cover. Additionally, the blanket's weight may exceed
the maximum load allowed by a washing machine, and should always be
checked in advance. A delicate wash in cold water is generally
preferred, as this preserves the properties of the padding material
and prevents damage to the weighted pellets/beads. In most cases, how
often to wash a weighted blanket depends on how the owner uses it.

Special care should also be exercised when drying a weighted blanket.
Most manufacturers recommend flat drying the blankets. This can be
achieved by using a flat surface, laying down a few towels to soak the
excess water, and laying the weighted blanket on top to dry. Hang
drying is discouraged because the weighted blanket may lose its shape
and reduce its lifespan. Gentle air drying in the machine may be
possible, depending on the weighted blanket filling and padding
material. Plastic and synthetic fabric or padding materials may lose
their properties due to excessive air temperature.


                              See also
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*Weighted vests for children


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