Weighted blankets are the new trend against insomnia: do they really work?

When we were little we got used to hide under the blanket when we were afraid, as if this piece of cloth could protect us from all evil. Over time we discovered that, unfortunately, there was no blanket under the bed to protect us from the monsters. The good thing is that, to a certain extent, they can protect us from those who hide in our minds. But not just any blanket will do. Only weighted blankets They can calm our anxiety, help us cast aside the worries of everyday life and envelop us in the sweet embrace of Morpheus.

If we had been told about heavy duty blankets a few years ago, we would have thought of the typical coral blanket we use on the coldest winter nights. However, today there are blankets whose weight is achieved through the use of glass microspheres or chains, logically supplemented in such a way that they do not interfere with rest.

These weighted blankets are marketed as a remedy for… insomnia, anxiety and stress. There are even those who claim that they can be useful for calming. people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or ADHD. That’s what the companies that sell them say. What does science say? Are they worth spending money on?

Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous System: FIGHT!

To understand how weighted blankets work, we must first know the functions sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. Both are branches autonomic nervous system. That is, the one that controls involuntary actions such as breathing, heartbeat or digestion.

In the case of the sympathetic nervous system, it activates these functions in situations of anxiety. This is what is known as fight or flight system. This system is evolutionarily necessary because it prepares us to face threats.

Imagine one of our ancestors looking for berries and suddenly finding himself in front of a lion. You have two options: run or face him. It makes sense that you’ll have a better chance of living with the former. But sometimes this is not possible. Whatever the option, you will need to focus all your senses on the lion. The muscles tense, the heartbeat and breathing quicken, the pupils dilate… Everything is prepared for make the most of your energy. In addition, it is necessary to temporarily stop receiving energy from things that are not currently needed, for example, from digestion.

Nowadays, we generally don’t have to run from lions, but we might run into a car that ran a stop sign or someone who robbed us. We also need to be alert in stressful situations such as an exam or job interview. In all these cases, it is necessary for the sympathetic nervous system to work.

The problem is that sometimes we exaggerate it all, maintaining symptoms after the threat has passed or even We see threats where there are none. In this case we could talk about anxiety. If you think about it, all we saw were symptoms of anxiety: heart palpitations, rapid breathing, digestive problems… It all adds up.

When does this start to happen surplus comes into play parasympathetic nervous system. This sends a signal to the brain that there is in fact no external threat. When the brain receives this signal, it suppresses the sympathetic nervous system. For example, it lowers your heart and breathing rates and returns energy needed for digestion. A good parasympathetic nervous system allows us to have a calm heart rate when we are at rest and there are no external threats.

This is already clear to us. What do weighted blankets have to do with it?

The Role of Weighted Blankets

The parasympathetic nervous system can be activated in many ways. We can do breathing exercises, read a book, take a walk in nature… Essentially, we need activities that tell our brain that we’re fine. That there is no problem.

If all this doesn’t work, then apparently there is a method known as deep pressure touchwhat helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system. Essentially, it consists of gently pressing the body, like a hug. If there really was a threat, a lion that wanted to attack us, we would get rid of any burden that might hinder us. move with ease. This slight contraction indicates that we are actually calm. Pressure can be achieved in many ways, but weighted blankets seem to be one of the simplest.

Okay, but do they work?

There are more and more studies that analyze the different uses of weighted blankets. True, they were initially carried out with a very small number of participants. However, research is already beginning more than 100 volunteers. This isn’t outrageous, but at the end of the day, all the studies come to very similar conclusions, which adds weight (literally) to the result.

To mention some of these studies, in 2020, a group of Swedish scientists tested the effects of weighted blankets on the sleep of patients with mental disorders such as depression. It was found that those who used weighted blankets Fewer night awakenings, better quality sleep, more energy during the day, and fewer symptoms of daytime stress and anxiety.

Later, in 2024, a group of Chinese scientists conducted a review of the scientific literature, taking into account this and many other studies that analyzed the role of weighted blankets in treating insomnia and anxiety in the general population, but with a special focus on them. patients with ASD and ADHD. Taking all the results together, we can conclude that the pressure of the blankets activates the parasympathetic nervous system and calms anxiety symptoms, helping to sleep.

In addition, they are useful for managing symptoms of ADHD and ASD. Although the amount of research isn’t very large, everything seems to indicate that yes: weighted blankets can help us sleep. Maybe that’s why, as children, it seemed to us that they could save us from everything.