What is a Weighted Blanket? Elevate the Quality of Your Sleep With a Weighted Blanket

You have probably heard of layering your bed with quilts, duvets and coverlets, but adding a weighted blanket to your sleeping arrangement will bring both warmth and relief in a number of ways. Like other bedding components, a weighted blanket provides soothing comfort and can add a beautifully layered look to your bed. However, its benefits extend far beyond style and comfort.

Designed to create a gentle, evenly distributed pressure across the body, a weighted blanket can help to encourage deeper relaxation and a more restful night's sleep. If you find yourself tossing and turning, struggling to rest after a busy day, or you find it takes you longer than you'd like to fall asleep, a weighted blanket could be the perfect addition to your sleep sanctuary.

At KOO, we believe a luxurious sleep begins with thoughtfully designed bedding that supports your individual needs. Our weighted blanket is crafted to deliver exceptional comfort while helping you unwind and recharge. Read on to discover how this innovative bedding essential works and whether it's the right choice for your sleep routine.

Quick Links

• What is a Weighted Blanket?
• How Does A Weighted Blanket Work?
• Types Of Weighted Blankets
• Benefits Of A Weighted Blanket
• How Heavy Should A Weighted Blanket Be: A Weighted Blanket Weight Guide
• How To Wash A Weighted Blanket

What is a Weighted Blanket?

A weighted blanket is a large blanket often quilted into sections, with each section filled with a number of plastic or glass beads. These beads make the blanket heavier than your average quilt, as well as giving it a thicker texture and feel. Weighted blankets will rarely cover your whole bed like a coverlet or duvet - instead, they are designed just to cover your body from your chin to your toes when sleeping. You can also use a weighted blanket during the day, on your lap as you sit or wrapped around you when watching a movie on the couch.

They're wonderful for sleeping, however, if you both you and your partner both want a weighted blanket, it's best to have one each - sharing a weighted blanket can cause the filling to be unevenly distributed, and the weight will most likely not be able to suit both of you.

How Does A Weighted Blanket Work?

Weighed blankets work using the science of deep touch pressure to help calm people, reduce anxiety, and help us fall asleep. Have you ever seen a dog that is scared of thunderstorms dressed in a tight weighted vest, or a crying baby being swaddled firmly? Weighted blankets work the same way - by enveloping us in a heavy, comforting presence (like a hug), our breathing slows, becomes deeper, and our parasympathetic nervous system is activated, encouraging us to rest and digest. Our body calms down, and then our mind follows - exactly what we want when getting to sleep!

Types Of Weighted Blankets

Weighted blankets can be made from all your classic bedding materials, such as cotton, rayon, linen, or polyester. The inner beads should be made from plastic, glass, or even steel. Steer clear of weighted blankets filled with sand (will clump unevenly), grains (will rot) and pebbles (will retain moisture when washed).

In addition to types of filling, weighted blankets also vary in terms of the outer cover and fabric. If you run hot in your sleep, you can find weighted blankets made from cooling fabric such as bamboo, or if you're wanting a weighted blanket to keep you nice and cosy throughout winter, a cover made of soft, plush fabric such as fleece to help trap body heat.

Benefits Of A Weighted Blanket

In addition to providing comfort and warmth, weighted blankets bring a number of benefits to the quality of your sleep, rest, and relaxation.

Weighted Blankets Help You Sleep

Simple things like worrying about a test you have to take tomorrow or going over an event you have planned can keep you up at night for hours! If you find you struggle to nod off at times, the effect of a weighted blanket in helping you breathe deeper and slower will naturally help you relax, hopefully nudging you off to sleep a little easier.

Weighted Blankets Help With Anxiety

If it's anxious thoughts that keep you up at night, then a weighted blanket can offer relief in these instances as well. If you're stressed about things that you know aren't important and trying to sleep, a weighted blanket has a good chance of helping you relax and drift off.

Weighted Blankets Help You Focus

Weighted vests have been proven to help children relax and focus in school, thanks to providing comforting physical stimuli that the children can focus on. In a similar way, a weighted blanket is a smart choice when at home to help over-stimulated people with ADHD and autism calm down and focus, both during the day and at bedtime.

Weighted Blankets Can Relieve Pain

For those suffering from chronic pain or osteoarthritis, weighted blankets offer relief from the pain. The deep pressure of a weighted blanket helps to soothe the nervous system and, in turn, reduces the body's sensitivity to pain. The additional weight also helps to force the body to ground itself, reduce clenching associated with chronic pain conditions and general muscle stiffness.

How Heavy Should A Weighted Blanket Be: A Weighted Blanket Weight Guide

As a general rule, a weighted blanket should be around 10% of your body weight to provide the perfect pressure relief they are designed to offer. Check out the table below for quick reference. If you fall between sizes, it's best to size down to the nearest weight.

The above table is simply a guide. Ultimately, the weight of your weighted blanket comes down to personal preference.

Safety tip: Weighted blankets are not recommended for babies and infants under 2 years old.

How To Wash A Weighted Blanket

Weighted blankets can be trickier to wash than your average quilt, due to a number of factors. The weight, cover material and filling material can all influence how your weighted blanket can be washed. Always check the label on your weighted blanket for specific washing instructions, as well as the maximum weight allowance on your washing machine, before proceeding.

If your weighted blanket is stained, spot cleaning with soap or a gentle stain remover in cold water will help extend your blanket's life between washes.

Many blankets have a removable cover for washing that can be cleaned in the washing machine, and like a quilt cover, most can be washed in the normal setting in cool water.

If your entire weighted blanket is machine washable, make sure to use a mild, bleach-free detergent with cool or warm water on a gentle cycle. Avoid hot water, as it can damage some types of fillings.

To dry your weighted blanket, lay it out flat outdoors in the shade and give it a shake every now and then as it dries to move the filling around and keep it fluffy.

Improve Your Sleep With a Weighted Blanket From KOO

Elevate the quality of your sleep while improving the comfort and warmth of your bed with KOO's incredible weighted blanket. KOO's quality weighted blankets can be purchased online and delivered to your home for added convenience. Shop online today and experience exceptional relief and comfort from our weighted blankets.

Don't forget to browse our full range of cosy blankets and read through our inspiring blog articles for tips on topics such as How to Help Improve Your Sleep With the Right Bedding & Bed Linen and How to Choose and Style Throw Blankets in Your Home.

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