What is a weighted blanket?
Time to completely relax for a moment. When was the last time you took a moment for yourself? But really for yourself. No television, no phone, no other people around you. Life is getting busier and busier, and despite our increasing need for peace, we take less and less of it. What can you still do nowadays to find your peace? A weighted blanket can help!
However, the use of the weighted blanket has several advantages over these alternatives. The weighted blanket ensures that the weight is evenly distributed across your body. As a result, you experience the most benefit from Deep Pressure Stimulation. Additionally, for adults, using a blanket is many times more practical than the other alternatives.
"Weighted vests, mats, or cuddly toys are primarily intended for children who have difficulty sitting still and concentrating at school. Taking a weighted cuddle toy to work will probably raise some eyebrows among your colleagues."
Check out the benefits of a weighted blanket!
What is a weighted blanket?
A weighted blanket is a blanket that is intentionally weighted with plastic or glass microbeads. This is done to apply extra pressure to your body. This pressure is called Deep Pressure Stimulation (or DPS) and is supposed to help your body relax when you lie under your weighted blanket. Let's take a look at how this works.
How does a weighted blanket work?
A weighted blanket uses DDS. But what exactly is this? And where does it come from?History
Deep Pressure Stimulation was invented by Dr. Temple Grandin. A professor at the University of Colorado. Temple is a highly gifted person with autism, a special combination. In her youth, Temple could not tolerate hugs well, something that we as humans have proven to relax from! "Another person might accept that the benefits of a good hug would be lost to him or her. Temple did not. At the age of 18, she developed the squeeze machine. A machine that applied pressure to her through two different plates. This is, as it were, the birth of weighted/DDS."The effect of Deep Pressure Stimulation
"Perhaps you found this an interesting piece of history. But I can believe that it raises some questions. Why does weight or pressure have a calming effect on our body? To answer this, we take a look at our nervous system. Our nervous system consists of an interplay of 2 opposing systems: the Sympathetic system and the Parasympathetic system."
The Sympathetic System
The sympathetic system can be seen as the "fight or flight" part of your nervous system. It is activated when we find ourselves in situations where we need to act quickly. Some would describe this as our survival mechanism. Thousands of years ago, it was essential for us as humans. When the sympathetic system is activated, more Cortisol is released. Cortisol is also known as the stress hormone. It keeps us awake and alert when necessary. It also causes a temporary increase in sugar in your blood. This sugar gives you extra energy. Extremely handy when you are hunting a mammoth. Less handy when you are restless in bed.The Parasympathetic System
Opposite the sympathetic system is the parasympathetic system. This is the part of our nervous system that is activated when we are resting or in a familiar environment. The Parasympathetic system provides a temporary improvement in digestion. Additionally, it lowers your blood sugar levels and heart rate, and you breathe more calmly.Why the weighted blanket?
"You have just learned about the functioning of weighting. How it can have a positive influence on your (night) rest and contributes to a positive state-of-mind. Besides the weighted blanket, there are also other weighting tools that you can use to experience Deep Pressure Stimulation." For example, you have:- Weighted vests
- Weighted cuddly toys
- Or weighting mats
However, the use of the weighted blanket has several advantages over these alternatives. The weighted blanket ensures that the weight is evenly distributed across your body. As a result, you experience the most benefit from Deep Pressure Stimulation. Additionally, for adults, using a blanket is many times more practical than the other alternatives.
"Weighted vests, mats, or cuddly toys are primarily intended for children who have difficulty sitting still and concentrating at school. Taking a weighted cuddle toy to work will probably raise some eyebrows among your colleagues."
Check out the benefits of a weighted blanket!
Is a weighted blanket something for me?
"To answer this question, we will look at the different situations in which a weighted blanket can help you. Do you or your child suffer from the following points? Then a weighted blanket is definitely worth trying."A weighted blanket for sleep problems
Is the use of a weighted blanket for better sleep scientifically proven? Certainly! A study from the University of Gothenburg showed that people objectively sleep longer with a weighted blanket. Additionally, this group reported feeling 'calmer' after sleeping with the weighted blanket. Better sleep? Check out the best sleep tips for a better night's rest!A weighted blanket for ADHD/ADD
The application of Deep Pressure Stimulation in children or adults with ADHD/ADD has been gaining immense popularity in recent years. This is also the reason why more and more gadgets and tools are coming onto the market that utilize weighting. We previously talked about stuffed animals, vests, and mats that can be used alongside a blanket for Deep Pressure Stimulation. Weighted blankets also provide a moment of calm for children with ADHD/ADD. Something that every body needs. However, for these children, it can sometimes be difficult to achieve the necessary calm. A weighted blanket helps children and adults with ADHD/ADD to find this calm. "Another reason for the popularity of weighting is the positive effect it has on the concentration ability of people with ADHD."A weighted blanket for autism
Earlier we told you about Dr. Temple Grandin. With her squeeze machine, she discovered early on the positive effects that Deep Pressure Stimulation had on her. People with autism often suffer from overstimulation. By overstimulation, we mean an excess of stimuli. Think of bright lights or a crowded supermarket. Due to overstimulation, it may be that you can no longer process stimuli in the right way. Overstimulation occurs not only in people with autism but also in Highly Sensitive Persons (HSP) or in people who do not have a special predisposition to overstimulation. A weighted blanket helps provide a calm, stimulus-free spot. It gives you a moment away from the outside world. A weighted blanket gives you a bit of a "womb effect" in this case. The blanket envelops you like a cocoon. This gives users of a weighted blanket a safe and secure feeling. Besides this "womb effect," it is often said that a weighted blanket feels like a warm hug. Specifically designed to calm the user.A weighted blanket for anxiety or panic attacks
Dealing with fears and panic attacks is very difficult. The use of a weighted blanket can help reduce the feeling of anxiety in the user. The weighted blanket provides a safe and secure feeling for the user. Research shows that 60% of people experiencing a mental health crisis feel noticeably calmer after using a weighted blanket.What should I pay attention to when buying a weighted blanket?
Whatever your reason is for using a weighted blanket. There are a number of things you should pay attention to when purchasing your weighted blanket. We will go through these together with you:- The weight of your weighted blanket
- The material your blanket is made of
- The filling of your weighted blanket
The weight of your weighted blanket
To ensure that you fully enjoy the Deep Pressure Stimulation provided by your weighted blanket, you need to choose a blanket of the right weight. A rule of thumb for the weight of your weighted blanket is 9 to 12% of your body weight. However, this also changes as your blanket gets larger. It is important that the pressure per surface area remains consistent to make optimal use of Deep Pressure Stimulation. "To make it easy for you, we have schematically shown below which blanket suits you best:" weighted blankets for adults: Body weight Blanket 120x180 cm 45 to 60 kg 5 kg 150x200 cm 60 to 75 kg 7 kg 75 to 100 kg 9 kg 200x220 cm 60 to 85 kg 11 kg 75 to 100 kg 13 kg Can't you figure it out? You can always contact us without obligation. Weighted blankets for children up to 12 years old Body weight Blanket 90x120 cm 19 to 24 kg 2.4 kg 100x150 cm 24 to 36 kg 3.6 kgThe material of your weighted blanket
"A bit of a no-brainer, but always check what material a weighted blanket is made of. This way, you can be sure that you are not buying a fabric you are allergic to. The weighted blankets from Ella Health are made of 100% certified cotton. Additionally, environmentally friendly polyester is incorporated into the blanket to make it even more comfortable!" Our children's blankets are 50% cotton and 50% Minky. Minky is a nice warm, soft fabric for winter. The blanket is reversible, which means your child can choose whether they want to sleep under Minky or cotton!
The filling of your weighted blanket
Some weighted blankets are filled with small plastic balls or beads. These can also cause an allergic reaction in the user. Therefore, it is important to check the material of the filling before your purchase. The weighted blankets from Ella Health are filled with hypoallergenic, non-toxic glass microbeads. These conduct your body heat well through the blanket and do not cause allergic reactions!Covers for your weighted blanket
A weighted blanket is not easy to wash. That is why we sell separate covers with the weighted blankets. You can simply put this cover in the washing machine, just like your regular duvet cover. Always check the washing label before you wash it. You can of course also wash the weighted blanket itself, but this is quite a task and doesn't need to be done as often as the cover. For a detailed description, you can take a look at wikiHow. They have explained very well how to do this best.