When you think of relieving stress and getting a better night’s rest, you probably think you need to take a weight off – but it turns doing the opposite may have a positive outcome as well, at least for older children and adults.
The medical world is still debating the advantages of a weighted blanket, which actually have long been used in occupational therapy to help people with autism and other disorders, notes LiveScience.com. Let’s pull up the covers and read about six things to know about weighted blankets.
1. It’s a Form of Deep Pressure Touch
The idea of a weighted blanket is that the “deep pressure touch” can release serotonin and dopamine, 2-neurotransmitters that make you feel better and more relaxed, notes LiveScience. The same sort of effect can be seen with massage therapy.
The source says there’s some research that shows “slow and gentle” touch can stimulate the brain’s network for processing fear and emotion. “Many people with sensory-processing disorders are hypersensitive to touch…and deep pressure can help desensitize and calm them,” in notes.