The holiday season is upon us again. It seems time has been speeding by despite the continued effects caused by the pandemic. Thanksgiving has quickly come and gone, and now many are working to check off people on their holiday shopping list. If you are struggling to figure out what to get your loved ones this year, there are plenty of holiday gift guides available. We urge you to consider our weighted blanket holiday gift guide as a way to navigate the pros and cons of weighted blankets on the market and learn why weighted blankets are the ultimate gift. The trend of weighted blankets has continued to increase as the research surrounding their benefits has expanded.
For example, in August, a study was published that demonstrated that weighted blankets mediate pain with people with high anxiety. These results mean that those with pain and anxiety reported a reduction in pain when using a 15-pound weighted blanket. Researchers have repeatedly found anxiety-reduction and sleep-enhancing benefits with weighted blanket use.
As the evidence for weighted blankets continues to burgeon, the product becomes a great asset to a holiday gift guide as it is a gift option that covers multiple issues your loved one may suffer from. Moreover, there are plenty of other reasons, aside from therapeutic benefits, that make weighted blankets the perfect holiday gift. In this special edition of a holiday gift guide, we’ve listed some of our favorite reasons to consider purchasing a weighted blanket this holiday season.
Reasons Weighted Blankets Should be on Every Holiday Gift Guide
1. Weighted Blankets can help People who Feel Lonely
The holiday season can bring mixed emotions, especially as locked downs are ramping up again. Many who are isolated from family and friends may experience loneliness which can precipitate depression. Weighted blankets mimic the pressure of a hug, which can help combat the loneliness that the holiday season can bring. Additionally, weighted blankets can help spouses whose partners work an opposite shift as they can fall asleep with the mimicked pressure of their spouse.
2. Sustainability
We recommend Truhugs’ weighted blanket specifically due to the sustainable nature from which the product is derived. Truhugs cares about the environment and recognizes our earth’s grave danger due to pollution and climate change. To combat these issues, Truhugs’ fabrics are organic to reduce pesticides and use fewer chemicals in production to cut down on water pollution. Additionally, the blankets returned are recycled and donated to people in need.
3. Medication-free solution
Medication is essential, and we do not want to insinuate that we do not support those who require medications to function. However, some people have ill feelings towards medicine or do not believe their symptoms warrant the use of drugs. For those who do not wish to use medications, a weighted blanket may be beneficial in providing therapeutic benefits to combat symptoms. We are hopeful that newer research can assess the difference in symptom reduction for those who are taking medication and those who are not while using a weighted blanket so that we can speak from an evidence-based perspective with this point.
4. Helps combat nighttime restlessness
Do you wake up pressed against the side of the bed with little to no blankets because your spouse is a restless sleeper? Restlessness can be a challenge at night, especially when you’re sharing a bed with a partner and pets. However, evidence suggests weighted blankets can reduce nighttime fidgetiness, which is good news! If a couple on your shopping list has openly expressed challenges with bed-sharing and blanket-hogging, then a weighted blanket may be what they need to reduce the fidgetiness.
Choosing a Weighted Blanket
The information above demonstrates that getting a weighted blanket is a great addition to a holiday gift guide. Still, unfortunately, the market is saturated with weighted blankets, so it can be challenging to determine which is ideal. Moreover, if weighted blankets do make their way onto a holiday gift guide, there is little information to help consumers choose the best-weighted blanket for the person they are giving it to.
If you go into any major department store, you’ll undoubtedly find a rack of weighted blankets, but the issue with these weighted blankets is that they are expensive and are often poorly manufactured. As a result, the beads shift around and can cause tearing and holes in the blanket over time; thus, the longevity of these weighted blankets is likely subpar, which is unfortunate given that they still cost upwards of $100. Instead, choose a higher-quality weighted blanket. The cost is slightly more, but the durability and enhanced manufacturing ensure it will outlast those found in department stores.
In addition to choosing a higher quality weighted blanket, you will soon see there are different sizes and heavinesses. The general consensus is that one should choose a weighted blanket that’s approximately 10% of the user’s body weight, but recent research has suggested that there are other variables that may relate to finding the perfect weighted blanket weight.
Weight from the weighted blanket applies pressure to the skin, and the pressure sensation travels through nerves and receptors until it reaches the brain. There, the brain interprets the pressure sensation. Different types of pressures cause the brain to react differently; think about intense pressure that causes pain, light pressure that causes a tickling sensation, and then that sweet spot in the middle that provides therapeutic benefits. The goal for weighted blankets is to be in that middle sweet spot. Although, finding that middle-spot of pressure can look different for different people. Below we’ve illustrated some factors that can impact one’s sensitivity to pressure, and thus their reactions to pressure from a weighted blanket.
Choosing the best-weighted blanket for your loved one is ideal, and it will last to the test of time.
All of these factors considered it’s important to think about which weight would be most appropriate for your loved one so they can receive optimal therapeutic benefits from the weighted blanket.
In addition to thinking about a weighted blanket weight, you will also want to consider the size of the weighted blanket. Many of the weighted blankets mass-produced for department stores are disappointing in that they are not quite big enough to cover an average adult. Moreover, if you are shopping for a couple, one of those weighted blankets likely will not cover both at night. We encourage shoppers to look at the dimensions of the weighted blanket, and for couples, in particular, we suggest purchasing a weighted blanket that will fit, at minimum, a queen-sized bed. By choosing a more oversized weighted blanket, both parties can be covered.
