Are you curious if the science behind weighted blankets holds up? Weighted blankets have been researched extensively and it is true! Weighted blankets, when roughly 8-12% of your body weight, have been shown to increase serotonin and melatonin and decrease cortisol. If you're like me, you might be wondering, "What does that mean?" Read on, and we will unpack the many weighted blanket health benefits and the science behind them.
Science
Do you want to know more about the science behind weighted blankets? Weighted blankets have been researched extensively and have been shown to increase serotonin and melatonin while decreasing cortisol. Well, what exactly does that mean? Read on to discover the science behind weighted blankets.
Serotonin
Serotonin is a chemical that is created in our body naturally that helps to regulate mood, social behavior, appetite, digestion, sleep, memory, and sexual desire. When people have low levels of serotonin, it can sometimes cause depression and anxiety. Increasing the body’s serotonin levels can produce feelings of well-being and happiness.
Melatonin
Melatonin is a chemical hormone that is naturally produced in the body that tells us when it’s time to sleep and when it’s time to wake up. Melatonin is created by a gland in the middle of your brain, and increased levels of melatonin can signal the body to sleep, while decreased levels could result in insomnia and other sleep problems.
Cortisol
Cortisol is a stress hormone. When we experience stress at work, school, or home, our brain may perceive it as a threat, which can increase our cortisol levels. The best way to manage our stress levels is to get adequate sleep.
THE SCIENCE BEHIND WEIGHTED BLANKETS
Serotonin
This amazing chemical is created in our body naturally, but some people have low levels of serotonin which has been linked to depression. It is believed to help regulate mood, social behavior, appetite, digestion, sleep, memory, sexual desire and function. It is also widely known that increased serotonin produces feelings of well-being... We could all use a little more of that.
Melatonin
Melatonin is a chemical hormone that is naturally produced in the body. Not just any hormone though. Melatonin is created by a gland in the middle of your brain for the purpose of helping you know when it's time to sleep and when it's time to wake up. More melatonin production means it's time to go to sleep. As simple as that. Our Weighted Evolution blanket helps in the creation of melatonin naturally and safely
Cortisol
Have you heard of cortisol? Well, I'm glad you’re reading this, because understanding cortisol is very important in the science behind weighted blankets. Cortisol is the body’s alarm system—technically it’s a stress hormone. I think we all know what STRESS is. Constant social pressures, deadlines at the office and family strain have an impact on your body. Our bodies are very smart, when we constantly pile on responsibilities or if we fail to take care of our mental health the chemicals in our bodies will run wild. It is said that although much of our stress is minor, compared to cave men, our bodies are perceiving these minor stresses as threats which increase our cortisol substantially. Obviously running into a grizzly bear vs having to race out of the house to make sure the kiddos make it to their soccer games are totally different, but the chemical reaction is not so different. We think it's vital to manage our stress levels and the best way to do that is to make sure we are receiving adequate sleep. This is where Weighted Evolution saves the day and, of course, your night. An anti-anxiety weighted blanket can help you get a better night’s rest.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The Weighted Evolution blanket is engineered using DPS or Deep Pressure Stimulation. DPS is widely studied by researchers and is also recommended by occupational therapist and doctors.
(DPS) Deep Pressure Stimulation
Of course, we could always break down DPS into all the scientific jargon, but who wants to hear that? If you want to research this topic further, I will leave some links below. Allow me to explain so it’s easy to understand. You have a sympathetic nervous system which is an alert function for the body, this system is in charge when you're facing everyday stressful situations whether you're crossing a busy street in the middle of Manhattan or driving over a rickety bridge. Obviously, this system serves an important function. Then you have the parasympathetic nervous system which doesn't always kick in when you need it to. This PSNS system is your rest & digest system, designed to bring a sense of calm and peace to the mind and body. Applying DPS simply triggers the parasympathetic nervous system to switch on. Unfortunately, not all weighted blankets are equal. Many weighted blankets fail to take advantage of DPS by over-filling the blankets with unnecessary insulation in large pockets, which inhibits the effect of DPS. We specifically designed the Weighted Evolution blanket with small diamond pockets with minimal insulation allowing the glass sand beads to make more direct contact with your body thus initiating deep pressure stimulation quickly and effectively.
Additional Research
Click the links below to download or view detailed information regarding deep pressure stimulation:
DPS FOR AUTISM AND SENSORY PROCESSING DISORDER IN CHILDREN
Our Promise
The Weighted Evolution team is committed to creating sensory products that exceed the industry standard by listening intently to customer feedback and through continuous research and development. We hear you!
Our Impact
Our products support the science behind weighted blankets. We help people all over the world sleep easier and find relief from many symptoms associated with the following diagnoses: insomnia, depression, anxiety, panic disorders, PTSD, and restless leg syndrome, to name a few. We also believe it’s important to pay it forward, so we contribute 5% of all our proceeds to help people who struggle with mental health disorders and chronic pain.
