If you’ve ever read Kinja Deals more than once, chances are, you’ve seen a deal on weighted blankets. There were four different deals during Black Friday and Cyber Monday alone. As a Deals Commerce Editor, I have written about many deals on weighted blankets. I’ve written about brands sold on Amazon, popular and unknown. I’ve written about Gravity Blankets, Bearaby, and more.
My beloved former coworkers, Chelsea Stone and Shep McAllister, both loved their weighted blankets. I’ve seen plenty of reviews ranting and raving about them, but I am never usually one to believe any hype. There has been a decent amount of research (though still much more needed) on the benefits of weighted blankets.
Essentially, weighted blankets are supposed to offer deep pressure stimulation to relax the nervous system. It can help relieve pain, lessen anxiety, and improve mood.
Studies have shown that weighted blankets can be beneficial for people with:
- Autism
- ADHD
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Insomnia/sleep disorders
- Osteoarthritis
- Chronic pain
Weighted blankets are sold everywhere, or at least, so it seems. I can’t open the Amazon Deals of the Day page without seeing one. While searching for gifts for my nieces for Christmas, I saw Disney and Harry Potter-themed weighted blankets at Target and Kohl’s. After all the bombardment, I decided to give it a whirl. And I go to test a really soft one. I got a chance to try the new BUZIO Sherpa Fleece Weighted Blanket. The blanket is fleece on one side and sherpa on the other. I’ve written about the regular weighted blanket from BUZIO a few times for Kinja Deals, so I was excited to see what our readers love about it.
In the last few months, things in my personal life and professional have given me new levels of anxiety. I haven’t begun to struggle with insomnia (thankfully) but when I am feeling particularly anxious, I will toss and turn quite a bit. On top of that, I also have three cats and a small dog. Sharing the bed with them can seriosuly add to my restless sleep.
The timing of trying this blanket was probably perfect for reviewing, though not ideal for life in general, as my anxiousness has been at an all-time high. Does this blanket cure my anxiety? Obviously not. Does it help me sleep better? I sure as hell think so.
In the first few weeks of using it, I felt it helped a lot with how the animals’ movements impacted my sleep. I used to wake up whenever one of my cats decided they needed to readjust their sleep position. With the weighted blanket (I have a 20-pound blanket), my cats are now lighter than the blanket. So, I personally feel like I am not disturbed by their movements as much. If a cat pounces off of my head, as they’re known to do, that I still feel. But whenever they move around on my legs, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that my blanket really has helped eliminate that disturbance.
I do find some comfort in this blanket when I am feeling very anxious, but I also have medication for anxiety and I see my doctor. I really wanted to test this primarily for the restlessness I’d been experiencing otherwise. I do feel like I am waking up less throughout the night and sleeping for longer.
And like I said earlier, weighted blankets have been researched, but still require more research to explore all of the benefits. If you’re considered buying a blanket, to treat for a medical condition, definitely speak to your doctor first.