{"id":173,"date":"2019-10-04T20:46:31","date_gmt":"2019-10-04T20:46:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.isleepsolutions.com\/blog\/?p=173"},"modified":"2019-11-04T20:46:38","modified_gmt":"2019-11-04T20:46:38","slug":"benefits-of-weighted-blankets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.isleepsolutions.com\/blog\/benefits-of-weighted-blankets\/","title":{"rendered":"The Benefits of Sleeping Under a Weighted Blanket"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-174\" src=\"https:\/\/www.isleepsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/AdobeStock_161929987__1567793030_19516-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"woman sleeping under a blanket\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.isleepsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/AdobeStock_161929987__1567793030_19516-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.isleepsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/AdobeStock_161929987__1567793030_19516-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.isleepsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/AdobeStock_161929987__1567793030_19516.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019ve been on social media recently, you\u2019ve probably seen someone touting the benefits of weighted blankets. Although they were originally used to soothe the restless minds of those with conditions like anxiety, ADHD, and ASD, pretty much anyone can use them to achieve better quality sleep. In particular, they may be helpful for those with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.isleepsolutions.com\/what-is-sleep-apnea.html\">sleep apnea<\/a>. Let\u2019s find out how weighted blankets work and how they can benefit those with sleep disorders.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<h2>How Do Weighted Blankets Work?<\/h2>\n<p>Many people claim that sleeping under a weighted blanket feels like being enveloped in a warm hug by someone you love. Weighted blankets apply a gentle pressure evenly throughout the whole body. This is known as \u201cdeep pressure stimulation,\u201d which can have powerful effects on both the body and mind. Deep pressure stimulation lowers arousal of the nervous system, which can be overactive in people with anxiety. It also lowers the heart rate and increases feelings of calmness and relaxation.<\/p>\n<h2>What Are the Benefits of Weighted Blankets?<\/h2>\n<p>The deep pressure stimulation that comes from weighted blankets can change a great number of hormones in the body, promoting better quality sleep:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Stimulate oxytocin: <\/strong>Oxytocin is also known as the \u201cfeel-good hormone\u201d that generates feelings of closeness and attachment, as well as a deep sense of calm. Think about getting a big warm hug from someone you love. That\u2019s oxytocin at work. It\u2019s also just one of the many hormones involved in regulating your sleep cycle. Levels of oxytocin naturally increase during sleep, particularly deep REM sleep. Studies have shown that increasing oxytocin during sleep may reduce the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Decrease cortisol:<\/strong> Deep pressure stimulation reduces cortisol, a hormone that stimulates the body\u2019s stress response. High levels of cortisol make it hard to fall and stay asleep. As you get ready for bed each night, the body\u2019s cortisol levels go down, but stress and anxiety can make them go up again. A weight blanket may help to suppress the release of this hormone.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Increase serotonin:<\/strong> Research has demonstrated that deep pressure stimulation helps increase levels of serotonin, a hormone that promotes relaxation, day and night. Serotonin also stabilizes the mood as well as sleep-wake cycles. Inadequate serotonin levels can contribute to depression, anxiety, and disrupted sleep.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>As you can see, there is no shortage of benefits of using weighted blankets. If you find yourself experiencing sleep problems, it couldn\u2019t hurt to try one out.<\/p>\n<h2>About the Author<\/h2>\n<p>Dr. Pamela West is a dentist in Las Vegas who has been involved in the treatment of sleep apnea for more than five years and counting. She is a member of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, and she works with a team of leading medical experts across Nevada to improve the treatment of sleep apnea and snoring. If you think you may have sleep apnea, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.isleepsolutions.com\/contact-us.html\">you can contact Dr. West\u2019s practice, iSleepSolutions, via their website<\/a> or call (702) 602-2000.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you\u2019ve been on social media recently, you\u2019ve probably seen someone touting the benefits of weighted blankets. Although they were originally used to soothe the restless minds of those with conditions like anxiety, ADHD, and ASD, pretty much anyone can use them to achieve better quality sleep. In particular, they may be helpful for those [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-173","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Benefits of Weighted Blankets | Sleep Apnea | Dr. Pamela West<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"You may have heard of people touting the benefits of weighted blankets, but do they really work? Can they be used to treat sleep apnea? 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Let&#039;s find out.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.isleepsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/AdobeStock_161929987__1567793030_19516.jpg\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.isleepsolutions.com\/blog\/benefits-of-weighted-blankets\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.isleepsolutions.com\/blog\/benefits-of-weighted-blankets\/\",\"name\":\"Benefits of Weighted Blankets | Sleep Apnea | Dr. Pamela West\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.isleepsolutions.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.isleepsolutions.com\/blog\/benefits-of-weighted-blankets\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.isleepsolutions.com\/blog\/benefits-of-weighted-blankets\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.isleepsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/AdobeStock_161929987__1567793030_19516-300x200.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-10-04T20:46:31+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-11-04T20:46:38+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.isleepsolutions.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/36ae14d6a783eb2cc8e52dbddd0e7adc\"},\"description\":\"You may have heard of people touting the benefits of weighted blankets, but do they really work? 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