Weighted blankets

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Hi Everyone,

Has anyone used a weighted blanket or had any success with one? My 7 year old son hasn't slept past 6am since he was an infant regardless of how late he stayed up the night before. He has a lot of sensory issues and I heard that weighted blankets can help with relaxation. Any opinions would be great!

Used one with my oldest son (dx'd with moderate autism) and it was minimal in its effectiveness, for me I didn't mind it, it helped me some when I tried it (have Asperger's myself).

My son sleeps with a sheet and 2 comforters, even in the Hottest parts of the Summer. I have never heard of a "Weighted Blanket" thing, but your mentioning it made me think of that........

I'm saving up for a weighted blanket, ever since I heard about them. In the summer, I a/c my bedroom down to 60F, then pile up heavy blankets on top of me. The more I think about it, the more I notice things like being more comfortable with a cat lying on my chest, or a big book. There's such a thing as a weighted vest, too.

The weighted blankets are filled with poly pellets (they look like little plastic beads) in a baffle design like comforters so that they are evenly distributed and stay in place. Some designs use beans or sand but from what I read the poly pellets are good because they can be machine washed. You can get the blankets in weights from 2 lbs to 150 lbs. I just ordered one for my son today. I'm hoping for good results because we've tried everything else. He gets to sleep just fine, he just consistently wakes up at 5-6am. When he was a baby he wouldn't go to sleep unless he was swaddled very tightly and he likes to have a comforter on him even in the summer so I'm hoping some added pressure will help him. I'm assuming our insurance will not cover any of the cost, but I am going to call my insurance next week to find out if they would cover any of it if my son's occupational therapist "prescribed" it.

I have been considering purchasing a blanket for myself but I don't know what weight to get, since there is such a wide range. I have sensory integration dysfunction, and my occupational therapist suggested this. I don't go to him any more bc he moved, so I don't know how to get info on it. I'm interested to see replies to this topic as well.

I found this, I might buy mine here when I get enough money

http://www.weightedblanket.net/

If memory serves me, the guideline is 10% of your weight + a pound, but it would be better to double check.

Hmm...never heard of this. Sounds like something I would like though. Just came across this site http://www.myweightedblankets.com/ seems cheaper than the others. I just bought a nice blanket too. It's really soft but thin and light. Maybe I can weigh it down myself.

I ordered mine from http://www.saltoftheearthweightedgear.com/ It was $65 vs $112 at the dreamcatcher website. I know you often get what you pay for, but the price difference was big. I will update when I get the blanket and let you know if the blanket is a good value. I ordered the B size blanket (6 lbs) as my son is 7 and under 4 ft tall.

I, personally, am very sensitive to the weight of blankets and quilts/doonas.

I can't stand the weight of them, even though most people would consider the weight of the average blanket/quilt to be insignificantly small. I like light-weight covers on my bed, as they allow me to turn easily during the night; i.e.- they don't cause as much friction when turning over.

Because of this sensitivity, I am often quite cold during the winter-months . I end up using an oil-heater to compensate, as I have only a fairly small bedroom.

My two cents-worth


Brendan

When I was young - yes blankets made a very big difference in my ability to sleep....

A god technique is to switch between all the varieties, sporadicaly while they are growing up untill they are about 10.

Go with the light thin quilts for a month, witch to actual blankets, for another (Summer and Winter Times a good time to play with combinations of both)

Change fabric textures .. smooth cotton, abrasive woolly stuff, ,thick heavy stuff, thin stuff etc

Change Layers... do single layer thin, double layer tin, single thin + doona, etc etc

Change Bed layers... Wool then thin, thin only, thin then thick, thick the thin ..etc etc

Do every combination possible to - acclimatise the child into every condition - yes there will be restles nights, but after two nights without sleep - it didn't matter what I was on I would clock out ---alot of the time my doona(s)/quilts/spreads ,,and even my bed spreads/layers were on the floor in the morning.. and then my mum would just re-do them the way they were - like to teach me to 'GET USED TO IT -OR YOU NEVER WILL!"

My 4 1/2 year old son has been diagnosed with Aspergers. One of his characteristics is dyspraxia (a lack of body awareness), and so he is constantly seeking deep pressure & touch to help his body know where it exists. A lot of the time, this means that he is constantly pressed up against me. We got a weighted blanket just this week, after it was suggested by his OT. It seems to be making a pretty big difference in his ability to settle down to sleep and stay asleep. Once we get him settled into bed (getting out of bed can be an issue for him), we can actually see him start to relax & drift off. This is a new thing... and it's so reassuring. He also hasn't had any night or really early morning wakings since we got it. He said to me just the other day, "Mommy, I LOVE my new blanket!" I love it too We also got a cuddle swing for him, as a way for him to meet his need for deep pressure during the daytime. Don't have any feedback to offer on it yet, since we have yet to hang it (it involves getting a great big eye bolt and putting it into a beam...).

we have 2 blankets from salt of the earth....they've lasted for over a year, with a LOT of wear and tear, and they still have held up like we jsut bought them ! hubby uses his all the time, and loves it....son uses his, but only when he's anxious......the salt of the earth website has guidelines as to how much weight you should have in your blanket.