Weighted Blankets-- anyone tried?

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Have you any experience and opinions on weighted blankets? Which company do you like? Does it matter what the fill is? Do you go a bit heavier than recommended, or lighter? Thoughts? Thank you for your input!

I have a 25 pound weighted blanket and I love it! I sleep with it on me every night! I actually wish it was heavier! I'm going to get several more heavy (regular) blankets along with my weighted blanket to sleep under.

I have a ten-pound weighted blanket that my mom made me. Manufacturers recommend getting one that's ten percent of your body weight plus a pound, so mine's about half a pound too heavy. I really like it though; it's made of soft, bumpy "microfiber" that's sort of furry/silky. The weight is very effective for keeping me grounded. I use it after meltdowns and in the midst of sensory overload, as well as during times when I otherwise feel "unfixed" like I'm going to float away or my limbs don't feel properly connected (usually in times of high stress). It's also very good for sleeping under, and adds a measure of perceived physical security. They're pretty expensive, especially the bigger ones, but I think it's an investment worth making.

Sorry for the dumb question, but what does a weighted blanket do exactly?

Is it just a blanket with extra weight or does it do other stuff?

It's effectively a blanket stitched into segments that contain plastic polyfil beads for weight; its only real purpose is to provide proprioceptive input for people who need extra pressure to regulate their nervous systems. They work in the same manner as Temple Grandin's squeeze machine.

That sounds incredibly pleasant. I'm going to have to look into these. Are they commercially available or are these specialty things I'd have to order?

I just received my first weighted blanket this morning. It's 7 kilos which is 15 pounds. I haven't used it yet but I'm really excited about trying it out tonight. It was very expensive but if it improves my sleep and daytime functioning, I think it's worth it. I'll report back tomorrow morning. I bought it from a company in the UK. I ordered it on Tuesday and it was delivered today (Thursday). They also included a free weighted lap-pad which I'm using right now. The blanket is composed of multiple pockets filled with polybead weight bags and sealed with velcro. It should be easy to increase the weight if I need to.

I'm currently using my third weighted blanket. I think that weighted blankets are awesome and everyone should know about them. My weighted blanket is so important to me. People question me carrying a 20-25 lb blanket when I travel but it matters.

My first blanket was queen sized, second is full but isn't as nice of material (I still have this one but am not using it actively, it makes me sweat), third is my twin sized one that I have for travel and for when I need heavier weight per inch.

I use more than the recommended amount, but recommend to others to use it unless they know for sure they want more. Be careful - there is a maximum safe weight to sleep with - its 20% of your body weight.

The 10%+ 1 lb though is recommended because it is the best for most people. My first blanket was based on that ratio, my second was as well. Most people I know use that ratio happy, most people my OT knows use that ratio happily. It's recommended for a reason. Some people need particularly much, and you know if you're one of those people, its not needing weight, its needing a lot of input, that is when you go above that. (I'm the type of person who wears a breast binder for the propioceptive input, a weighted vest over that, and then wraps up in my weighted blanket on top of that.)

Oh, also 10%+1 lb is for a twin size - if you get a bigger blanket, get it heavier is what I'd recommend. Use the ratio, 10%+1 lb: Twin size = new weight: new size, to figure out what you want (So (10%+1)/twin size)*new size=new weight). I did that for a queen size, which meant I got the same amount of weight per inch for my queen size blanket and if I needed extra weight I could fold my blanket in half ontop of itself and get two layers. I thought that was the best even if it was awkward to double up like that.

I really like just straight poly pellets nothing else for fill. Poly pellets + polyfill is a good option depending on what you want sensory wise. I highly recommend poly pellets for the weighting. Some places use glass pellets and I really didn't like what those did for me sensory-wise. Anything besides those options will make a lower quality blanket - one which you can't wash as well and/or one which will break down faster.

Just poly pellets would mean you can feel the pellets, polyfill would mean it'd be puffy and feel like a normal blanket but heavy. I like feeling the pellets moving and getting to fidget with them with my fingers, and how they move against my body. Other people prefer it being a puffy blanket that's heavy. That's a matter of preference. I've used blankets of both sorts and find them both good quality blankets. I just know which I like better.

Cheapest way to get a blanket is if you or someone you know makes it for you. My first blanket I made, my third blanket my boyfriend's mother made. Otherwise, yes they are expensive. I find it worth the money without a question.

I wish I had one - presently I just pile on the blankets, duvet and comforter to get the weight I need but it gets kinda hot sometimes sleeping.

I may have to break down and buy a weighted blanket.

40lb weighted blanket here. I love sleeping alone in it! It's definitely not for any overnight guests.

I never knew it was an Asperger's thing to like heavy blankets/duvets, I thought it was just me. I used to always want 3 or 4 duvets or they didn't feel heavy enough.

Generally speaking you have to order them online (I have yet to find any specialty or therapy equipment of any kind in a commercial store: maybe I'm going to the wrong places.) Below are a few websites whose merchandise I like the look of.

http://www.beanblanket.com/?gclid=Cj0KE ... Akhp8P8HAQ

http://www.sensacalm.com/weighted-blankets/

http://www.mosaicweightedblankets.com/

http://www.weightedblanket.net/

I did quite a bit of research on these and eventually bought mine from http://www.beanblanket.com/Minky_Weight ... kets2.html

I'm very happy with both the product and the service, so I'd recommend them. It's not made clear on the page, but you can order a custom blanket with a different weight - just email them for a quote.

My tips:

Weight: Forget that "10% body weight + 1 lbs" line. It's just something one person came up with and then everyone else repeated, because they didn't know better. (Even that person originally meant it to apply only to children.) Instead, test out how much weight you like by getting under something (like a mattress) and then weighing it. Sure, it's not quite like a blanket, but you get some idea. I did this, ended up getting a blanket that's 15% of my body weight and still wish it was a bit heavier.

Size: If you want to use it like a "normal" blanket and sleep all night under it (not just lay under it without moving) it'll need to be longer than your height and more than double your width. I got the 42" x 72" one, but I wish I got the 54" x 78". This also affects the weight. With a large blanket like this, most of it will be resting on the bed. The larger the area, the lower the percentage of its weight that you'll actually feel pressing down on you. (Another reason why this "10%" advice is useless - it doesn't take size into account at all.) So if I was to order the 54" x 78" one I'd personally get ~20% of my body weight.

Material: yes, the fill matters, but they pretty much all use the same fill - poly pellets. You may as well get a nice fabric on the outside too. I got minky and it feels great.

Sellers: I found the major limitation is that most sellers will not make blankets over a certain weight, like 15 lbs. If you want more than that then your choices are already quite limited. If you're not in USA then many will not ship to you. (And if they do - shipping will cost about as much as the blanket itself!) Also, you'll find this is very much a "cottage industry". Many sellers are just parents of autistic kids who made a blanket for their own kids and then started running this is a "side hustle". Power to them, but I'd choose someone who does this full-time - they'll have more experience and tend to answer emails more promptly and professionally.

Thank you everyone for your input. Thanks also for the links posted!

I've never used a weighted blanket. For me, it is hard to tolerate anything heavy upon me. Although many benefit from weighted blankets, I would most surely suffer. I like being able to move freely under the covers.

I have a weighted blanket and I use it a lot. I also have a weighted lap blanket which I use when I am studying as it helps me concentrate.