Gravity Blanket / Weighted Blanket for Teen w/Sleep Issues
My 16 year old daughter has some sleep issues and has been wanting to get one of these Gravity Blankets (or some call them Weighted Blankets) which we've read is helpful to people trying to get to sleep. I was wondering if anyone has experience with them and can offer feedback / recommendations. There are things that I've read have made me hesitate to buy one a little bit. Some of these things that I've read is that there are beads inside and they can fall out of a seam or something and you end up having beads to clean up in your room. We've also read that the weighting doesn't necessarily match the type of person (they do it based upon the weight of the person sleeping under it apparently, but it can sometimes feel too heavy or too light). I've also read that they don't seem to size them to the bed size correctly - in other words, you might order a queen size, but the blanket sent is too small for that size bed if a friend is sleeping with or something. One thing I also read is that some have a bamboo fill which sounded good, but then it sounded like even the bamboo filled blankets have beads in them that can end up leaking out. I guess I'd just like to hear of some recommendations / suggestions from someone who has one and is really pleased or someone who got one and what they discovered / learned from that experience before I go and buy another thing that doesn't get used!
Parent Replies
My daughter uses one with good results. She suggests you get a smaller one, not the size of the bed so that it's possible to move out from under it if it gets too hot (she says that sometimes happens). It's a bit of trial and error personal preference -- so buy an inexpensive one at first. Don't overthink it -- there is no one right answer, just one version that may work for her.
Our teen loves her weighted blanket. We have no problems with beads falling out. I guess the quality of the blanket is important. We got a cover that is washable and we have not washed the blanket itself so that may be helpful in having them last. As for size, the weighted blanket is just laid on top of the person so it doesn't have to fit the entire bed. We have regular sheets and blankets tucked in and then the weighted blanket goes on top. She can also use it on the couch of needed. This is the blanket we have https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077SKX3H8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Hi. I bought a 15 lb gravity blanket about 10 months ago and can say for my personal experience, it's been a great experience. People have individual experiences, and for me, the sensation is comforting. I bought a cover for the blanket and it's functioned fine, no breakage or difficulty. It's on the smaller size and doesn't cover the entire bed (queen) which doesn't bother me.
Our teen also had issues falling asleep - so we purchased a weighted blanket from LUXOME and have been happy. It is heavy so it sits on top of the regular blankets, the size or contents are not a big deal to us, though this brand was top rated. Anecdotally, I would say that it totally works, where it used to take almost an hour to fall asleep, they are asleep now within a much shorter time. For the price it's certainly worth a try! Good luck!
We bought a twin blanket and a small stole/wrap. My son, who is kinda quirky, loved them. Ours was filled with little beads and was quite heavy. In fact, the person who sold it makes them narrow for safety reasons--especially if it is a child or elderly person using it. It is not supposed to fit the bed. Our is very high quality, but I think the person who made it might not be doing it any longer--her website, overgrowngreensoul.com doesn't have any links. But she does have a blogspot if you google Jennifer blog overgrowngreensoul it should come up and you could comment on her blog to ask her. I think hers were filled with tiny glass beads. But there are many providers, the product has turned into a mass market thing from a cottage industry. On the other hand, our neurotypical daughter didn't get anything out of the weighted blanket.