If you struggle to get a full eight hours sleep a night, the first thing you should look at is your night-time routine.
Reducing screen time before bed, avoiding alcohol and practising some form of meditation can all help to get you in the mood for glorious sleep. But if you've tried all of these and still find that a good old snooze evades you, have you thought about trying a weighted blanket?
What is a weighted blanket?
Put simply, it's a blanket with weights in it. It isn't the technology inside weighted blankets that’s clever, however, but rather how they interact with us both mentally and physically.
Weighted blankets give us the sensation of being hugged, or cuddled, which in turn releases chemicals such as serotonin and melatonin – both crucial for sleep and general wellbeing. These chemicals help to make us feel secure, less stressed, and able to relax.
Weighted blankets are commonly used in the treatment of children with behavioural issues such as autism and ADHD, and lots of reviews suggest that they can help many people with getting better sleep.
To put this theory to the test, I decided to give one a go, without changing any of my other bedtime habits. Foolish? Maybe. A weighted blanket can't really be that effective, can it?
Usually, I tend to get between five and seven hours of sleep a night. I'm restless and prone to vivid, terrifying dreams, which often see me wandering around the house, shouting gibberish at my other half and convinced there's someone in our room. It's bloody awful, to tell you the truth.
What's more, I find it difficult to wake up in the morning, I constantly feel tired and struggle to fall asleep within the first two hours of being in bed. I've tried sleep apps, meditation, ditching alcohol, no food after 8pm, and listening to white noise/rain sounds - all without much success, overall.
Related: The best electric blankets
The Review
I opted for the AmazonBasics All-Season Cotton Weighted Blanket because it's affordable and was exactly what I was looking for. Upon arrival (in a very heavy box), I was met with a high-quality blanket that felt great to touch and was exactly as described. It weighs 5.4kg, so it isn't too heavy, but you know it's there. I didn't want to go too heavy, too soon, so opted for this one. Most brands will advise you to get a blanket that's 10-12% of your weight.
The first night, I placed it over my duvet and got ready for a rockin' night's sleep. Sadly, I woke up in a daze, clearly not used to the sensation and convinced that I was trapped in my bed. After registering what was happening, I dropped back off to sleep.
The next night, and the following nights, I became addicted to the wonderful, sound sleep that the weighted blanket gave me. One look at my Fitbit app told me that I was not only sleeping for longer, but I was less restless and was spending more time with my sleeping heart rate below resting.
Since I've started using it, I've only woken up once with an outburst from a vivid dream (that I remember, anyway), whereas at one point, it was every night. I feel well-rested, it's easier to wake up in the morning and I fall asleep much more quickly.
It's cool, so you don't overheat while in bed, and will be great in summer as a replacement for a summer duvet.
What's more, I also take it on to the sofa and wrap it around myself if I'm having a particularly stressful day or just need to unwind. It works for me.
Related: The best cheap mattress
Final Opinion
Placebo? Maybe. There are a lot of factors that can affect how we're sleeping, such as stress, food consumption and overall health. Is the idea of the weighted blanket helping me feel more relaxed? To be honest, I don't care.
The difference for me has been phenomenal. I'm closer to getting eight hours every night (sometimes more with a weekend lie-in), I'm having fewer terrible dreams and I'm getting higher quality sleep. I'm totally sold. It'll be coming everywhere with me, from now on.
This dark grey blanket is available in twin or queen, and in 5.4kg or 9kg. It features a non-glue polyester padded lining and two non-woven layers filled with thousands of premium micro glass beads for weight. It also has 10 built-in loops to fasten it to a duvet cover.
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Jade Moscrop is the Deputy Editor for WhatsTheBest, specialising in lifestyle topics. She also writes for Closer, Heat, and Mother&Baby.
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