Weighted Blankets

Weighted blankets are blankets filled with glass beads or chains, typically weighing around 6–8 kg, marketed for calmer sleep through deep-pressure stimulation.

What published research reports

A randomised controlled trial published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine (2020) assigned 120 adults with insomnia and co-existing psychiatric conditions (depression, bipolar disorder, ADHD or anxiety) to a weighted chain blanket or a light control blanket for four weeks. It reported significantly greater reductions in insomnia severity in the weighted-blanket group — with 42% reaching insomnia remission versus 3.6% of controls — along with reduced daytime sleepiness. The trial studied a clinical population, so the authors note the findings apply most directly to people with insomnia alongside psychiatric conditions rather than to all sleepers.

References

• Ekholm B, Spulber S, Adler M. A randomized controlled study of weighted chain blankets for insomnia in psychiatric disorders. J Clin Sleep Med. 2020;16(9):1567–1577. JCSM