Thinking back to the best hug you’ve ever had, you experienced a short glimpse of what it’s like to sleep with a weighted blanket—although, no, they don’t have arms.
Surprisingly, being held or hugged is comforting for essentially the same reason why sleeping under a heavy blanket is so effective: deep touch pressure.
Deep touch pressure, which is gentle, constant pressure similar to a long hug, has a calming effect, relaxing the nervous system and stimulating hormones that regulate mood, sleep and more. This effect allows you to go from stressed and anxious to calm and peaceful completely naturally.
By boosting endorphins, weighted blankets may create a change in the body’s chemistry and decrease cortisol, the stress hormone.
One of the most important endorphins that’s released by weighted blankets is serotonin, sometimes known as “the happy chemical”, a hormone and mood elevator. Serotonin leads to the production of melatonin, a hormone that makes one feel sleepy and regulates sleep patterns. Ultimately, this combination of increased serotonin and melatonin can create a relaxed, calm state and chilled out nervous system ideal for sleep.
