Pipermoon blankets have often been described as a lightly-weighted, weighted blanket. Yet, others have opposed the term due to PM blankets lacking the beads that are traditionally sewn into pockets within a "weighted blanket". Do we want beads in our blankets? Absolutely not!The day we are born, we are swaddled in a blanket as a means of providing comfort and security. As we outgrow our favorite baby blankets, we never quite lose those associated feelings anytime we snuggle up under our favorite blankets, even as adults. Autism researcher, Dr. Temple Grandin is the pioneer behind weighted blankets. As a child she often feel relief from her anxiety and sensory processing disorder as she was hugged. However, at times a hug would incite the opposite feelings of fear and irritation. She developed The Temple Grandin Hug Machine as a therapy tool to help calm hypersensitive individuals without feelings of confinement Weighted blankets can reach beyond autism, sensory processing disorder, ADHD pressure therapy and benefit many conditions that we all are sure to experience from time to time including sleep loss. Here are the Top 5 Nontradtional Weighted Blanket Facts:1. They ease Sensory Processing DisorderSensory processing disorder comes in two forms- hypersensitive or hyposensitive. Hypersensitive, or oversensitive, people are overly sensitive to stimuli and can become overwhelmed by noise, crowds, or touching.Hyposensitive people can have trouble sensing noises, touch, and other stimuli. In some cases, people with undersensitivity also have a very high pain tolerance.Hypersensitive people can enjoy a weighted blanket because it is an object and not a person and easy to control the effect. You can control how much or how little touch you experience and where you feel you can tolerate pressure. Hyposensitive people will appreciate that they have an object that provides the firm, gentle pressure they want on demand.While occupational therapists recommend the weight of your therapy blanket to be 10% of your body weight, our blankets will provide something difference. Weighing in at 2 pounds, their benifit is more in the stretdch of the fabric aand the gentle pressure that stretch applies as we wrap it around our body. This self-soothing technique is a great way to to manage sensory overload. 2. Offer Autism assistanceDr. Temple Grandin stated that “Deep touch pressure [...] is exerted in most types of firm touching, holding, stroking, petting of animals, or swaddling… Autistic children will often seek out deep pressure sensations.”A weighted blanket mimics this therapy, which can assist to calm those with autism.3. Reduce anxietyThere are roughly 40 million anxiety sufferers in America, making it one of the most prevalent mental illnesses in the nation. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), anxiety is very treatable. However, they also report that only 36.9% of sufferers get the treatment they require.Anxiety makes everyday life extremely difficult, and it can make sleeping especially troublesome. A study looked at the vital signs of adults using weighted blankets and found that 63% of participants said they felt less anxious while using them.The study also recorded a 33% drop in electrodermal activity, which is a response generated by the sweat glands frequently in response to stress. Those with anxiety often feel “exposed” when laying prone and a weighted blanket can help to ease stress and finally get a good night’s sleep.4. Reduce/assist insomniaMost Americans don’t get enough sleep, as we talked about here. In fact, the National Sleep Foundation stated that 45% of people regularly get “poor or insufficient sleep.” According to the Sleep Health Foundation, a third of adults suffer from insomnia.Scientific research indicates that deep touch pressure can create a calm, peaceful feeling that minimizes insomnia.5. Provide gentle sleep relief for anyoneEveryone experiences sleep issues at some point in their lives. It’s, unfortunately, a common fact about being human. Another fact, however, is that we need regular, high-quality sleep to perform at our best.A weighted blanket can help you to increase the number of good sleep nights and keep any insomnia or nighttime restless at bay. Including a weighted blanket in your nighttime routine and environment can make it easier for you to fall asleep and stay asleep.Our lightly weighted, weighted blankets provide an alternative solution when the tradtional10-30 pound Iweighted blankets feel too confining. By wrapping an adult size swaddle blanket around you, you have theability to control howmuch of that pressure you need to find comfort. magine climbing into bed with a hot cup of chamomile tea, dimming the lights, and wrapping up in a weighted blanket in your blissfully cool room. Now that sounds like the perfect way to wind down.
