My New Blankie (Weighted Blanket)

Weighted blankets, if you're not familiar with them, are heavy blankets.  They are similar to quilts, but have little bean bag-like pockets sewn into them.  They are typically used by people with autism and other sensory processing disorders, but are increasingly being used by people with other conditions, as well.  I've read that they are being used in some psychiatric hospitals, too, which I think is a great idea.

They are expensive.  A full-sized weighted blanket often costs $150 or more, if you order it online.  Since they are so heavy, I imagine shipping is high, too!  I found instructions for making one and decided to make my own.

It's something I'd thought about for a while, and then a couple months ago, I had a urinary tract infection and it was really triggering a lot of my PTSD stuff, and I found myself piling couch cushions on top of my body during the night.  The weight, the even pressure, felt comforting and decreased my anxiety.  I decided then that I had to make a weighted blanket.

I liked the idea of making my own, not just because it was cheaper, but also because I could choose the fabric myself and because I had another idea I really liked.  I put dried lavender in all the little bean bags.  My blanket smells wonderful.

I spent about $65 on materials, I think.  I did not buy the dried lavender, it was given to me by a friend.  If I'd had to buy that, it probably would have cost me about $75 total, half what it would have cost to buy a blanket, and the one I bought would not have had the lavender in it.  I'll post instructions for how I made it sometime soon.

I love it.  It's green, lighter green on one side and darker green on the other.  One side is flannel and the other side is fleece.  It's super soft.  I love the feel of the bean bags under the flannel.

It is very heavy, about 21 pounds.  From my research, I learned that it's recommended that a weighted blanket be about 15% of your body weight.  Now, with my bad back, 21 pounds is almost too heavy for me to carry around.  Lying under it is fine, but actually carrying it somewhere?  Not so easy. 

Some people use smaller weighted blankets, like a lap robe, for carrying places with them.  For instance, I have a dentist appointment coming up next month.  If I had a smaller blanket, I could take it with me and put it over my lap in the dentist's chair.  I think I might make a smaller one, about half the size of this one, for things like that, although unfortunately it won't be ready in time for my dental appointment.

I tried looking for information about physiological effects of weighted blankets but couldn't find any.  Like, I notice when I have my blanket over me, my breathing slows down and I am pretty sure my heart rate slows down, too.  I'm curious about its effect on blood pressure, too.  I did read somewhere that weighted blankets help people with restless leg syndrome, but that's the only physiological effect I read about.  I read plenty of stuff that says it decreases anxiety but nothing that really explained how it does that.  But if you breathe slower and your heart rate slows down, that would decrease feelings of anxiety.

The only negative thing I've discovered about it, so far, is that it gets hot under this heavy blanket.  Last night I slept under it and I slept well, except for two times I woke up kind of sweaty.  I just pushed the blanket off and went back to sleep, then later pulled it back on.