When it comes to nightmares, the worst ones are those that never happen. What do I mean? I mean there is no bigger nightmare than insomnia. Those who have found themselves tossing and turning in bed are familiar with the agony.
More than frustration, a sleepless night brings health problems. From auto-immune diseases to psychological disorders. Therefore, what is commonly linked to lack of sleep is anxiety. Anxiety often leads to depression.
To summarize the life of a “modern-day person” we can add a pale of stress on top of everything mentioned above. Well, what we have here is a poor life quality, a weak immune system and limited cognitive abilities.
Lucky for us, there are a lot of solutions that can ease the symptoms of our self-destructive behavior. One very powerful, developed as a therapeutic tool, is the weighted blanket.
How Can a Weighted Blanket Help You?
Weighing 8-10% of the user’s body, the weighted blanket has the ability to perform the deep touch pressure DPT stimulation. Many studies show that DTP stimulation results in a feeling of relaxation and calmness.
The soothing and hugging sensation, as users commonly explain the DTP, stimulates the nerve endings on the skin surface. This results in consecutive processes that put the body in the state of rest and digest. Consequently, the secretion of the happiness hormones begins.
The chemical processes that occur in the body, after the nervous system is triggered by the
weight of the blanket, are proven to be beneficial for:
- 1. Dealing with Insomnia
- Restoring a healthy sleep-wake cycle
- Easing the symptoms of anxiety
- Mighty stress reliever
- Helping with depression
Stress, Anxiety, Insomnia, Depression
If you find yourself dealing with just one of these 4 problems, you are the lucky guy. Stress commonly results in insomnia. Insomnia can affect psychological health and increase anxiety or vice versa. Depression is a common outcome when dealing with a combination of those mentioned before.
If you decide to try sleeping with a weighted blanket, you offer to your body an instant switch to a happy state. At least, this is true for most of the users.
When under stress or prolonged anxiety the body is overruled by the sympathetic nervous system. The body is in fight or flight state and constantly alert. When you cover your stress and anxiety with the right amount of weight, you are more or less pushing a button that switches from sympathetic to parasympathetic nervous system. This results in the secretion of the following hormones:
- Dopamine
- Endorphins
- Serotonin
- Oxytocin
- Melatonin
Regular use of the weighted blanket increases the levels of these hormones in the bloodstream and here is what happens:
- Serotonin is a sleep-wake cycle regulator. It will restore the balance and help you maintain quality sleep
.
- Melatonin is the neurotransmitter that puts the body to sleep. Once the body is in the rest state, the secretion of melatonin puts the body into a deep sleep.
- Dopamine, serotonin and endorphins are the happiness hormones. Depression, anxiety and other psychological disorders are directly linked with low levels of these hormones in the body.
- Dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, oxytocin promote the feeling of happiness, satisfaction, calmness, content and higher self-esteem. Great way to fight off the symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Improving Cognitive Abilities with a Weighted Blanket
First of all, you need quality sleep and a regular sleep-wake cycle for your brain to function with its full potential. Therefore, eliminating sleeping problems by the use of the weighted blanket will help you with:
- Improving memory
- Increasing concentration and focus
- Boost your attention span
Using the blanket while reading or focusing on work, may help you with better concentration. The calming feeling that eases the stress will help you relax and concentrate. The DTP will ease your mind and help you gain better focus.
Relaxation and Meditation Assistant
People that love and are in need of a good relaxation can benefit greatly from a weighted blanket. A great assistant for faster and smoother entrance in the state of relaxation.
If you perform relaxations with deep breathing or guided meditation and find it challenging to enter the relaxing state, the smooth DTP will be your fellow guider. Enjoy!
