If you’re unfamiliar with weighted blankets and the benefits they offer kids and adults with sensory issues, read on. Weighted blankets are like regular blankets in keeping you nice and warm, but the filling sets weighted blankets apart.
These therapeutic aids are filled with various materials, from tiny glass beads, sand, and poly pellets, to weighted discs. This filling offers even pressure across the whole body, helping to calm and relax the person using it.
What size weighted blanket should I get?
We suggest aiming for a blanket that weighs around ten percent of your child’s body weight. So, if your child weighs 30 kilos, look for a 3-kilo weighted blanket or thereabouts.
Why deep pressure therapy helps with sensory regulation
Does your child or loved one struggle with sensory overwhelm? Children and adults with ASD can often get overstimulated or overwhelmed by loud noises, stressful environments, and even changes to their routines. Deep pressure therapy can help with sensory regulation and calming and relaxing users.
How do weighted blankets help?
When you lay under a weighted blanket, the pressure acts as a form of deep pressure therapy, increasing the dopamine and serotonin levels in the brain. These feel-good chemicals encourage feelings of calm, happiness, and well-being.
Wrapping a weighted blanket around you mimics the feeling of a hug, which naturally releases oxytocin, helping you feel relaxed and secure. Other weighted products, and weight sensory items, including hand-held toys, can also encourage feelong of calm.
Stress triggers physiological responses
If your child has ASD, APD, or other sensory issues, they might not like being touched very much. Light touch may also cause agitation, whereas deep-pressure products can have a calming effect. When your child is feeling overstimulated, they may demonstrate these symptoms:
- Rapid heart rate
- Shallow breathing
- Difficulty falling asleep
Laying them down in a calm space and covering them with a weighted blanket or pillow can help mitigate these symptoms, as deep pressure can regulate the body’s systems.
Are weighted blankets safe?
Weighted blankets are considered safe if the person using them has the strength and ability to lift them off themselves. Some sleepers may need to speak to a doctor before using a weighted blanket.
Avoid using a weighted blanket if you have certain medical conditions, including:
- Chronic respiratory or circulatory issues
- Asthma
- Low blood pressure
- Type 2 diabetes
- Claustrophobia.
Need a weighted blanket for your child?
Sister Sensory offers a range of sensory toys, therapy and weighted products and sensory solutions to help build fine motor skills, provide comfort, and help educate growing minds. We ensure that all our products are readily available so that when you find the perfect toy for your little one, we will have it in stock and ready to ship directly to you.
Contact us today to find out how we can help find the sensory toys and products to best support your child.
