The effect of weighted blankets on sleep and related disorders: a brief review

Summary & key facts

This paper looked at research up to March 2023 on weighted blankets and sleep-related problems. The authors read many studies and found that most reported people slept better, felt less tired during the day, or had fewer negative feelings after using a weighted blanket. However, some studies showed only that people felt better without clear changes on objective sleep tests. The authors say weighted blankets are promising but we need larger, better-quality trials to be sure they are safe and really work, and to understand how they might help.

Key facts:

• The authors searched several medical databases for studies where people used a weighted blanket and researchers measured sleep or related problems.
• Most of the studies reviewed reported that weighted blankets improved sleep quality or reduced daytime tiredness and negative emotions in groups with insomnia, ADHD, autism, and some psychiatric conditions.
• Some randomized controlled trials (carefully controlled studies) found benefits like better sleep, fewer night awakenings, and less self-reported stress after using weighted blankets.
• Not all evidence agreed: some studies found no clear change in objective sleep measures but did find that people or their caregivers reported feeling better.
• One laboratory study found no change in how sleepy people said they felt, but it did find a rise in salivary melatonin, which is a hormone that helps the body prepare for sleep; this suggests a possible biological effect to explore.
• The reviewers warn that most studies were small or varied in design, so bigger and higher-quality trials are needed to confirm safety, how well weighted blankets work, and why they might help.

Abstract

Weighted blankets might be a promising tool for sleep interventions among individuals with sleep disorders in clinical settings. More high-quality and large-scale randomized controlled trials are needed to further validate the safety and efficacy of weighted blankets and explore precise mechanisms.

Topics

Restless Legs Syndrome Research Sleep and related disorders Sleep and Wakefulness Research

Categories

Experimental and Cognitive Psychology Psychology Social Sciences

Tags

Clinical psychology Cochrane Library Insomnia Internal medicine Intervention (counseling) Law Medicine MEDLINE Meta-analysis Pharmacotherapy Physical therapy Political science Psychiatry Psychological intervention Randomized controlled trial Sleep disorder Substance abuse

Conditions & symptoms

ADHD Anxiety Sleep disorder Anxiety or worry Difficulty focusing Lack of energy or motivation Poor sleep