Fashion

I tried a weighted blanket to help with anxiety and I can confirm it's a total game-changer



I’m one of those people who always sleeps with a duvet, even when it’s hotter than hell outside. I burrow down hamster-style, wearing an eye mask and ear plugs every night and every nap, without exception. Upon reflection, I think it’s almost like the opposite of claustrophobia – I need to be totally shut in, with no hint of the outside world able to disturb my slumber. I create a literal security blanket, without which I feel exposed and unable to relax.

So, when a friend recommended I try a weighted blanket, I was instantly intrigued. The premise behind it is the same as the reasons for swaddling a baby – it keeps you still and supported while you sleep. Studies have also shown that the gentle pressure reduces the body’s level of stress hormone cortisol and boosts the production of serotonin, which is the naturally occurring chemical that regulates mood and sleep patterns. Both swaddling and weighted blanket use are forms of Deep Touch Pressure (DTP), which researchers have shown has a “calming effect on the alleviation of anxiety”. I was sold.

I opted for the Mela Comfort Blanket, which recently launched in the UK after roaring success in the states. “We wanted to create Mela Comfort to not only tackle the growing problem of sleep deficiency using natural methods, but to also use business for good by giving back to projects that we feel passionately about in the mental health space. For every weighted blanket we sell, we donate a portion of our profits to help fund mental health research”, says Matthew King, Co-Founder at Mela Comfort.

The blankets weigh between 15lb – 20lb, and are available in a range of sizes to fit all beds. I chose the 15lb option, which I was glad for when it arrived. Turns out, 15lb is kind of heavy. Top tip: order it to be delivered to your home and not to your office like I did. It’s not exactly travel-friendly.

The blankets are weighed with SGS certified glass pellets, which are evenly distributed. It with the softest, microfibre cover, which while not to my aesthetic taste, feels beyond heavenly. It’s like being cuddled by a huge velvet cloud. As I climbed into bed, I knew that it was the start of the rest of my sleeping life. It felt instantly relaxing, soothing and safe.

Weighted blankets offer a new way for people to help switch off, calm their mind & get the crucial sleep needed to be the best we can,” says Samuel Hochland, Co-Founder at Mela Comfort. “It’s amazing that something low-tech can have such profound positive effects.”

I woke feeling refreshed having slept deeply and undisturbed. But above all, I felt happy.





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