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Weighted Blanket for Insomnia?

(66 Posts)
Sparklefizz Sat 19-Oct-19 08:49:07

Has anyone tried a weighted blanket for insomnia? I still have my 4 tog. duvet on the bed and have added a lightly quilted bedcover over it for more warmth until I need to change up to my winter duvet. I have noticed that I find the extra weight of bedding quite comforting and have come across weighted blankets quite a bit recently and am wondering about getting one.

They are expensive - has anyone tried one?

NotAGran55 Sat 11-Jan-20 19:15:13

My sleep has definitely improved since I had mine . I would usually wake every 90/120 minutes and never sleep longer than 6 hours a night in total - frequently only 4 to 5 .
I now only wake once usually and have managed to get to 7 hours quite often.

Sparklefizz Sat 11-Jan-20 18:43:54

That's great news NanKate. smile

NanKate Sat 11-Jan-20 07:31:44

My DS still loves his and it has changed from a very fitful sleeper into someone who now feels refreshed on waking ?

Sparklefizz Sun 05-Jan-20 11:19:37

How are people getting on with their weighted blankets? I still love mine.

MamaCaz Wed 25-Dec-19 10:10:17

Hmm- spot the obvious typo!

MamaCaz Wed 25-Dec-19 10:04:32

I experimented last night with the only 'wieght' I had to hand - one of my heavy (but unpadded) handmade quilts. Unfortunately, only thing I could do was put it over the top of our normal double quilt on my side. I loved the feel of the extra weight, but not surprisingly was soon way too hot to sleep!
I will have to wait until OH is away next week to try a more sensible experiment.

Sparklefizz Wed 25-Dec-19 09:00:38

"have" not "has"

Sparklefizz Wed 25-Dec-19 09:00:09

MamaCaz I don't know as I sleep alone, but I have friends (a couple) who has a separate duvet each because of differing choices over warmth, so I guess you could do the same - have a single one on your side of the bed. They do show pictures of couples with a double sized one.

Stella14 Wed 25-Dec-19 01:07:42

I have been curious about the ‘gravity’ blankets, but not yet taken the plunge. I haven’t heard of the Koala brand before. I will take a look.

MamaCaz Tue 24-Dec-19 22:25:46

How easy/difficult is it to use one of these blankets if sharing a standard double bed?

From what I have just read, looking at a few different brands, you wouldn't use one to go across both people, but I am struggling to picture how I would use one of these while OH continues to use a quilt.

Sealover Tue 24-Dec-19 14:58:00

MamaCaz, mmm... I got that response from my husband but he is so fed up with my insomnia he actually bought me a Koala weighted blanket (thank you Sparklefizz!). Whilst not a miracle cure my sleep quality is better. The Koala company will refund your money if you return the blanket after 30 days if it's not working for you. I do find the blanket very soothing and swaddling. Worth a try.

Sparklefizz Tue 24-Dec-19 12:29:00

grin MamaCaz

MamaCaz Tue 24-Dec-19 12:27:44

This thread has certainly got me thinking.

To be honest, I can't really afford to buy one of these blankets, though I might find a way if I knew for certain that it would help me.

Next time OH is away, I am going to experiment with some heavy hand-made quilts that I made as bedspreads, to see if they make any difference.

I mentioned the weighted blankets to OH this morning - his response (and I should have seen it coming!) was that if I wanted extra weight, he would lie on top of me if I liked! hmm

Sparklefizz Tue 24-Dec-19 11:56:37

Great news NotAGran.
Happy Xmas

NotAGran55 Tue 24-Dec-19 06:50:59

That probably explains it Sparklefizz . The JL one is great and I am sleeping much better . I love the heavy feel of it .

Sparklefizz Mon 23-Dec-19 18:13:43

NotAGran When I was researching weighted blankets, I came across a news article in (I think) The Guardian on the blankets in general, which tested a number of them, and the Koala came out in the top 5 ..... so I expect they were inundated with orders just after that.

NotAGran55 Mon 23-Dec-19 17:20:55

I ordered Koala blanket at the beginning of November and received an email to say they would not be able to supply it until the end of November. They offered a further £5 off the price but I wasn’t prepared to wait and got my money refunded . I was not happy that they were offering ‘deals’ , taking the money but couldn’t fulfil the orders .
They have constant reductions which is a nonsense.
I bought a John Lewis one for £26 less smile and had it delivered the following day .

Sparklefizz Mon 23-Dec-19 17:16:53

Good luck with your weighted blankets everyone. I am not sure how it will be in hot weather as I have only had mine since the autumn, but I do find the weight very comforting.

One small tip - because of the weight I think I would struggle to remove the cover for regular washing, so I use a top sheet on the bed which is easy to change every week, and put the Koala on top of that.

endlessstrife Mon 23-Dec-19 16:04:15

I think it’s like anything else, it’s whatever works. Since menopause, I haven’t been able to have too much on me at night at all. In fact, our roles have reversed, and my husband is now the cold one. We’ve got a winter duvet, comprising of two separate ones, one is 9 tog, the other 5. We usually start with the 9, and then add the 5 if we need it. He usually does, I just kick them both off!

TerriBull Mon 23-Dec-19 15:34:29

I've read about them, I suffer from insomnia since the menopause and from getting very hot at night so wonder if the blanket would therefore work for women like me. I'd get one if I thought they could.

skb235 Mon 23-Dec-19 15:24:48

soothing the cost - that should have said...

skb235 Mon 23-Dec-19 15:24:09

@Sparklefizz after reading your recommendation I have just now ordered myself the weighted blanket from Koala - I have been a terrible sleeper for 10+ yrs and have tried allsorts so here's hoping.... 30 day money back if it doesn't work is sing the cost... but right now I'd pay anything to just sleep

Xxjanexx Mon 23-Dec-19 14:57:40

@sparklefizz...I have mixed personalities disorder and my husband treated me to one.
I love it,admittedly it did seem a bit strange the first night,but wouldn’t be without it now.

Sparklefizz Sun 15-Dec-19 10:20:28

PS. Wish there was an edit button - forgot to say that I am still sleeping brilliantly with my Koala blanket, and my GP has become very interested because he first prescribed a small number of sleeping pills for me 24 years ago!!!! He knows how I have struggled in all those years.

Sparklefizz Sun 15-Dec-19 10:15:32

If anyone is interested, Koala have got a Xmas sale with their weighted blankets vastly reduced.

Sorry, Nankate I missed your earlier post on here on Tues. 10th Dec.

Farmor15 the blankets work because of the weight, not the warmth. The blanket will swaddle you.