Weighted blankets – all the rage at the moment, but not an especially cheap investment. A couple of months ago I took the plunge, hoping it would improve my sleep which was being plagued by restless leg syndrome.

There’s loads of articles about the science behind weighted blankets and how they provide ‘deep pressure therapy’ that releases chemicals that relax and soothe us. Here’s an example.

Having read the science and the rave reviews about how it had changed people’s lives literally over night, I had high hopes, but my feelings are more mixed. Here’s my thoughts after 8 weeks of use…

The blanket is soothing and comforting, and I miss it when I go back to sleeping under a regular duvet. I don’t really notice the weight on my torso but I really miss the weight wrapped around my legs when I’m not under the blanket.

I think the blanket helps with my anxiety but my restlessness hasn’t really decreased. Having said that, medication has also stopped helping so it could be that there’s something other/additional to the restless leg syndrome. But I do feel myself relax when I climb underneath it, especially in the day when I listen to my body’s demand for a nap.

I was pleasantly surprised that the blanket doesn’t make me overheat – or at least no more than usual (I don’t control my temperature very well and get very, very hot at night). I did choose a blanket that had one side designed for hot sleepers, and one side that’s designed for cooler sleepers. It seems to work great for me, and I’d suggest you check the material of your prospective blanket to make sure it’s breathable too.

The blanket I bought is really high quality (aside from not enough ties holding the cover to the inner, but it didn’t take much to sew in extra), quiet and evenly-weighted. I researched carefully and made sure my blanket came with a washable c0ver included, and was made with medical-grade glass beads. I’ve seen homemade blankets for a fraction of the price but are made with pebbles which I imagine would be much less comfortable!

I think I made a mistake in buying a blanket that’s too big. I was worried that the smaller size would mean I had bits of me sticking out when I slept like I do with single duvets. I figured getting the larger size wouldn’t hurt but actually, the extra area makes it harder to move around, harder to stick the bits you want out from underneath it (I’m a feet uncovered sleeper), and easier to get in a tangle that wakes you up. Extra area also makes it easier for the blanket to droop over the edge of the bed or sofa and slide off. The larger size also makes it less portable, so I don’t find myself lugging it downstairs to the sofa, for example.

When I make recommendations to friends now, I tell them to consider the relationship between lax joints and weight if that applies to them. I had a bit of a problem with the tendonitis in my hip flexor which I have post-hip replacement. With weight sitting on top of my legs, it was harder for me to move my legs, especially when I was lying on my side and reliant on that problematic flexor to move. This is part of what the blanket is designed for – reducing movement helps to foster deeper sleep. But if you’ve got weak or lax joints (from hypermobile EDS, for example) or a chronic injury, the blanket may aggravate the pain, or at the very least disturb you when you move which is the opposite of what it’s supposed to do.

Conclusion? I don’t regret buying the blanket, but it hasn’t solved all my sleep problems. I like sleeping under the blanket, and miss it when it’s not there. But it’s not the panacea of sleep issues that it can be sold as. I’d say it’s worth checking around and getting a good quality one. Many companies run offers and giveaways so check their social media feeds too. I went for a Kalm Koala blanket (again this is not a paid or incentivised advert in any way) and it’s great quality, and good value when they run their regular offers, so I’d definitely recommend them as a company to look at buying from.

I’d love to hear others’ thoughts on weighted blankets. Love? Hate? Let me know!