7 Common Myths about Weighted Blankets
So... you’ve had your eye on weighted blankets for awhile, but you haven’t quite decided to buy one yet.
How do I know if it will work for me?
So it's supposed to weigh 10-15% of my body weight, but boy that seems awfully heavy.
What if the weighted blanket is too heavy?
What if the weighted blanket feels claustrophobic?
What happens if I buy the weighted blanket and hate it?
Why does this need to be so complicated?
Easy answer.... It doesn’t need to be complicated.
We’ve heard your plight, in fact, we’ve been exactly where you are. So today, we’re going to do some myth busting and break down 7 of the most common weighted blanket myths to help clear up some confusion.
Myth #1 - Your Weighted Blanket Should be 10% of Your Body Weight
Not only is this myth antiquated, it’s wrong. More weight does not equal more effectiveness.
Unfortunately, this old formula is not using the most current neuroscience, but is still being used by most mass-produced weighted blankets on the market. Their blankets are made up of large sized squares, each filled with tiny flakes of shifting sand glass.
What you want is a blanket with very small squares and larger round glass beads in order to control the exact amount of concentrated weight, measured in precise ounces per square inch (vs. total weight of blanket).This controlled and even weight distribution maintains gentle contact with more nerves, activating the release of endorphins.
Having just a “heavy blanket” does not ensure Deep Touch Pressure and therefore cannot ensure your nerves are being activated. Having large sized squares holding tiny sand glass beads is not the same thing as having an even distribution of weight that conforms to your body and effectively activates your nerves, releasing endorphins that cause you to relax.
Myth #2 - Weighted Blankets are Hot
Most mass-produced weighted blankets are hot for several reasons.
One reason is: in an attempt to stop the shifting of the sand glass beads, they’ve added several layers of compressed polyester, or poly-fil.
The additional filling blocks nerve activation, does not effectively solve the bead shifting problem, and makes the blanket increasingly hot.
Essentially, they have created a heavy winter comforter. If you add a duvet cover on top of the weighted blanket, which many mass-produced weighted blankets do, you’re going to trap even more body heat under the blanket.⠀
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Here at CapeAble®, we have chosen fabrics that are cool to the touch and breathable, even with their luxurious feel. Our larger glass beads also allow for more airflow than sand glass. Many have noted that our blankets are so breathable, they do not provide adequate warmth.
However, it is important to remember, if you are a hot sleeper, your body heat will be trapped under any blanket or sheet you use, whether weighted or not.
Myth #3 - Weighted Blankets are Only for People with Special Needs
If you are a human with a nervous system, then a weighted blanket, with correct nerve input, is for you. The reality is that every single human benefits from the release of serotonin and dopamine that happens when our sympathetic nervous system is calmed.
We are an overworked, over-stressed, and exhausted society. We are more connected and disconnected than ever and because of this, we’re lonely, anxious and depressed.
The evenly distributed weight of therapeutic weighted blankets activates the nervous system to send a signal to the brain that you are safe and it's ok to relax your entire body.
The consistent deep touch pressure acts as a massage on your muscles to release the tension and reminds you to breathe. Our sympathetic nervous system needs that deep level of relief that comes from the release of stress and tension.
Myth #4 - Weighted Blankets are all the Same
Mass-produced weighted blankets are the same in that they’re focusing on the overall weight of the blanket. Everyone is operating under the belief that weighted blankets are simply heavy blankets, but that’s not what it’s all about.
A weighted blanket should have weight to it, but overall weight isn’t good enough, and basing the quality of the blanket on overall weight, is missing the point.
When you’ve got a weighted blanket made with large squares and plastic or sandglass beads, you’re going to be dealing with constantly shifting ineffective weight.
Rather than asking, “How heavy is the blanket?” ask instead, “What is the overall size of the blanket and what is the distribution of weight per square inch?"
CapeAble® weighted blankets utilize the smallest squares in the industry. They are filled with the correct size and number of round glass beads and no extra fillers, allowing for the effectiveness of the 3 C’s of Deep Touch Pressure - Conformity, Compression and Consistent Contact with every nerve, making it the most effective therapeutic blanket on the market.
Myth #5 - Weighted Blankets are a Restraint
This is both true and false. A 20-25 lb. mass-produced weighted blanket that feels like a sand bag is absolutely restrictive and can easily become a restraint. Anything that restricts freedom of movement is a restraint.
For someone with previous trauma, that heavy, sand-laden blanket will cause the vagus nerve to send a signal to the brain that they’re being restrained and can cause a panic response.
If you have lain under a weighted blanket and felt claustrophobic or experienced any level of discomfort, this is likely why.
However, if the weight per square inch is controlled to maintain gentle and even nerve contact, you will be able to move freely while still experiencing a positive neurological release.
That's why at CapeAble®, we keep our squares very small and use round glass beads, rather than sand glass in large squares. Because no one should ever feel restrained under a blanket.
Myth #6 - Duvet Covers on Weighted Blankets are Superior
The reason many mass-produced weighted blankets are put inside duvet covers is because the blanket itself is too heavy to put in a standard washing machine. Their solution was to add a duvet cover that can be removed and washed.
These duvet covers are a burden because:
- The ties and zippers that hold these duvet covers in place rip or break almost instantly under the pressure of the heaviness and shifting weight of the blanket.
- These ties and zippers also put a strain on the seams, causing the threads to pull, allowing the tiny sand glass beads to either leak out of the blanket and into your bed, or into other squares, causing further imbalance in the distribution of weight.
- They increase the amount of body heat trapped by the blanket, making you feel hotter.
- They are a nuisance to get on and off, easily tangling and causing a great deal of frustration.
A better solution is a quality, weighted blanket that can be thrown in a standard washer and dryer without needing to be dismantled, which is exactly what CapeAble® has created in our weighted products.
CapeAble® - One Piece. Machine Wash. Tumble Dry.
Doesn't get any easier than that.
Myth #7 - Micro Sandglass Beads are Best
Glass is better than plastic beads, because it has more weight density per bead. However, size matters too. Larger round glass beads allows for better deep touch pressure per square inch. This precise control over the weight per square inch is superior to the tiny flakes of shifting sand glass.⠀
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The micro sand glass “beads” will also shift through the stitched seams into the other large squares, causing even more of an uneven distribution of weight in mass-produced weighted blankets. ⠀
With our smaller squares filled with larger glass beads, CapeAble® Weighted Blankets will deliver true and precise Deep Touch Pressure for more nerve activation.
SmartWeight® by CapeAble® - Providing the Very Best Relief for Everyone
When founder and CEO of CapeAble® Weighted Products, Marna Pacheco, created the first CapeAble® weighted cape for her daughter Millie, she was looking for something that was not only effective, but attractive. She accomplished this by a great deal of trial and error. What does this mean for you? It means she has created an entire line of therapeutic weighted blankets and wearables of exceptional quality that have broken a 30-year-old, antiquated formula. She created weighted products that align with the deep touch pressure research of Dr. Temple Grandin to achieve the calming of the vagal nervous system as researched by Dr Porges.
Our blankets come in a variety of colors, styles, and sizes in only the best quality, luxuriously soft, yet still breathable, fabrics. Browse through our store and choose your favorite.