weighted blanket?

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I have had trouble sleeping all my life. I toss and turn and wriggle and writhe and no matter how many pillows or comfy things i have surounding me i still feel exposed or out in the open. My mom says that when i was a baby the only way i could get to sleep was if i was wrapped really tightly in a blanket so i couldn't kick or move. Last night I felt like i needed weight on top of me. I put a ton of clothes from my closet, heavy things like coats, all over me and i was calmed and went to sleep immediately.

I am thinking about buying one of those weighted blankets. they day they are good for autistic people and people who just have trouble sleeping. Have any of you ever tried them? How many pounds do you like in comparison to how heavy you are? are the blankets really hot? I'm looking at one with polypropylene pellets, not beans or anything like that.

At one point I thought about getting a weighted blanket. Instead I use an unzipped sleeping bag and turn the temperature down to 65 degrees (since the sleeping bag has so much insulation and its so heavy). Probably would be more efficient to get a weighted blanket.

I use one for restless leg syndrome, and it works wonders.

For the whole body, the rule of thumb is 10% of your body weight I believe. Be sure to get the kind where the weights are sewn in, because you will tire of removing them and replacing them every time you need to wash it.

Our son, who has an AS dx, likes to sleep in a cocoon like state, wrapped up tight in a comforter he picked for it's silkiness. He's almost 12 now and has done this for a few years. Fortunately his room is the coldest in the house, plus he runs a fan.

I heard an autistic woman on NPR talking about a machine she'd made for herself that squeezes her body, and she uses that to relax. I have noticed that I feel good with my body shoved into a corner when I'm sleeping, and wrapped tightly in a blanket. I've never heard of weighted blankets before; that sounds like a good idea. But I don't think I could afford it.

Thats why I have a waterbed.. I sleep between the mattress and frame on the side.

aspiesmom1 is right they recomend no more that 10% of your body weight. I think they are great it gives you that snug secure feeling I use pillows with mine too lots of pillows. There are many places that sell them online and places with directions on making your own too. Mines 16 lbs and filled with very couse sand.

Wow that sounds perfect! I love to sleep between the mattress and the wall. And I also used to love to lie under the couch pillows.

How do you make a Weighted Blanket? I'd love to make one for myself.

Do a web search on them and you will find tons of stuff some with directions

This may be what you heard about. Click the pics for some info.





I have actually tried to make a weighted blanket for my daughter. She loves it, but my son hates it. They both have different needs. I generally get a lot accomplished for her by rolling her up in anything and squeezing her (quite a bit tighter than many would want to do to a kid) and the benefit lasts for hours.

It has become part of our evening routine and we rarely miss a day of 'squeezing'. When I do miss a day she will come to ask for it sometime during the next day. Not bad for a 5 year old to recognize her needs so well.

A weighted blanket has been on those things thats been on my list "to do eventually" things.

I love the feel of weight on my back and stomach, otherwise it feels like nothing is there at all.

Does anyone know of a good manufactuer?

Yeah I need a blanket covering my entire body to sleep. I have thought they need
to invent a material that will allow oxygen to enter and carbon dioxide to exit but at
the same time not loosing all the insulating property of a blanket.

I like the feel of acrylic. If I was rich I could take a heavy non-toxic metal or
metal oxide like tungsten oxide. Take Acrylic resin then mixed with tungsten oxide
could be formed into fibers for acrylic thread production. So maybe a $2000 super
heavy but soft blanket!

They sell those?! Wow, and here I was just fantasizing about buying a lead dentist's apron from Ebay to sleep under.

I have a new dream.

Temple Grandin is the one who came up with the squeeze machine.

I thought we might be able to make something similar by hanging some air mattresses off a door that opens against a wall and rigging that so you could pull it to squeeze. A couple of pullies would give the pull a feeling of weight or power.

Though you might be able to rig a door and an air mattress to your bed. Hmm. Not sure I'd like it though - I have to keep hard surfaces away from me in my bed or I bruise myself in my sleep. I pull the bed away from the walls.

http://www.ont-autism.uoguelph.ca/blanket.html

This is the only site I found with instructions on making a weighted blanket. Could anyone find something else?

That's all I found too