Question for those that use weighted blankets.

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Or I suppose simply lots of blankets for deep compression when sleeping. Any problems you've had with this? Also why do you do it?

My 6 year-old son sleeps well, when he gets around to going to sleep. For about 4 months he's been taking 2.5mg of melatonin before bed to help him get to sleep. Before this he'd run on an approximately 27-28hr day, going to sleep getting later and later. Even with near total darkness in his room he'd remain awake in his bed for hours before dosing off, though he'd sleep very soundly through the night once asleep. The melatonin has been successful in bringing him into a 24 hour clock, and he still sleeps solidly through the night. But recently (last 3 weeks) he's been at his maximum hyper level in the morning every morning, which makes it very hard for him get ready for the bus and the day. Not sure the melatonin use is connected to the change. He's been like this in the morning before, just not as consistently as this. My thoughts were maybe his body isn't getting enough stim at night, and was trying to compensate. So to sate the craving I was considering weighted blankets.

So again, anyone out there with high seeking/low registering sensory that's experienced this and tried weighted blankets, or something else, for this?

Thanks in advance for any help.

I sleep with a heavy comforter on top of me. I used to always have to sit on the couch with something covering me, even in summer. But since I've focused and gotten more weight (just a Target King size comforter), I don't need to be covered all the time.

I've always had a horrible time sleeping. It does seem to help, plus running a fan for white noise year round. Hope this helps.

I use lots of blankets wrapped tightly. In the winter, I have to leave my window open. I like the blankets wrapped as tight as I can get them. I do it because it feels good to me.

I am exactly the same way. I use to comforters and sometimes a third or fourth sheet simply because the weight of just one is not enough for me... it really is a personal thing, a person needs to find their ideal way to sleep, and they will generally have better sleep once they find it. For me, as I said, its several blankets, and I always sleep in the exact same position, facing the same direction when laying down, and always on my stomach.

I sleep with a heavier blanket bunched up and have to sleep against something-- like either on a couch or a futon. I also have to clutch something such as a stuff animal and I'll sometimes sleep with a pillow over my head instead of under it. =p Just how I like to sleep.

Sleeping on a couch is amazing, especially if its a leather couch. I love the feeling of the leather against my body, best way to sleep ever.

I loved napping on my ex's leather couch; it would reflect back the body heat and conform to the body. Nice.

I sleep with a sheet and four blankets on top of me or else I can't fall asleep. Its a comfort thing probably like being back in the womb in a confined space and not a stimulation thing as the mother suggested.

As for keeping your son in bed it might also be he is getting caffiene too close to bed time. Or getting light during the wrong time of the day messing up his circadian rhythm. He may also be rapidly cycling bipolar and going through the mania period right now. You ever taken him for a sleep study where they monitor his brain waves?

The only way I can sleep is by putting my head under the covers. This isn't really good as it can suffocate me.
Will a weighted blanket help me sleep?
I'm still afraid of the dark too.

Yeah. Get one from dreamcatcher blankets. My son likes his. It doesn't always help him to fall asleep faster (though it sometimes does) but it conssitently helps him to *stay* settled so he doesn't wake up all throughout the night.

I use a special matress that responds to bodyheat, so it let's me sink in and forms a cavity around me. And tight blankets and open window too.

I used to sleep with about four or five comforters, two blankets, and three sheets, all tightly tucked in so I could get as much pressure as I could.

It helped me get to sleep faster, and stay asleep. And my Restless Legs Syndrome wasn't so bad after I finally got the pressure right.

Sometimes, walking around with a blanket tightly wrapped around me keeps me calm and happy in times of stress.


I've been considering buying a weighted blanket...

ah you got RLS too! spoke to some cranky dude on the chat who claimed I couldn't be AS if I had RLS

lol

Wow, what would AS have to do with RLS?
That's like saying if sandals have high heels, they can't be sandals.


What was his reason for such ignorance?

I don't know how much weighted blankets would help. I would think for a 6 year old, I would first try increasing the amount of time outside in natural surroundings and being physically active while he's awake, but if he's already going to school that's going to be hard. But this might be something you could try during the winter break and see if increased time spend outdoors helps. I know this has been shown to help ADHD and oCD children. AAnd while I'm neither ADHD or OCD - just a plain ol' Aspie - it always helped me when I was younger, and still does, now that I'm pushing 40's.

But I have always slept with some sort of blanket on me. I don't sleep well at night without the sensation of a blanket covering me, but I can take naps during the day without one (although I seem to nap better with one). I don't know if I'd like a weighted blanket, unless it breathed well. I have been using my mother's hand made quilts because they're all cotton, have some weight to them and breathe nicely, but they're getting too worn. I recently bought a couple of high quality "sherpa" blankets from JC Penney that are soft, cozy and hefty, but not too dense (you can see light through them if held up to a light source), and they are wonderful. My cats think so too - I have to fight them for them. They'll likely be too warm for the summer, and I'll have to go back to the quilts then, I think, or get a light weight comforter with a cotton duvet cover.

I'm also very picky about anything polyester. It it feels too synthetic, I can't sleep with it. This is especially true of comforters. For this reason I often have to removed the comforter from motel/hotel beds. Most cotton or other natural fiber blankets are much more agreeable to me, and I'm Ok with softer types of polyester like high quality fleece, faux mink textures, faux moleskin texture, satin and so on. Just as long is it doesn't feel like plastic wrap or is scratchy.

My blanket woes are made more difficult by the fact I had a traumatic experience when being institutionalized, and I cannot sleep on a bed with velour blankets or "waffle" blankets, as those were the type of blankets used at that institution. But that's clearly due to my PTSD and not my AS.

Will try, weather permitting. He's going to be at my parents farm for a good part of it, though that's going to be a pretty terrible test because of all the other changes involved with that.

It is something that does help during the day. School gets him outside twice/day for about 20 minutes (probably will be in the gym today though because of weather). They also are working on teaching him some self-regulation exercises that are classroom appropriate and have some "running breaks" for him too if he asks for them (aid will chase him). At home we allow physical climbing and jumping well beyond the norm (though still a few rules). He's also has one of those bag swings, though he's a bit big for that now and it was always his siblings that liked it more than him. During the summer there is the trampoline in the back that he really likes too.

He's doing well during the day with the regular releases. But this issue is more like a pent up thing from overnight. Another consideration was getting him up earlier so he can take the half hour it seems he needs to stabilize in the morning, then start the morning preparation routine. But that runs into some other scheduling issues, I was hoping there might be another way to do this.

I don't see anyone posting here talking about waking up like this, only problems with sleeping itself. He isn't groggy in the morning and after he's fallen asleep and we check on him during the night he's always appears sound asleep. He's awoken from dreams before but that is very, very rare.

omgosh i love my weighted blanket, before my weighted blanket i was up wandering the house aimlessly through the night, now i stay in bed more. mines only 13lbs, i just recently bought a 18lber because i need more weight, i loooove weight or pressure, thats why if u ever visit me and ur heavy, itll be okay by me to sit on me lool. I think a weighted blanket is a definte good investment in my opinion. I bought both of mine off of www.weightedblanket.net which is dreamcatchers.