Weigh Me Down!

I am *so* enamoured with this product! Looking through the huge amount of gift ideas available at ShopAtShowcase.com, I zeroed in on something mighty fast this Christmas season: The Dream Away Calming Weighed Blanket. I had to make it mine. And, thanks to the amazing folks at Showcase, I received it last week!

If you follow my Instagram stories, you’ll remember my absolute glee last week at receiving it in the mail. Weighing 10 pounds, it wasn’t a light shipment but came in a lovely little bag. I couldn’t wait to use it but wanted to ensure I did for several nights before writing this post, to be fair in my assessment.

So, why a weighted blanket? For about a year now, I have been reading how weighted blankets – most familiarly used for individuals with autism as a therapeutic item – were being used as a beneficial item in households for everyone in the family. We swaddle babies, we love a good comforting hug, and we crave a cuddle when we need reassurance. A weighed blanket is just that – a comforting blanket that has a decent weight to it to give you that feeling of a hug, security, and a safe feeling. Weighted blankets have been shown to be beneficial to people with Autism, Sleep Apnea, Restless Legs, Narcolepsy, Jet Lag, Shift-work, Night Terrors, Work Related Stress, and Anxiety. They have even been found to enhance sleep, calm anxiety and stress for people with no sleeping issues.

The Dream Away Calming Blanket weighs 10 pounds. The recommendation is that blankets should be about 10% of an adult’s body weight and you’ll typically find them in 10, 15, 20 lb weights. 10 pounds seemed perfect for me, I think 15 would be too heavy for sure. It comes with a super soft minky blanket cover which is super smart (I can’t imagine how you’d wash a 10lb blanket) that was easy to put on.

The dimensions are 74″L x 39″W which is smaller than a twin blanket, but basically enough to cover an adult body on a bed. On that note, if you’re using it on a bed with someone else like me, you’ll typically be under your regular blanket with this on top so you’ll need to dress a bit lighter when you sleep. I get very warm under this blanket!

So, how did I sleep? Since I’m, well, asleep – I rely on my husband for his assessment here. He said it’s made an immediate difference in my sleep. He watches Netflix in bed every night so is up for at least an hour or more than me. He noted that not only do I fall asleep ridiculously fast but that I don’t toss and turn at all anymore.

For my own part, I can say that I definitely feel safe and secure under the blanket and immediately ridiculously calm and ready to sleep. I normally scroll through Facebook and the news sites for a bit before bed and I can’t under this blanket. My eyes are heavy and my body is feeding off the signals it’s receiving – warmth, security, safety, comfort – and telling my brain it’s time to go to bed. I fall asleep very quickly. This blanket is recommended for children over the age of 2 – I only wish I had it for my oldest when he was little and dealing with night terrors. I think this would have made a remarkable difference. That kid is now thirteen and has asked me every single night why he can’t have one of these blankets for himself.

The Dream Away Calming Weighted Blanket is at Showcase Stores and at ShopAtShowcase.com for $199 (10lb) and $229 (15lb) right now! I can’t recommend it enough if you have anyone on your list that has any of the issues stated earlier, or just someone who could use a little bit more comfort when going to sleep. I love it so so much (clearly!)

Disclosure: I was sent a Dream Away Calming Weighed Blanket in exchange for sharing my thoughts. All opinions, obviously, are my own. Thank you Showcase!