Weighted blankets are becoming a popular trend, especially among parents. Pinterest, an inspiration website, reported a 259 percent increase in saved pins for weighted blankets in the year 2018, predicting that the trend will become even more popular.
While it may be tempting to try almost anything to help your baby or toddler sleep better at night, there is still insufficient evidence to support the use of weighted blankets in infants and young children. The AAP's recommendations for safe sleeping include restricting the use of any type of blanket in babies, as a blanket can pose a risk of strangulation and increase the risk of cot death.
What are weighted blankets
Weighted blankets are exactly how they sound: blankets with extra weight in them. The extra weight is intended to induce a calming effect on the person using the blanket without adding extra heat.
Different types of materials have been used to add the extra weight; For example, some ynm weighted blankets use chain links that are built into the inside of the blanket and are padded for extra comfort. Others use small weighted pellets or metal balls to add weight. There are also different weights available in ynm weighted blanket, such as 6 kilograms or 10 kilograms overweight.
A study found that using a blanket that represented at least 10 percent of the individual's body weight provided calming, beneficial benefits and helped improve sleep in people with insomnia.
Weighted blankets were first introduced to help people calm down with autism spectrum disorders, hyperactivity disorders and certain developmental disorders. In essence, the weighted blankets produce deep pressure on the body, helping to induce feelings of calmness, reducing anxiety and promoting relaxation and sleep.
Weighted blankets were found to help with all of these things for both people with certain conditions and the elderly. For example, some nursing homes have started introducing ynm weighted blankets to help their residents sleep better at night and reduce anxiety and restlessness.
Weighted blankets Safety
Because weighted blankets help create a better sleep, parents may wonder if a weighted blanket can help their baby sleep better. Most parents struggle with getting a good night's sleep and any device that promises better sleep sounds promising.
However, weighted blankets pose a significant risk to babies, toddlers and even older children, especially if they have developmental disorders or delays. There are at least two reports of deaths from weighted blankets, one with a nine-month-old baby and one with a nine-year-old boy who had autism.
A weighted blanket can be particularly risky for a baby or toddler because the excess weight can cause the baby to get stuck under the blanket and not move. And if the blanket found its way to the baby's face, it could also pose a choking hazard.
It is also worth noting that even if you do not use a large weighted blanket with your baby or toddler, if you are taking a nap or sleeping with your baby and you have a weighted blanket in your own bed, it is still a danger. Parents should avoid using weighted blankets around babies and toddlers and follow AAP's safe sleep recommendations to reduce the risk of and other sleep-related injuries.
Free Tip
So for now skip the blanket around babies and consider stocking up ynm weighted blanket instead for the morning after those sleepless nights. Of course not just for yourself, for the baby too.
Misty Jhones