Many people need to be covered to be able to sleep, but not only that, but far from the hobbies of each one, there are several studies that have revealed that the use of heavy blankets at bedtime could help relieve sleepless nights. Now, a new study from the University of Uppsala (Sweden) has corroborated this premise and has also found its possible cause.
Apparently, as they explain in research published in the Journal of Sleep Research, having a weighted blanket on the body while we sleep at night can increase the production of hormones related to sleep and that have anti-stress effects, such as, melatonin and oxytocin.
The tests to reach these conclusions were carried out on 26 young people with an average age of 24.4 years, who were analyzed for levels of melatonin, cortisol, oxytocin and the activity of the sympathetic nervous system of fight and flight. The participants slept with a blanket that weighed approximately 12% of the participants’ body weight.
An easy and cheap way to fight insomnia
The results showed that sleeping with this type of heavy blanket increased melatonin levels in saliva by 30%, compared to sleeping with a light blanket. However, no changes were found in the concentrations of cortisol, oxytocin or in the activity of the sympathetic nervous system of the participants.
The study was carried out with blankets weighing 12% of the person’s body weight and showed that they increased melatonin levels by up to 30%.
“Our study may offer a mechanism to explain why weighted blankets may exert some therapeutic benefits, such as improving sleep. However, our findings are based on a small sample and investigated only the acute effects of a weighted blanket. Larger trials are therefore needed, including an investigation of whether the observed effects of a weighted blanket on melatonin are sustained over longer periods,” said Christian Benedict, lead author of the research.
If these results are demonstrated in future studies, weighted blankets could become a simple, economical and effective way to combat insomnia, a sleep disorder that seriously affects the daily life of many people and can put health risk.
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