Pregnant women complain of sleep troubles. While many cannot sleep due to restlessness, some may not be able to find the right position.
While there are a variety of pillows to help them find the right position, how does it help their anxiety?
When you go to bed anxious, you will toss and turn around and not get much sleep.
When you are pregnant, you require good quality sleep for your and the baby’s benefit. Getting good quality sleep while pregnant is easier said than done!
When someone holds us as we sleep, we feel reassured and safe. In most cases, it helps you sleep better.
Weighted blankets revolve around this concept. These blankets weigh anywhere between 5 and 30 pounds.
They create a deep pressure with their weight, which helps relieve stress.
You can use these weighted blankets even when pregnant. Just ensure they are not too heavy as it will not be very comfortable. Having some 20 pounds on your baby bump may make it very difficult to turn around and breathe freely.
Benefits Of Using A Weighted Blanket
Using a therapeutic blanket regularly can offer you numerous benefits. Deep pressure therapy helps with various issues like anxiety, autism, and even pregnancy-related stress.
Imagine having a bad day and getting a tight hug from a dear one. It instantly makes you feel safe and helps you recover from the experience.
Since you cannot always have someone to hug you whenever you feel restless or anxious, weighted blankets come to the rescue. Some of the benefits of using these blankets are:
- Reduces anxiety
- Relieves your perception of pain
- Helps with depression
- Helps you sleep better
Most pregnant women go through the above stages at some point in their pregnancy.
Thanks to the highly fluctuating hormones, a pregnant woman is never fully in control of her emotions or feelings.
Do You Need A Pregnancy Blanket?
A pregnancy blanket is not a “must-have” for a pregnant woman.
A pregnancy blanket could be a good investment for those going through an emotional roller coaster due to their pregnancy and are finding it hard to sleep.
The blanket can add deep pressure when you lay down and help you relax and feel less anxious.
With the blanket weighing over you, you can sleep better. Good quality sleep is essential for a healthy pregnancy.
Can You Use A Weighted Blanket Every Night?
It is totally a personal choice. It depends on the weight of your blanket and what your doctor advises you.
Pregnancy is famous for night sweats. If you are experiencing night sweats, weighted blankets may not be a good option.
If you feel the weighted blanket is not letting you breathe freely or is suffocating you, it is best to avoid it.
However, if you are experiencing anxiety or sleeping difficulties and a weighted blanket can help you, you can use it but not regularly. You can –
- Use it on alternate nights or on a few nights when you are very anxious, and avoid on nights you feel suffocated.
- You can start with a weighted blanket and switch to a regular light blanket in the middle of the night when you realize you are sweating too much.
- You can use the weighted blanket for just part of your body. Using it over your back and legs can help you relax and sleep well too. It can help with pregnancy-related foot swelling too.
Choosing Weighted Blankets
Are you not sure what to look for when you hunt for the perfect weighted blanket? Here are a few tips to help you out:
Material
The material is very important. The more breathable the fabric, the better it will be for long-term use.
Even in the case of pregnancy-related night sweats, if your blanket is made of breathable or light fabric, you won’t sweat too much. It will allow your skin to breathe.
Size
Choose a size that is right for you. Do not buy a size small or too big either.
You don’t want the blanket weighing you down too much, making it uncomfortable later in the night or as your pregnancy progresses.
Similarly, choosing a size too small will cause more sleep disturbances. You don’t want to be tugging the blanket to cover you properly from all sides.
You should remember that as your pregnancy progresses, the area for the blanket to cover will increase.
Weight
Choose a blanket that is not too heavy. You cannot have too much weight on your bump. Just about 10-pound weight should be ideal; you can opt for a blanket that is roughly about 10% of your body weight.
If you are not too sure, you can always check with your doctor to find a safe option.
Weight Distribution
A good weighted blanket must have the weight evenly distributed for utmost comfort while sleeping.
The blanket should not be heavy on one side and empty on the other. The pressure it creates on your body will not be uniform.
Portability
If you love your weighted blanket or are going through too much anxiety, you may want to carry your blanket with you everywhere you go.
Choose a weighted blanket that is easily portable. Usually, these blankets are portable, so this shouldn’t be much of a problem.
Best Weighted Blankets For Pregnancy
Here are some weighted blankets you can consider buying while pregnant –
Bearaby Cotton Napper Weighted Blanket
If you are looking for a weighted blanket made of organic cotton to prevent or reduce all those night sweats, this could be a good option for you.
Available in different shades, weights, and sizes, you have quite an option to choose from.
Being a knitted blanket, it can also add some style to your bedroom décor. It is one of the best-weighted blankets available in the market today.
Helix Weighted Blanket
With a two-sided cover, one can choose to let the fleece side or the sheared microfiber side cover them.
The glass beads are evenly distributed with the help of a gridded internal stitching pattern.
The size is perfect for one adult, thus allowing the pregnant woman to have some cozy, relaxing time all by herself.
Tempur-Pedic Weighted Blanket
Rated as one of the best-weighted blankets for its even weight distribution, this blanket can provide the ultimate “hugging” feeling a blanket can give you.
You may not toss or turn around much when your body receives even pressure throughout. You can enjoy a much better quality of sleep when you are comfortable.
Comma Home Bamboo Modal Weighted Blanket
A luxurious 60 x 80 inches quilted blanket for the perfect sleep. The bamboo modal fibre is very cool to touch, smooth, and will feel very soft on pregnancy skin.
With 16 loops to secure the duvet cover, there is no worry about the weighted blanket bunching up in corners.
For those looking for luxury to feel like a queen while pregnant, this could be the perfect weighted blanket for your queen-sized bed.
To make it easier to decide, here is a comprehensive table of the products mentioned earlier:
| Weighted Blanket | USP | Why Buy This? |
| Bearaby Cotton Napper Weighted Blanket | Made of organic cottonAvailable in 4 different sizesAvailable in 5 different shades | The knit organic cotton can be very soft on sensitive pregnancy skin. |
| Helix Weighted Blanket | Suitable for all seasonsTwo side optionsUses glass beadsGridded stitching for even distribution100 day trial | Option to choose fleece or microfiber side as per climatic requirements. |
| Tempur-Pedic Weighted Blanket | Best weight distributionEven weight stimulates deep pressureMachine washable covers72 x 48 inches | Weight distribution is even and perfect for a very comfortable sleep |
| Comma Home Bamboo Modal Weighted Blanket | Very luxuriousSmooth and cool material for utmost comfort60 x 80 inches | Perfect for those suffering from night sweats |
Can You Use Multiple Blankets
The idea behind a weighted blanket is the extra weight it carries when you compare it with other blankets.
So, if you stack a few blankets one on top of the other, you may feel the weight or the pressure, but it won’t be the same.
The weight distribution will not be the same. It is very difficult to find blankets of the exact dimensions and layer them up equally from top to bottom.
Turning around with so many blankets on you can be very difficult. A pregnant woman already faces the challenge of changing sides with the baby bump.
Are Weighted Blankets Safe For Kids
It depends on how old or big the kid is. Weighted blankets are not safe for very small or young kids, especially if they are sleeping alone.
It would increase the chances of suffocation if the child were to slip under the blanket completely. Children tend to wriggle down and twist themselves in their sheets.
In the case of a weighted blanket, if the child twists themselves or snuggles deep inside the blanket, they might find it hard to breathe.
Even if they do not suffocate, they may not receive sufficient oxygen through the night. As a result, their breathing can become laboured or shallow, which is not very healthy.
Final Considerations
A weighted blanket can be a good investment during pregnancy, provided the woman does not suffer from night sweats or finds it suffocating to have some weight over her pregnant belly.
Buying the right weighted blanket can make the pregnancy experience much smoother and more enjoyable.
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