When our youngest son started preschool for the first time, he had a difficult time adjusting. One of the challenges of trying something new, like adding a school to their schedule, is that it completely upends their routine, and they love their routine.
His teacher, my husband and I discussed many different ideas for helping him to adjust to his new environment. Some worked, some didn’t. However after a few months, she discovered that he really liked a weighted blanket they had in his classroom.
I had heard of weighted blankets, but had never thought of using one on a toddler. We had purchased an adult sized one for our older son and we considered trying this one for our younger son, but when I researched it I realized that it was way too heavy for our youngest son. I didn’t even realize that they made them in toddler size and weight. The only ones I had seen in stores were adult sized and heavier weight.
Since Spring Break was coming up, she sent the one from the classroom home with our for us to try at home. What a difference it made!
At that time, he was prone to getting over stimulated very easily. We found that if we had him lay down with the blanket on him up to his elbows with someone laying down next to him, he would start to calm down immediately. It would usually take between 10-20 minutes like this for him to fully calm down, but this was WAY better than the 30-40 minute screaming tantrum.
There are many types of weighted blankets out there, so it is important to chose the one that works best for the user. Weighted blankets weigh anywhere from five to 30 pounds. The ideal weighted blanket is 10 percent of your body weight.
Weighted blankets may help with:
- Autism Spectrum Disorder,
- Sensory Processing Disorder,
- ADHD,
- Insomnia,
- Anxiety,
- Stress.
Weighted blankets provide gentle pressure that has been proven to release several different chemicals into your body including: oxytocin, melatonin, and serotonin. These chemicals relax the body, reduce stress, and induce a general feeling of happiness and security all without the aid of vitamins or medication.
When purchasing a weighted blanket, there are several things you should consider in addition to the weight and size.
The first thing to consider is the material weighing down the blankets. Most companies use pellets, discs or beads of polypropylene plastic, glass or steel. There are even blankets that use rice or barley.
Another thing you’ll want to consider is how the blanket distributes the weight. If the beads are allowed to move freely throughout the blanket, all the weight can end up at one side. You’ll want to find one that uses pockets or grids that distribute the weight evenly throughout the blanket. This is the type we have, and it works well for keeping the weight distributed.
Weighted blankets are made from many different types of fabrics. Be sure to choose a fabric that the person using it likes, especially if you or your child has sensory issues. If you choose a material that is too rough, it could cause irritation. The one we bought has a semi-course texture, but comes with a very soft removable cover.
You’ll also want to find a blanket is machine washable or has a cover you can place over the blanket, especially if you have younger children. (Remember, since some contain rice, barley, or steel. None of these do well when wet.) This makes it easy to clean if they spill a drink on it, or get sick all over it. (Please don’t ask us how we know…) Make sure you check with the vendor to make sure their blankets can be washed at home or if they need to be taken to a dry cleaner.
We purchased a blanket that came with a cover to place over it. The cover is machine washable and has ties inside that keep the blanket in place. The cover doesn’t have to be washed often, but we usually wash it once a month or so, unless there was an accident or sickness.
Also not all weighted blankets are designed to be used as sleep aids, so be sure to check with the manufacturer before purchasing if this is what you intend to use it for.
After seeing how the blankets worked on our sons, we’ve actually bought several more. Our eldest son enjoys using his when he becomes over stimulated as well. As we work hard at trying to train our boys to self soothe when they become overstimulated, we have seen them both ask for their blankets if they are upset or get them on their own. They generally don’t sleep with them, but always have them near if we are at home.
We also bought a smaller one which is designed to just sit on a lap. This one stays in the car, as my youngest likes to have it over his lap when he sits in his car seat. We’ve also gotten other weighted elements such as toys that can sit on our child’s lap, as well as things that go over their shoulders to help them feel like they are getting a gentle hug. The ones that have worked best for our boys have gone round the neck, over the shoulders and hang down. Some are shorter and didn’t work well for our kids.
While weighted blankets work for most people, even those who are neurotypical, it doesn’t mean that it will work for everyone. This is why I always recommend trying things out for yourself. For example, my husband doesn’t care to have heavy things laying on him, so he’ll never use them.
We bought ours online from Amazon – a link is below to the one we use. Some are very expensive, others are more manageable. The one we found was the same as the one the teacher sent home with our son to test, and fairly affordable all things considered, so we were pleased with that.
Amazon link to Weighted Blanket.
One Comment