Do Weighted Blankets Have Health Benefits?

01From VOA Learning English, this is the Health and Lifestyle Report.

02When her husband gave her a weighted blanket to help her sleep, Rhonda James did not think it would work.

03In other words, she was skeptical.

04But five minutes after covering herself with the blanket, she was asleep.

05It felt like a really big hug, said James.

06She is a banker who lives in Charleston, South Carolina.

07As temperatures drop, a weighted blanket can be a popular choice to help you keep warm.

08But some people say the extra pressure of the cover also helps to ease their worries and fall asleep faster.

09However, research on the effectiveness of weighted blankets is limited.

10The Associated Press recently reported on what is known about weighted blankets.

11Weighted blankets are filled with small glass balls, cotton, or another filling.

12This makes them heavier than usual blankets.

13Scientists may not know exactly how the blankets comfort, but they have a few ideas.

14The heavy, even feeling from a weighted blanket may calm the brain's fight-or-flight response, said Dr.

15Neil Walia.

16He is a sleep medicine expert at University of California, Los Angeles Health.

17He said the evenly distributed weight on you tells your body you are in a calm environment.

18The extra pressure may also cause the brain to release the hormone oxytocin.

19Sometimes called the love hormone, the body creates oxytocin during loving moments, such as hugging.

20Oxytocin can also lower anxiety, Walia said.

21For most healthy adults, experts say to choose a blanket that is about 10% of your body weight.

22However, the blankets are not good for everyone.

23For example, some people may find them too hot to use, especially during warmer weather.

24People with breathing problems or disorders, such as sleep apnea, should check with a doctor before using a weighted blanket.

25Experts say to not use weighted blankets for children under 3 years old.

26The weight can limit their movement and breathing.

27Some people may not be able to buy them.

28They can be costly.

29A quality weighted blanket can cost between $50 to over $300.

30This depends on the size, weight, and material.

31Some people use them for other reasons than sleep.

32Rhonda James gets under her blanket to relax as she watches television or drinks a glass of wine.

33Lucy Taylor, a writer from Wales, also uses a weighted blanket.

34Her anxiety increases during the winter.

35So, she uses her blanket during cold months to fall asleep.

36She says when her body is relaxed, her mind relaxes too.

37There is little scientific research on whether weighted blankets help with sleep, anxiety, or other health issues.

38The studies that exist involve small groups of people.

39And most of the study subjects are people with conditions including sleep problems, long-term pain, and mental and developmental disorders.

40A study on 120 people with insomnia and inability to get enough sleep found that the weighted blankets helped them sleep better compared to a light blanket.

41Another study considered 67 children with the developmental and brain disorder autism.

42That research found that weighted blankets did not affect the children's sleep at all.

43However, it also found that the study subjects liked the weighted blankets more than non-weighted blankets.

44A third study on 94 adults with chronic pain found that a heavier weighted blanket did not affect sleep.

45But it was better at reducing pain than a lighter blanket.

46So, there is not much scientific evidence to support health improvement claims about weighted blankets.

47However, in most cases, they cannot hurt, sleep experts say.

48Dr.

49Daniel Barone is a sleep medicine expert at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City.

50He suggests the use of weighted blankets to his patients after they try other traditional treatments and medicines.

51If it doesn't hurt, and it may help, it's worth a shot, he said.

52And that's the Health and Lifestyle Report.

53I'm Ana Mateo.