Weighted blankets can be quite overwhelming when choosing the right weight. Knowing your body weight, type, size, and age will help you figure out how much weight to use for your blanket. Once you have found these factors, it shouldn’t be difficult to determine the best weight for your weighted blanket.
In this article, I’ll teach you everything about weighted blankets and how to choose one that is the right weight for you. In addition, the weighted blanket chart I have provided will help you determine the ideal weight for your blanket. However, before we proceed with the guide, let’s first learn what a weighted blanket is.
A weighted blanket is a heavy blanket used for healing purposes; it is usually between 5 and 30 pounds. They help people with insomnia, anxiety, autism, et al. Sleeping with a weighted blanket reduces anxiety, depression, and pain, and it also helps with insomnia. The content of the blanket that makes it heavy is ball bearings, glass beads, short steel beads, or plastic pellets.
Weighted blankets make the user feel more comfortable by using a method known as deep pressure stimulation (DPS). This method relaxes the nervous system by applying pressure softly to the users’ body. Weighted blankets can be helpful in many ways. Apart from helping people with a known condition, they can have other benefits to their health. All these are made possible with the right weight of a weighted blanket.
Generally, the weight of your weighted blanket should be 10 percent of your body weight. A blanket that provides comfort when lying under it is ideal for you; usually, a weighted blanket ranges from 12 to 20 pounds in adults. However, you can increase or decrease the weight of your blanket if you feel comfortable in light or heavy-weighted blanket. This change can also be made if you don’t feel comfortable in either of them.
The weight of your blanket determines how comfortable you’ll be while sleeping. When you get a blanket that is too heavy, you’ll find it difficult to move under it, and such blankets should be avoided. With the correct weight of your blanket, you will sleep comfortably and deeply, and you don’t have to wake up feeling stressed out with body pains and dizziness. These weighted blankets can be purchased according to an individual’s age.
If you are shopping for a weighted blanket for a child, be sure to purchase one that is 10 percent bigger than the child’s body size. Also, avoid using any blanket beyond 10 pounds to 25 pounds for little children. Children that are under 2 years of age should not be covered with weighted blankets as they are not strong enough to push it off their body when necessary; this also limits their ability to move while under it. They are likely to suffocate in weighted blankets, especially when not on close watch, so avoid using them for babies.
If you have a child that is of age to use a weighted blanket, make sure you know the child’s weight, body type, and size before getting a weighted blanket for him or her. When you cannot find a blanket with 10% of your child’s body weight, most pediatricians recommend the lighter weight as too much pressure can be uncomfortable.
Also, make sure the child can push the blanket off his or her body when needed. You should always supervise a child when he or she is covered in a weighted blanket. It is also essential to consult a pediatrician before getting a weighted blanket for your child.
If you have a child that is of age to use a weighted blanket, make sure you know the child’s weight, body type, and size before getting a weighted blanket for him or her. When you cannot find a blanket with 10% of your child’s body weight, most pediatricians recommend the lighter weight as too much pressure can be uncomfortable.
Also, make sure the child can push the blanket off his or her body when needed. You should always supervise a child when he or she is covered in a weighted blanket. It is also essential to consult a pediatrician before getting a weighted blanket for your child.
Weighted blankets are a safe and convenient alternative to regular blankets for most seniors. The improper use of this blanket can negatively impact your health and negate its benefits. Seniors also fall within the 10-percent rule. However, you should consult a physician before getting an elderly weighted blanket, as their bodies are frail, but if they are comfortable using the blanket, there is no cause for concern.
Finding the right weight for your blanket might be difficult, but you will get the right weight with the right information. You’re good to go if you know the 10 percent rule, your body type, and size.
Also, You should consider different things while buying weighted blankets for children and adults. A child doesn’t need a heavy-weighted blanket, but an adult can use it comfortably, depending on the purpose. Also, consider the height of the person that’ll use the blanket while buying it.
Another vital thing to know while choosing your blanket is filling your blanket. You should know what makes your blanket heavy, different things are used to fill a blanket to make it heavy, and each blanket filling plays a vital role in its usage. Take note of any other features your blanket possesses once you buy it.
While buying a weighted blanket, consider your purpose for buying it. Suppose you have insomnia, anxiety, or autism. You might not want to consider using a light blanket because it won’t mimic the hug-like feeling you’d love to get from it to feel comfortable, but it depends on one’s preference.
People’s body sizes differ, so they make their choices because they know how they fill under their blankets. However, a soft, chunky blanket enhances sleep and helps relax the mind, while an overweight blanket will cause discomfort during sleep.
Choosing the right size weighted blanket can help treat many stress, sleep disorders, and other issues. When choosing a weighted blanket, you should go by your height or bed dimensions.
Weighted sleep blankets should perfectly fit the mattress and should not overhang the bed’s sides, especially if the user is a child or has a medical condition. See our weighted blanket charts for an idea of how heavy a weighted blanket should be.
Body Weight | Blanket Weight |
100-120lbs | 10-12lbs |
120-140lbs | 12-14lbs |
140-160lbs | 14-16lbs |
160-180lbs | 16-18lbs |
180-200lbs | 18-20lbs |
200-250lbs | 20-25lbs |
250-300lbs | 25-30lbs |
300-350lbs | 30-35lbs |
If you need a weighted blanket, choose one that is 10% of your body weight or one or two pounds heavier. In this way, you will benefit from the deep pressure of the blanket, leaving you feeling calm and relaxed. The following information explains why choosing the right weight for your blanket is important.
Knowing the right weight for your blanket is necessary because you are likely to choose an overweight or too light blanket if you don’t know it. When you use such a blanket, you won’t get the desired comfort, and if you’re getting a weighted blanket for therapeutic purposes without knowing how heavy it should be, you won’t get the healing you sought.
A too-heavy blanket won’t let you move your body efficiently and might end up causing restlessness and body pains, whereas a blanket that is too light won’t give you that cuddle-like comfort you want. If you know the right weight for your blanket, you can move easily.
The use of weighted blankets has become routine for many people as a means to relieve stress and maintain healthy sleep habits. These blankets are beneficial for people suffering from anxiety, autism, and insomnia. The key to obtaining all these benefits is choosing a blanket with the right weight. Therefore, you should consider all important factors before buying a blanket.
The weight of your blanket can affect you negatively or positively; when you’re using the right weighted blanket, it positively affects you. When a person is trying to improve a health condition like insomnia, and he or she is not using the right weight, the detriment is that the health condition never improves until the right weight of the blanket is used.
Utilizing the correct weight of the blanket will ensure that your weighted blanket is safe. Generally, weighted blankets are safe for adults and children who are healthy or trying to improve a particular health condition that requires a weighted blanket. It is advisable to change your blanket if you don’t feel comfortable using it.
Many people use weighted blankets only at night; however, there’s no best time to use them, especially if you’re using them for therapeutic purposes. It is advisable to use your weighted blankets whenever you want to sleep and avoid using them if it’s causing you discomfort or if your health condition seems to get worse.
The weight of your blanket should be changed when you’re no longer getting the desired results from it. An increase in height can also require a change in the weight of your blanket. There’s no accurate expiry date for your blanket, but with washing and the fabric, it can lose its durability and thus require a change.
Yes, it does. Your body weight plays a big role in the weight of your blanket. Your body weight decides which blanket is best for you. A slim person can’t use a blanket meant for a fat person. When an overweight person is using a light-weighted blanket for therapeutic purposes, he or she might not be satisfied with the result obtained from the blanket. Without knowing your body weight, you’ll end up buying the wrong weighted blanket.
A weighted blanket helps relax the mind and improves insomnia, anxiety, etc. Weighted blankets should not be used for children under two years old, and when being used for children above two years, it should be done under proper supervision. Weighted blankets can be used anytime, and weighted blanket users should always lie on their back to work effectively for the safe pressure coming from the blanket.
Weighted blankets should be changed once the required results are no longer obtained due to various factors. An increase or decrease in body weight requires a blanket change because of the change in the body. Going beyond the 10 percent rule is definitely okay as long as the user is safe. Also, check your blanket for tears. If the blanket is ripped, the fillers will leak out, resulting in weight loss. Using a removable cover for your blanket will help protect it from damage due to frequent washing.
Mike is one of the lead editors at Weighted Living and the author of this article. He's become fascinated with weighted products (a bit too much we think) and loves to see all the different ways they can improve our loves. He's written quite a few weighted product guides as well.
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