WELLNESS AUTHOR
Aja Webber
FEELING THE WEIGHT n Weighted blankets have been gaining popularity — but why? Here, we’ll take a look at why this new, cozy product is sweeping the bedtime market and how it could be your sleeping game-changer.
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ith the COVID-19 pandemic keeping us in isolation for the majority of our daily lives, physical touch may feel like something of the past. Although the vaccine has made it easier to go out with friends and family, physical closeness still poses a risk. Weighted blankets may be just the thing we need in this time of isolation. 2020’s global events have left the world with something more than a new virus: anxiety. The feelings of fear and isolation that followed the rise of COVID-19 have had an extreme effect on the mental health of U.S. citizens. According to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), the rates of anxiety and depression have significantly increased since
JULY 2021
the beginning of the pandemic. In the months leading up to the pandemic, the rate of depression and anxiety sufferers was about one in 10 adults. However, after the pandemic went into effect, those numbers rose significantly to four in 10 adults that suffer from mental health conditions. Many of the test subjects reported having trouble sleeping and eating, an increase in substance abuse and worsening of preexisting chronic conditions due to isolation and job loss. Keely Ventress, a student, says that being forced into isolation at her school for the past two semesters has only worsened her insomnia and anxiety. Ventress decided to invest in a weighted blanket and fell in love with it. “I feel like using my weighted blanket helps a lot with my mental
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health because it kind of helps me put my anxiety at bay when it’s time to relax.” Although understated, the benefits of sensory stimulation that comes from hugs, cuddles and overall intimacy is hugely important. These sensations allow the brain to produce a certain chemical called oxytocin — aka the love hormone. Oxytocin occurs naturally, but with the unusual circumstances that came from the pandemic, our brains may not be producing as much of it as we need. This imbalance can lead to an increase in feelings such as anxiety, depression and loneliness. Over the last few years, many brands have created a variety of weighted blankets to fit a variety of comfort needs. Size and weight are both taken into consideration upon the creation of these blankets,
