When you’re stressed or anxious, you don’t sleep well because your heart is beating too quickly. Weighted gravity blankets combat this by using “pressure therapy”. This means applying a calming amount of pressure to your entire body, and especially to key pressure points, similar to the feeling of being held or hugged.

This gentle pressure relaxes you by activating your parasympathetic nervous system, which lowers your heart rate and delivers an overall feeling of calmness to allow you to sleep better.

Pressure therapy is also an effective treatment for ADHD and autism. With the sense of touch so gently heightened by the weighted gravity blanket, the person is not do distracted by other stimuli such as noise or movement.

At first, deep touch pressure stimulation was used to help children with ASD or SPD. These kids often experience sensory overload, meaning they have difficulty filtering out background sensory information. This can cause restlessness, anxiety, and trouble participating in seated activities and ongoing tasks. Of course, sleeping can be difficult in this state as well.

Studies have shown weighted gravity blankets can help children with ASD fall asleep. The kids benefit not only from the release of serotonin the blankets bring, but also from the decrease in heart rate and blood pressure that result from the calming effect. This allows for more control, and in turn, a better chance of rest.
Weighted blankets and deep-touch pressure benefits those without a specific sensory disorder as well.

One 2004 study involved participants complaining of sleep dysfunction, stress, and pain, and showed a reduction in nighttime cortisol levels while patients were “grounded” during sleep with weighted blankets. A reduction in cortisol, the primary stress hormone, lead to overall better sleep quality.