If you need me, I’ll be under my weighted blanket.

I’ve been wanting a weighted blanket for awhile. I noticed that when I use the heavy blankets during yoga — for the final resting pose — I feel so relaxed.

I have had anxiety for many years, but in the last few years, it’s gotten much worse. I do many things to cope with my anxiety, including yoga, meditation, journaling… and I try to maintain a healthy diet.

But, none of those things are going to solve my problem entirely. I am always looking for new ways to care for myself. So, I started searching for a weighted blanket that would help me relax when I felt anxious and that would help me sleep soundly.

What are the benefits of using a weighted blanket?

Sometimes, the yoga instructor will say that when you put a heavy blanket across your hips, it makes your body feel safe, which helps you relax.

“Deep touch pressure is one of the primary kinds of sensory information that is calming and organizing to our sensory nervous system,” says Occupational Therapist Teresa May-Benson.

Because of this, they do make you feel calm and relaxed. They can also help you fall asleep faster and/or help you stay asleep throughout the night.

What kind of weighted blanket should I get?

There are so many different kinds of weighted blankets out there — different materials, different weight amounts, different sizes, what’s the best kind?

For me, I knew I wanted it to be something I slept with every night, and something that would last. Because I had used the weighted blankets in yoga class, I knew it was going to help me.

So, I was willing to pay a little more for a quality blanket that would last and offer calming properties each night. After searching around, I bought a BlanQuil Quilted Blanket with a Removable Cover and got the 20lb in Ivory.

BlanQuil (and this is not sponsored in any way) is one of the only ones I could find with a removable, washable cover. I knew I would likely be keeping this on my bed and probably cozying up with it to read… and it’s embarrassing how many times I’ve spilled coffee in my bed, so… being able to wash the thing was important.

I’d also heard reviews from two other people who’d used this brand and really loved it. One of them had this exact blanket and said the cover was really soft — they weren’t lying. It’s the softest blanket I own!

Here’s the scoop on this BlanQuil blanket:

The BlanQuil Premium Weighted Blanket is our feature-packed flagship model that everyone is talking about!

Its features include:

• Try it yourself with our industry leading 60 night in home trial and hassle free return policy.
• Our deluxe ultra-soft micro plush cover is removable, machine washable and dryer friendly.
• The weighted inner blanket comes in 15, 20, and 25 lb options and uses 77 independent baffles that keep the eco-friendly glass beads distributed evenly across your body. It is well tailored and can be used without the cover in warmer months. How to select your perfect weight.
• High-strength, reinforced ties are found inside the duvet system creating 8 connection points to reduce shifting.
• Multiple color options to match any style preference or décor.
• Sized at 48” x 74” and perfectly balanced for a single user. For couples or large beds, a set of two is recommended. 

Most weighted blankets are sized for one person — you want that cocoon feeling around you. The blanket I got covers half of my queen bed, which is plenty to full cover myself.

You don’t want one that’s too big, because then it will hang off your bed and it WILL fall — mine has fallen off once and then you’ve got to lift the 20lbs and get it situated!

A good rule of thumb for the weight is to get 10% of your body weight. For me that would be about 16 pounds, but I wanted it nice and heavy. I think 20 ended up being just right.

The BlanQuil is filled with glass beads and they are evenly distributed throughout the blanket. So, if you’re only covered with half the blanket, you’re only going to feel half the weight.

How do I use a weighted blanket?

I put mine on my bed immediately. I got it primarily for sleeping, because I have really bad insomnia, and most sleep aids only help me for a few hours each night.

However, I wanted to test it out on my bed first and then see if it just made me fall asleep immediately or if it was something I could use while watching TV or reading.

I have also been taking yoga via Zoom (I am still self-isolating) and wanted to use it for my final resting pose, along with my sound-healing classes.

I got my blanket last week and had to work most of the weekend, so I really haven’t tested it as a “reading blanket” but I did use it for sound healing on Sunday and it was heavenly!

Weighted blanket options

When I purchased the blanket, I put on Twitter that I’d pulled the trigger and bought one. So many people replied or messaged me saying they either wanted one or had gotten one and loved it. This made me so excited to receive mine!

I have only used the BlanQuil, but I went searching for some other options:

• This one from Quility also has a removable cover
• This 3-piece set from Chilla has a comforter, the weighted blanket, and a duvet
• This is a quilted blanket from Hypnoser that looks silky 🙂
• This ZonLi blanket is cooling and it looks really nice

So far, I am loving this purchase and am really looking forward to how it serves me in the cooler months! Do you have a weighted blanket? If so, how do you use it? How does it help you?

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