serotoninThis article on using a weighted blanket for fibromyalgia was originally published on NationalPainReport.com. It is being republished here with permission from the editor.
Growing up in a drafty farmhouse, my mom would always add an extra blanket or two to my bed during winter. I remember feeling comforted by the weight of the blankets as I drifted off to sleep. Turns out, there’s a physiological reason for why I felt so calm and secure under those blankets. The added weight caused my body to release serotonin, a feel-good hormone that promotes peace and well-being.
As adults, we can trigger this same release of serotonin by using a weighted blanket.
“A weighted blanket is just that: A blanket with weights placed inside,” explained Abbie Anderson of Minnesota. “You can find them weighted with various things. I have heard of corn, rice or pebbles. However, the professionally made ones have plastic or glass pellets, which are washable.”
Anderson made her first weighted blanket last year for her son, Tate, who has sensory and anxiety issues. Research has confirmed weighted blankets are effective at relieving anxiety, and they’ve been used to improve the sleep of patients with autism, restless legs, Alzheimer’s and other conditions. According to author and blogger Sue Ingebretson, weighted blankets also can foster better sleep, chronic pain management and cognitive focus among fibromyalgia patients. She sometimes uses a weighted blanket during her coaching sessions with clients.
“The blanket stimulates the skin to release [serotonin], much like how a hug from someone we love does,” Anderson explained. “They are beneficial by helping a person to calm or self regulate without the use of medications.”
Anderson began using a weighted blanket herself following her fibromyalgia diagnosis last fall. As her symptoms worsened, she made the difficult decision to close her massage business.
Around the same time, she was looking for ways to help improve her son’s sleep, and a pediatric therapist recommended using a weighted blanket. When she couldn’t find one to purchase locally, she enlisted the advice of her mother-in-law, a talented seamstress, and decided to make one on her own.
“It was by accident [that] I used the weighted blanket,” Anderson said. “While my son was using it, it was bedtime, [and] he wanted to read to me. I crawled onto his bed and covered up with his weighted blanket. Within a minute or two, I was yawning [and] sleepy. When we made the first blanket for Tate, he used it for a few months. After we made him his new one, I started using the old one. I really like to use it for sleep, but also I find it very comforting on days where I ache from the weather or if my anxiety is increased for whatever reason. It gives me a sense of calm.”
Anderson is now making weighted blankets for others. She launched her small business, Balanced Blankets, last fall and has a waitlist for her handmade blankets. You can check out her Facebook page or email her at abbieanderson@rocketmail.com for more information.
Now it’s your turn: Have you ever used a weighted blanket for fibromyalgia? Did you experience any benefits? Please share in the comments!
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I’m Donna, a longtime newspaper reporter, health writer and chronic illness thriver! Fed Up with Fatigue provides weekly news, research, treatments and more to help you live better with fibromyalgia and/or Lyme.
Hi I have a weighted blanket (12) pounds and I love it.I toss and turn and throw covers on and off but not with the weighted blanket it’s just right and I put my heated blanket underneath my sheet and it really works in the summer no need for weighted one but use both in the winter
I bought a weighted blanket online. The first night, I slept like a baby. After a week, I am in so much pain that I can hardly walk!
Is it the blanket or a flare?
It’s a flare! I don’t own a weighted blanket! But use a electric blanket, comforter an a heavy mink blanket! My husband has to have a fan on him,while sleeping an the air conditioning at 69°…
If I get to cold, it’s gonna be a bad day!
The electric blanket an the weight of all my blankets, really help with sleep, when I do sleep! Lol…for years I used heating pads along with lots of blankets for weight… I’ve had Fibro for 13 years now.
I’m use to meds not working or making Me so doped up I can’t concentrate.
Chiropractic an accupunture with massage helps a great deal. On really bad flare ups hot baths with Epson salt. I so want a hot tub lol.
I had to figure out what works an helps me! Not every Fibro persons are the same! There is no bad advice coming from other suffers! We all wish for cure!!! if I can help ease someone’s pain from my pain, I’ll be the first to speck up!
Knowing I’m not in this alone, helps ease my soul…hugs to all of you fibro warriors
I’ve been a Developmental Therapist for 25 years and the mom of a child with Sensory Processing Disorder for almost twenty years. When I got sick with fibro-type symptoms, I had a lot of knowledge and experience to draw on. My now-grown dtr made me a 20-pound weighted lap blanket for bad pain days using my favorite batik fabric and poly-beads used for making stuffed animals. She is now making me a lighter 10-pound twin-sized blanket to sleep under, as the batik one is too heavy for that. (I can’t turn over and it’s really too small for sleeping under.) I also have a larger stuffed animal, that has had extra beads added to make it heavier than normal. It’s usually for children but it makes me smile and that’s always a good thing. I’ve had Spoonie friends ask if my dtr could make them a blanket, but it’s very labor-intensive. She has said doing it for me was out of love, but she didn’t think she could make very many. I applaud those who make the blankets and I know that they are worth every penny.
I have ADD and My son has ADHD. I started looking up the weighted blankets for him. He’s 10. He is also very hot natured. I will get him one soon. I am currently sewing an old fashioned looking patch woto quilt for my stepmother, my first weighted blanket for my grandmother whom we just had to put in the nursing home. Since she broke her leg her Alzheimer’s has worsened greatly. I am going to use fishing sinkers for the weighted part in memory of my daddy who passed about 8 months ago. I am wrapping each sinker in quilt batting and sewing it around and then into the blanket. Thank you for letting me share…..Niki
Your blanket sounds lovely! Adding the fishing sinkers is a really nice touch.
I have always had a heavy blanket. My grandma made it in 1937 with the left over wool from Jr House, where she worked as a seamstress. Out finally died. Then my cats took over the weight. When they passed I was lost. Then I found weighted blankets on Amazon. I bought a 15 pound one since that was about what my cats weighed. I love it except that it is too warm. I guess I’m going to have do the wool again since it regulates temperature better. I cover the wool with a duvet cover so I don’t itch.
How interesting! I’ve never used a weighted blanket before, but I’ve heard great things about them. I have fibromyalgia and celiac…I may have to look into these!
I use my down blanket on top of my regular bed linen when I’m in a really bad episode. It relaxes me and warms me as I sometimes get chills when I’m in so much pain. Works very well for me.
I always liked heavy quilts (with the old cotton batting) when I was a child. I especially liked it when I was sick. When my kids were little, and sick, I’d always bring out the old quilts that were passed down and give my kids the ” heavy blankets”. I wish my old quilts weren’t so fragile so I could use every day! I will check into ordering one of these. Love the post!
June:
I have used a Lead X-Ray blanket for four years now, that they use at your Dentist office. It’s Sure works, I love it!
I would love to try this! I don’t know how it would work with my night sweat issues, though…
I tried the weighted blankets. They are good during the day for my legs but a BIG NO at night for exactly the reason you stated. I have increased night sweats using them and lord knows I don’t need an increase in those! I have settled on electric blankets while awake and piles of quilts when sleeping so I can regulate the number and weight of them according to my het level at night, lol. I will occasionally use the electric blanket at night during severe flares.
This sounds good for some but it wouldn’t work for me. I can’t stand anything tight on my body. I can’t even use my beloved thermal blanket ( like in the hospital) anymore because it feels like there is a ton of bricks laying on me. I even have to cut the collars on my shirts and go without a bra because I feel constricted all the time. Anyone else have this feeling?
Yes, I do and it’s horrible. It’s so cold now and I can’t wear thick heavy coats because they are just too heavy! I can’t wear thermals because they are too tight. For weeks now I have struggled to find a pair of tracksuit pants because I hate the feeling of elastic around my waist, jeans are too tight and uncomfortable. I look like a homeless person but just can’t help it. I struggle with heavy, contricted, tight clothing all the time but winter is worse. I believe I am a ‘highly sensitive person’ and have been all my life but now the sensivities have really amped up and make life very hard. I used to think I had a sensory processing disorder (and may well do) but am trying to view it more positively, hence the HSP label. Therapies for sensitivity include ‘heavy’ items but I totally agree, I couldn’t do it. Oh to wear a halter neck, a tight dress or even a necklace (yes, even the lightest necklace feels heavy on my skin) . I feel for you and I understand
I too have terrible sensiviitily issues and it had gotten worse over the years. Fibromyalgia is truly progressing. When at home I wear my clothing wrongside out because the seams hurt, instead of necklaces I have gone to no jewelry at all. Winter coats make me hurt all over because of the weight on my shoulders. The weighted blankets sound great but not for me.
You may want to try wearing cuddle duds microfiber, moisture wicking, tops and bottoms. I have lived in these for 3 winters now.
Yesssss! There are days when I just can’t stand any kind of restriction. During a bad flare I sometimes can’t even comb my hair or wear it in a ponytail. I don’t know that I could stand the weight of a weighed blanket but I do like those warm, ultra soft velour blankets. They’re really comforting for me.
Hi, I have the same problem. I wear extra large clothing preferably. In thin layers..eg large t.shirt then a large shirt and large sweater. There are lots of very lightweight coats and jackets made by a company called Rohan and Uniqlo also very goog. All quite expensive but I buy nearly all my clothes as used being somewhat short of money. I know so many people now who have 5his awfu! fibro affliction. Really the only thing that helps with the pain is distraction, Growing stuff to eat is good and I have taught myself to crochet – also helpful but sometimes nothing works. Cruel! Hang in there sometimes it is very much worth being alive . Have had fibromylgia for 23 years.
This has been on my personal wish list to try too! I’m not a great seamstress at all so I’ll have to buy one, and they’re surprisingly quite pricey! Soon enough I’ll get my hands on one ;p
I have shopped around and Abbie offers these blankets much more reasonably than anyone else. She starting making them because she thought the ones on the market were to high priced. I agree about tight or constricting clothing on bad days. But these weighted blankets are not the same. I get a lot of pain relief and sleep better with mine. Love it!
I love my weighted blanket! When my legs ache and nothing else is easing the pain, i use a heating pad with the weighted blanket on top. I have CFS and Fibro. Bought one for my daughter, who has Chronic Lyme and CFS.We both use when the pain is especially bad all over. I have not tried it for sleep, so will be giving that a try.
A weighted blanket would not work for me since I mostly just toss and turn and kick my blankets off and on all night. What I wouldn’t give to be able to lay still enough to be able to just keep any blanket on.