How Well Do Weighted Blankets Actually Work? 

People with anxiety, autism, insomnia, and other conditions are tucking themselves in with weighted blankets. Here’s what research has learned so far about their supposed benefits.

By Elizabeth Svoboda
Nov 17, 2020 11:00 PMNov 17, 2020 10:55 PM
Hiding under a blanket
(Credit: Creativa Images/Shutterstock)

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Anxiety has been my default state of being since I chewed my school pencils to stubs. Before big presentations, my insides turn to goo. And I can’t even watch sports without my chest clenching and my heart rate accelerating.

I heard about weighted blankets as a potential remedy when other anxious people started touting their benefits online. But I remained skeptical. Historically, only Ativan and similar drugs have penetrated my anxiety (well, and weekend-long meditation retreats, but who has time?). Finally — facing both a pandemic and a stressful election season — I decided to spring for a blanket bearing the weight and thickness of chain mail. 

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