Many doctors and occupational therapists have recommended the use of weighted blankets in treating the symptoms of autism, anxiety, and sensory processing disorders. This is because these blankets have been created to mimic deep-touch pressure therapy’s benefits. In doing so they increase the oxytocin in your brain helping you to feel more relaxed.
Understanding the Science Behind Weighted Blankets, studies have shown that weighted blankets will increase the oxytocin in your brain which will then help you feel more relaxed. This is why individuals with sensory processing disorders and anxiety find relief when using these blankets.
It’s also well documented how hugging and cuddling are beneficial in creating oxytocin. This is a neurotransmitter that’ll help you feel relaxed, calm, and happy – things that give your overall sense of wellbeing a boost. The hormone is directly connected to human boing, increasing trust, and improving loyalty. These benefits are so well documented that they’re now being incorporated into a variety of therapies today.
Unfortunately, many people who have been diagnosed with a sensory processing disorder do find that touch can cause them to feel anxious, unsettled, and in pain. This is why people with a sensory processing disorder may find a weighted blanket beneficial. These blankets are able to provide them with all the benefits of a hug without forcing them to accept unwelcome body contact with another person – something they may find unpleasant.
These are all things that the inventor of the weighted blanket, Dr. Temple Grandin understood. This is because of her work with cows as a young woman. She witnessed cows who were receiving their vaccinations being placed into a compression device that held them in place during this time. The machine made the cows calmer and more docile. As someone who had autism herself, Grandin knew that her anxiety would ease up a bit when she was held or hugged as a child but that there were also times when it caused her to become irritated. She developed the blanket as a way to get all these benefits without feeling restricted. In using it you can get all the benefits of oxytocin without any of the negative side effects.
The Bottom Line
There are a lot of disorders for which doctors have begun prescribing weighted blankets as a natural remedy for treating their symptoms. Now that you understand the Science Behind Weighted Blankets you may want to try one for yourself.
