Weighted Blankets by Susan L.

  A quick trip to the doc's had me vetted at recovered despite my concerns. I hope any sort of bug or flu or infection stays away permanently! I've had enough for this year thank you very much.
  While in the waiting room, I picked up a mental health magazine and seeing as there is always a wait to see the doctor, began reading. There were some interesting articles. So much so I asked the doctor if I could take it for the centre.
   He smiled and said, "Nobody ever asks, they just take them." Had I done that the guilt would have wracked me for days!
  Anyways, one of the articles was about several studies using weighted blankets to reduce anxiety. There has been tremendous success because instead of a hospital using restraints and isolation, which are downright barbaric, they've found wrapping people in these heavy blankets is a more effective treatment.
  It makes sense to me. We swaddle newborn babies to make them feel safe outside the womb. Personally, I know I sleep much better in the winter buried under a mountain of heavy quilts with my feet wrapped up tightly.
  They had a few suggestions to see if it would work curtailing anxiety. One was to place a cookie tray with several books on your lap to see if it helps. Another was to have someone give you a bear hug from behind. If the added weight at your back makes you feel relaxed, a blanket may be an option. Couch snuggling was another sign. The last was to crawl under a pile of blankets, ignoring heat if you are like us and in the middle of a heat wave. If it makes you feel secure, a weighted blanket might be just the thing.
  They don't have to be big. Perhaps a heavy shawl that could double as a lap blanket may be all that's needed.
  They added weight using plastic pellets or beads inside the lining. The fabrics used were soft cotton, flannel, microfiber or something they called minky. The pleasant tactile sensation was as much a part of the comfort as the actual weight.
  It's something that has interested me but rather than look like Linus from the Charlie Brown cartoons and walking around with a blankie, I was thinking of making something that's a cross between a shawl and a poncho. It could be made using several layers of fabric so at least it's washable.
  I am sure it would be a good wellness tool for me when the anxiety gets to be too much. I already rely heavily on tactile sensations to ground me. It's worth trying...at least when the weather gets colder!
  "And she brought forth her first-born Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them at the inn."  Lk 2:7