5 weighted blankets to help you fall asleep if you have insomnia or anxiety

Do you toss and turn in bed, struggling to fall asleep?

If yes, here's another question - do you happen to enjoy a good, soothing massage or a nice warm hug?

If you've said yes to both, there might just be a new solution to your insomnia. Weighted blankets.

Massage therapies, hugs from loved ones, and weighted blankets all fall under the same category of therapeutic relief called Deep Pressure Therapy.

If you think that this sounds like yet another New Age wellness fad, you're very much wrong.

Deep pressure therapy has been clinically researched, its studies published in reputable journals globally, and is used as a legitimate treatment modality for several conditions in the likes of anxiety, hyperactivity, autism, athletic post-workout recovery, and more.

Why use massage or even a weighted blanket to treat these conditions? What does deep pressure therapy do for the body exactly?

The facial or massage that you go for, and weighted blankets basically helps your body go into a state of calm, quelling the overwhelming wave of non-stop stimulation that are firing at us from our smartphones, laptops (and sometimes our overworking brains) our daily lives.

If you're interested to take a step into improving your sleep and mental health, here are five weighted blankets that you can get in Singapore:

KOO Elite weighted blanket

You'll be able to easily find a weighted blanket from the home furnishing and crafts store, Spotlight.

This particular KOO Elite Weighted Blanket comes in four weight options - 3.4kg, 4.99kg, 6.8kg, and 9.07kg with prices ranging from $49 to $79 (on sale).

Now, how heavy are these blankets in comparison to the usual ones we have at home?

If you have a regular IKEA cool type of duvet in Queen size (2m x 2m), that weighs a nifty 2kg.

If you're pretty used to that weight on a daily basis, you might want to double that and get a 4kg and above blanket for yourself to feel the therapeutic effects.

Otherwise, there's a general rule of thumb recommended by these weighted duvet makers that you choose a weighted blanket that makes up 10 per cent of your actual body weight.

Well Being weighted blanket

Prefer a weighted blanket in more modern colours to fit your interior decor?

Here's a 12 pound (approx. 5.4kg) weighted blanket by Well Being ($36.76 without shipping) that's primarily made of polyester but comes with glass beads sewn into the quilted pockets.

Now, that means that you can't wash it, so spot cleaning is recommended. This weighted blanket measures 48″ x 72″ (or approx. 122cm by 183cm for a single bed).

Weavve weighted blanket

Support local? Here's a full range of weighted blankets ($199 for a Super Single 7kg) by the Singaporean beddings brand, Weavve.

Like most other weighted blankets, the ones by Weavve are primarily made of polyester and lead-free glass beads.

However, you can be assured that Weavve's weighted blankets can be washed and dried in a washing machine and dryer, are hypoallergenic, and non-toxic.

Best part? It comes with worldwide free delivery and a 100-day free return trial period - just don't dirty it.

Pure Bamboo weighted blanket

Prefer to avoid polyester? You might want to try the Pure Bamboo Weighted Blanket ($85.89 without shipping) from Amazon Singapore instead.

This weighted blanket is made of alternating layers of bamboo, microfibre, polyester-cotton, and glass beads.

It ranges from 4.5kg (10lbs) to 9kg (20lbs), single to super single sizes.

YnM weighted blanket

If you're pretty sensitive to cold and are that person who shops at the Super Warm duvet section, this one is for you - a cotton-based YnM Weighted Blanket ($129.99 without shipping) from Amazon Singapore.

Reviewers from Singapore have noted that this cotton duvet traps warmth pretty well and may be more suitable for users who sleep in low-temperature air-conditioned rooms.

Other than that, the structure of this duvet is very much similar to all other weighted duvets on the market - seven layers of alternating cotton, fibre, and glass beads for weight.

READ ALSO: 5 meaningful things to do in honour of World Mental Health Day (Oct 10)

This article was first published in The Singapore Women's Weekly.