Bring up sleep challenges in any mom group and at least one mom will chime in about trying a weighted blanket. But for many of us, this advice is pretty out-of-the-box. I'd heard about weighted blankets for years before I finally decided to try one for myself. While the concept of weight creating extra comfort and security made sense, I didn't know where to start looking for a weighted blanket for my young children — save for maybe etsy. Add in uncertainties about what size to order and whether the blankets were even safe for small children and I gave up.
Flash forward a few years and my own sleep challenges drove me to try a weighted blanket for myself. The results? I now crave my weighted blanket as a crawl into bed each night and won't travel without it. As I recently learned, deep pressure touch created by the weight in the blanket releases dopamine and serotonin — which in turn are used by the body to relax. Night waking has always been my biggest challenge and since getting my weighted blanket, I've been able to fall back to sleep without usual supplements like valerian root and melatonin. Pretty amazing.
So, when I discovered Tranql and their weighted blankets for kids, I had to try one for my daughters. Not only are they made from organic cotton and lead-free beads (which is super important to me to not be adding more toxins to their bodies), but they're also filled with real lavender — which is proven to help calm the body and decrease the time it takes to fall asleep. And, weighing in at five pounds, the blankets are appropriate for kids who weigh between 30 and 70 lbs, according to the company's website.
When our lavender-infused weighted blanket arrived, my daughters (ages almost 3 and almost 6) were instantly delighted by the smell (which they recognized as something that helps them sleep). After some hearty discussion, we decided my almost-six-year-old would be the one to try the blanket for a few nights first. And, I have to admit, she has been very reluctant to give her sister a turn now that those nights have passed. In fact, she says the blanket makes her feel safe and she has a much easier time with me leaving the room after I tuck her in at night. And, she's been spending the whole night in her own bed, something she hasn't done in years.
While my almost-three-year-old has only slept with the blanket once, the night she did, she literally melted into the bed when I put it on her (and, no, it wasn't too heavy for her — she was easily able to kick the blanket off later in the night). It was like bedtime magic. Sure she was tired, but she settled down immediately and went straight to sleep — something that doesn't always happen with her. And, while I'd love to see how successful it is on a regular basis, my older daughter refuses to give the blanket up and is much more attached conceptually, so I haven't forced her to give it back to her little sister again (despite my peaked curiosity as to whether or not it will keep putting her to sleep so quickly).
Accordingly, it looks like I'll be buying an additional weighted blanket for our family soon. And, while the $100+ price tag of a quality weighted blanket initially put me off, I now see it as a worthy investment in quality sleep — not to mention that Tranql has a 30-day "try before you buy" option to make sure you're happy with the product. I guess you can say we're already sold.
