SpecialNeeds.com

Who May Benefit from a Weighted Blanket and Why

My daughter with Rett syndrome and Mitochondrial disease suffers greatly from sensory integration dysfunction. She has trouble sleeping through the night, cries when her hair is brushed, suffers from internal pain rather than external, clothing must be soft with no seams, and the list goes on and on.

At one point along our sensory journey someone suggested a weighted blanket. A skeptic by nature, I would never have guessed how this one blanket would change our lives. I decided to sew my own weighted blanket since I have always been up to a new challenge. After many broken needles and curses the blanket was done. A full night’s sleep and a lessoning of her tremors were just two things that made a positive difference.

The first thing we noticed was quiet during the night. It seemed that the blanket was just enough to keep her quiet. It didn’t mean she did not wake up, just that she would quietly fall back asleep on her own. The second thing we noticed was on the days that she was very shaky with Parkinson's-like tremors, she would instantly calm when the blanket was placed on her. That was good enough for me to start making them for friends. 

When parents kept calling me and reporting that their children were sleeping better and were utilizing the blankets to calm themselves, I knew that it wasn’t only my experience with the blanket. Special Need Creations was born shortly after with blankets currently shipped nationwide.

But why are weighted blankets such a hit? According to research, children with sensory integration issues often have difficulties with proprioception, which is the unconscious perception of movement and special orientation arising from stimuli within the body itself. If you ever had an ear infection or vertigo and felt unbalanced or disconnected then you know how it feels to have your equilibrium off. Being covered with a weighted blanket is just enough to feel grounded when out of balance or overstimulated. 

The sense of touch is also important to address in children who have tactile defensive tendencies. Even children who are oversensitive to touch, especially when it is unexpected, often seek out touch or contact. A weighted blanket gives the child the opportunity to seek a safe way to experience touch stimuli. Deep pressure can be very calming, particularly for children with special needs who have difficulty with tactile processing. 

There are also children who have excess movements. Weighted blankets will sometimes help calm these movements whether they are Parkinson's-like tremors, restless legs or anxiety. For example, the use of weighted lap pads in the school for ADD children will sometimes be enough to keep the child seated and focused when working. If you think a weighted lap pad is not enough weight to make a difference, here is a fact that may surprise you: your skin can feel touch as light as one-thousandth of an ounce, the equivalent of a mosquito’s weight.  

What to Look for When Purchasing a Weighted Blanket

A weighted blanket is a pricey item. The materials add up quickly and the time to make a single blanket runs into hours of labor. Luckily, you probably will be purchasing blankets handmade in America which means that you will be able to choose fabrics, weight material and styles without sacrificing quality. There are quite a few small business owners to choose from that make great blankets and other weighted products.  However, you need to be aware of a few things when you are making your blanket purchase, including the following:

• Weighting material needs to be chosen carefully. Poly-Pellets are currently the first choice for blankets. They are nontoxic, can be washed and dried on low and are safe. Do not purchase blankets filled with sand, rocks, beans or any food products unless you never plan on washing it.
• The highest quality blankets are made using a quilting technique with each blanket weighing at least 10% of the users weight. Beware of blankets with weight tubes that come out and then get lost or blankets with weighted fiber that can be very uncomfortable on the skin.
• Fabric choice is important since many children are sensitive to fabrics. Fleece is very sturdy, soft and great for cooler climates. Cotton is a good choice for kids who get hot at night.  A fleece/cotton combo works well in all climates. 

Tip: When presenting a child with a blanket or lap pad, give them a verbal cue such as,  "This is your new lap pad to keep you calm," or "Here is your new blanket that will help you sleep through the night."  

Directions on How to Make a Weighted Blanket of Your Own 

• Supplies:
• High Quality Thread
• Fleece, 2 Yards
• Flannel, 2 Yards
• Muslin, Optional for 3 layer blanket
• Sewing Machine
• Small Scale
• Tailors Chalk
• Poly Pellets (sold in some stores or online) do not purchase Polystyrene beads.  Try to purchase from Craftpellets.com or Fairfield.  You will find that people sell them online and eBay but they may be ones that melt when washed.
• Fiberfill
• Pins
• Yardstick
• Cup
• Prewash all material
• Marker 

 
1.  Take the two yards of material and pin patterned sides together so that the patterned sides face each other. 

2.  Leave one long side unpinned. Sew three sides together, leaving one long side undone.

3.  Trim seams and turn inside out. 

4.  Iron seams until flat. 

5.  Once turned right side out, do a nice top stitch along all three sides.

6.  On back side of material, measure a grid pattern with chalk and ruler. Make sure the squares are even and no longer than 9"x 9" per square.

7.  Sew vertical rows, leaving horizontal rows open. You want to make sure you only sew the rows upward so you can fill them. 

8.  Divide the full weight of the blanket by the number of squares to determine the weight per square. Don’t forget to subtract the material weight. You may end up with something like 4 ounces per pocket. Tip: Use World Wide Metric online for pound to ounce conversions.

9.  Fill the pockets only on the bottom row. Add fiberfill to pockets for extra softness to blanket. Sew across the horizontal line to close that row. Tip: If you are running over pellets, you may want to pin the row closed before sewing and then sew above the pins.

10.  Add weight and fiberfill to the next row and sew closed.  Continue until you reach the last row.  When closing the last row turn edges under and sew a nice seam.  Tip: The last row is tricky so only fill and sew three pockets at a time.

11.  Sew one more seam at the last row for security.

Enjoy your new weighted blanket!