Don’t WEIGHT for better sleep
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
Tossing and turning all night? You’re not alone. Getting a good night’s sleep can be hard. This is especially true for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or A-D-H-D. Is there a safe way to help kids with A-D-H-D sleep better?
Maria Lonn and team from Halmstead University in Sweden may have discovered a solution.
They randomly assigned children with A-D-H-D either a light or heavy blanket. They slept with the assigned blanket for four weeks. Then, they swapped blanket types for another four weeks.
Results? The children slept eight minutes longer on average with the weighted blanket. It was especially helpful for children with inattentive A-D-H-D who are easily distracted. These children slept an average of sixteen minutes longer with a weighted blanket!
This study shows that simply changing blankets can help restless children get more sleep! No need for medication.
If your child can’t sleep, a weighted blanket has got you COVERED
Reference: Lönn, M., Svedberg, P., Nygren, J., Jarbin, H., Aili, K., & Larsson, I. (2023). The efficacy of weighted blankets for sleep in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder—A randomized controlled crossover trial. Journal of Sleep Research, e13990. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.13990