Weighted blankets as an alternative to sleeping pills?
Many people struggle with sleep disorders and often resort to sleeping pills to get a decent night's rest. A study from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden shows that weighted blankets could be a possible alternative for adults with sleep disorders.
Procedure: The study investigated how the prescription of sleep medications changed in adult patients after they received a weighted blanket. The health data of 1785 adults with psychiatric diagnoses were analyzed. The changes were monitored by self-monitoring. Before the study, the participants were given a weighted blanket to use during sleep.
Participants: The study participants were adult patients over 18 years of age with psychiatric diagnoses. Of the participants, 25% had a serious mental illness, 29% had a neurodevelopmental disorder, and the remaining 46% had other psychiatric diagnoses. Overall, about three-quarters of the participants were female.
Fig. 1: Overview of diagnoses
Results: The study found that after using weighted blankets, the number of patients who no longer required sleep medication increased significantly. Before using weighted blankets, 66% of patients had been prescribed sleep medication at least once. There was a significant decrease in prescriptions for benzodiazepine receptor agonists (BZRAs) and antihistamines. In addition, younger patients and those with diagnoses such as unipolar depression, anxiety disorders, ADHD and PTSD were found to require fewer sleep medications.
Fig. 2: Change in common sleeping pill prescriptions
Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that weighted blankets may be a promising alternative to sleeping pills for people with mental illness. The reduction in the prescription rate for sleep medications suggests that weighted blankets may have a positive effect on sleep and may help reduce dependence on drug treatments.
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