How can a weighted blanket help with panic and anxiety attacks?
A weighted blanket offers the possibility to reduce these anxiety states. A weighted blanket can counteract the problem that affected individuals are unable to think clearly during such states, and may even feel non-existent. An appropriate weight can make the body perceptible, intensify perception, and increase the feeling of being in the here and now.
Using a weighted blanket can help the body to shut down more quickly and enter rest mode. The weight of the blanket acts on the muscles, tendons, and joints, allowing the body to be better controlled. This is due to the happiness hormone serotonin and the sleep hormone melatonin, whose release is promoted and brought into balance when a weighted blanket is applied. In addition, the pressure of the blanket on the body lowers cortisol levels (cortisol as a so-called stress hormone). Muscles and the nervous system relax, anxieties are reduced, and the body can more easily recover from accumulated stress and tension.