You may have seen Instagram adverts pop up for weighted blankets recently, or heard friends talking about them, dubbing them "life-changing". How can a blanket be life changing? We decided to find out ...
Weighted blankets, often known as gravity blankets because of a prominent brand, are covers designed to replicate the comforting feeling of a hug, thus reducing the user's anxiety and stress. Rather than a filling of microfibre or down, which are common in blankets and duvets, weighted blankets contain beads made of polyfill or glass and the weight is designed to be evenly distributed across your body.
In short, the weight is designed to relax your nervous system, which relaxes your body and mind, in turn.
"The blankets use the power of 'deep-touch pressure stimulation' to simulate the feeling of being held (like a hug). This increases serotonin and melatonin, the hormones responsible for relaxation, and decreases cortisol, the hormone responsible for stress," Gravity Blanket explains on its website.
I was worried it would feel claustrophobic but the pressure is very calming
It is also said that they help people get to sleep quicker and go into a deeper night's sleep.
"When using our Gravity Blankets across 1,000 nights of sleep, 72 per cent of participants in a 2019 study reported deeper, more restful sleep during the night. In addition, 76 per cent reported falling asleep faster. It’s science at work, for a better night’s sleep," the company says.
Weighted blankets typically weigh between four to 12 kilograms.
Stacey Siebritz, a Dubai resident and copywriter for a digital marketing agency, recently bought a weighted blanket, and sings its praises.
"I bought it because I'm at the stage of lockdown life where I will try anything to improve my mental health and lower my anxiety," Siebritz tells The National. "It took a bit of getting used to – it felt heavier than I expected (mine weighs around 10kg) and making the bed with it is a workout in itself.
"I was worried it would feel claustrophobic, but it’s actually very soothing to lie beneath it. The pressure of it is very calming," she says. "At the moment, I’m using it every night, although I’m slightly concerned that even with air conditioning, it might not be suitable for the peak of summer."
Where can you buy weighted blankets in the UAE?
Following a scan of the internet, Amazon.ae offers up the best selection of weighted blankets. Online, the blankets retail from around Dh125 to Dh350, depending on material, style, size and weight. Weighted blankets by Puredown, a recognised bedding manufacturer, are also available to be bought in the UAE.
Gravity Blankets don't appear to be available in the UAE yet, but you can order them online though the UK (not US) website. Shipping costs around Dh268.
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Who are the Sacklers?
The Sackler family is a transatlantic dynasty that owns Purdue Pharma, which manufactures and markets OxyContin, one of the drugs at the centre of America's opioids crisis. The family is well known for their generous philanthropy towards the world's top cultural institutions, including Guggenheim Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, Tate in Britain, Yale University and the Serpentine Gallery, to name a few. Two branches of the family control Purdue Pharma.
Isaac Sackler and Sophie Greenberg were Jewish immigrants who arrived in New York before the First World War. They had three sons. The first, Arthur, died before OxyContin was invented. The second, Mortimer, who died aged 93 in 2010, was a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma. The third, Raymond, died aged 97 in 2017 and was also a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma.
It was Arthur, a psychiatrist and pharmaceutical marketeer, who started the family business dynasty. He and his brothers bought a small company called Purdue Frederick; among their first products were laxatives and prescription earwax remover.
Arthur's branch of the family has not been involved in Purdue for many years and his daughter, Elizabeth, has spoken out against it, saying the company's role in America's drugs crisis is "morally abhorrent".
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Members of the Sackler family are rarely seen in public.
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