Monday, March 19, 2012

The Best Weighted Blanket in the World (or at least in the Rush House)

Let's talk weighted blankets today.

Cozy Calm Weighted Blanket

First, for those of you who might be wondering, a weighted blanket is simply a blanket that weighs more than a typical one.  The weight can usually be customized to suit the age and size of your child.

A weighted blanket is usually used for calming purposes.  It provides some nice all-over body pressure and can be especially comfy while sleeping.  They're great for helping people with sensory issues relax.

There are lots of different styles and sizes of weighted blankets on the market.  In fact, click here to see Friendship Circle's list of 13 Weighted Blanket Stores to Choose From.

The Bird has had a small weighted blanket for quite some time now.  The only problem is that during the night, she still doesn't stay covered up and she doesn't cover herself up yet.  So if she wakes up and is freezing, she still needs us to come help her get re-adjusted under the covers.  

Honestly, I don't think she's really made the connection that blanket = warmth. 

Sometimes, when she wakes up cold, Ryan just brings her into our bed.

And that is how we discovered the absolute perfect weighted blanket for Lily.

And here it is:


If you're thinking, "Hey!  That's not a weighted blanket!  That's Lana!", then you haven't been around here long enough to discover all my many talents.

When Ryan brings Lily into our large king size bed, even though there is plenty of room for all of us to sleep without touching, I become the weighted blanket.

Here's how it works:
  • Ryan sets the Bird on his side of the bed.
  • She sleepily crawls all the way across the bed to my side, where I am sleeping on my side, facing the middle of the bed.
  • Lily gets as close to me as she possibly can without getting underneath me.
  • She lays on her tummy, sliding her right hand up to the elbow under my torso.
  • She then shoves both her legs between mine, so her little legs are like the peanut butter, and my legs are bread slices.  
  • I bend my left leg (the top one) over her waist.
  • My right leg is not bent quite as much and her legs are laying on that one. 
  • Hooked a certain way, she can rest her feet on my bottom right calf.  
She then burrows down, sighs deeply, and falls back into a sound sleep, while I spend the rest of the night feeling like I'm cuddled up to a hot water bottle. 

All be it, a very precious hot water bottle...

I've gone back and forth on buying a larger twin-sized weighted blanket for the Bird, and maybe something in a cozier fabric.  

But for some reason, every time I sit down at the computer to purchase one, I hesitate.  

Part of me wonders if Lily will really like it.  They can be kind of pricey so I want to feel good about my decision to buy one.  

Another part of me thinks it might work wonders and she may never need to sleep in our bed again.

And that's the part that makes me not press that "Submit Order" button.

Call me crazy, but I kind of like being a weighted blanket.


9 comments:

  1. I say if you can get some sleep like that, then its the perfect situation. PERFECT. It's bittersweet to have them grow up...

    Buuuut if you ever do go into marketing your own weighted blanket, does your kind come with coffee? I'd like that. ;)

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  2. So Lily needs pressure all night too? Cameron wakes up all the time and needs to be rubbed but I'm usually too tired so I bring him to bed with me and like you, become the weighted blanket. I'm really considering just making my own blanket but it would be easier just to order one but then I'm too cheap. Aaaaaaa. If you order one, let me know how it works out.

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  3. The weighted blankets are not that hard to make and you can order the poly pellets to fill them with online for a lot less than you would pay at a craft store. This makes the blanket easily washable...you can make one for a fraction of the cost that you spend on one and get the weight just right. Also, sometimes just putting the poly pellets in a stuffed animal or pillow will help kids to calm down and in some cases sleep better.

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  4. Aww, you're so sweet! And me thinks a perfect blanket for the Bird! Here's my experience... I got a weighted lap pad for Tootles to try it out and he HATES it on his lap. He will tolerate it for about 30 seconds. Then he either lets it fall to the floor or pushes it off. I've used it on top of blankets to calm him down for sleep and he kicks it off. He does not like blankets, sheets or any covers at all. He wants to come to my bed, kick his mama while sleeping just to make sure I'm there, lay on me, smack me in the face in his sleep, while rolling over and generally lean against me and shove me into a one inch space to sleep. I'm okay with this. And if I bought the blanket, the only one who would use it would be me. But I think Karla might have a different take on this ... we shall see.

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  5. I'm my son's weighted blanket too! Sometimes he wakes me, but most of the time I enjoy it! I think I might need a weighted blanket...it sounds so good right now! Cute story!

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  6. On the hot spot, eh? Thanks Karen.

    Yes, we do have a weighted blanket for LM. You can read all about it here ==> http://www.spdbloggernetwork.com/2011/03/21/peace-weighted-blanket-review-and-giveaway/

    Now, LM is a HOT sleeper and will eventually throw off everything that is not attached to her -- so the whole "blanket for warmth" thing is not happening in our house. But the blanket has soothed on many nights.

    At the moment, it's folded up on the living room sofa because NOTHING seems to help LM with this new seizure medication. God, I long for the day of our weighted blanket!

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  7. Luke (9) has a weighted blanket. Right now he isn't using it - instead covering his head with a pillow. I do get to -- and I love it!

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  8. cute story....your photo of the woman with a weighted blanket happens to be the owner of a weighted blanket company, a woman with Autism. :)
    (wasn't sure if you knew that)

    Dogs also make GREAT weighted blankets.

    from another owner of a weighted blanket company...
    Donna

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  9. Weighted blankets are of various shapes, sizes and are made from different materials. So, under such circumstances, picking out the right one is entirely depends on your tastes and preferences. visit

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