One of the big things I’ve been talking about in my weekly blog posts is my sleep. I decided to try a weighted blanket because I’ve heard great things about them being calming and comforting. I always sleep with my duvet, even in the summer. I like to wrap it around myself, like a cocoon, so it feels like I’m being hugged or held. I usually bunch up some of it and wrap my arm around it, like I’m hugging or holding something too. I’m a part stomach/part side sleeper – sort of on my side, but mostly towards the stomach and with my knee bent usually. I don’t find sleeping on my back comfortable at all.
The weighted blanket I got was from company called Simplesleep and I got the 20lb one and added the optional cover. It’s a single size blanket they offer, so not a big enough size for sharing with a partner. The cover has a soft and fuzzy minky side and a cooler microfiber side so you can choose what side you want against your body. This was the most cost efficient weighted blanket I could find and it’s also a Canadian company, so shipping was fast and no crazy exchange rates. Bonus there was also a coupon code at the time for $15 off, so I almost got the cover for free.
I was reading that a weighted blanket can help with relaxing your mind and body by using deep touch pressure that leaves you feeling like you’re being hugged. This feeling helps increase serotonin and melatonin levels, which help with both improving mood and restful sleep – both things I was greatly needing help with.
Night 1 – The blanket felt nice the first bit while still awake but too much when falling asleep and I didn’t end up keeping it on the whole night.
Night 2 – Love the weight of it and it feels like a hug. It enhances what I used to do with cocooning myself and the duvet. I woke feeling more rested and I didn’t wake mid sleep this night.
Night 3 – I felt like it was too much again and ended up taking it off as I was almost asleep.
Night 4 – I slept through the night and didn’t move at all under it. On a typical night, it’s almost never that I wake in the same position I fell asleep in.
Night 5 – I enjoyed having it on me while watching some tv before going to bed. I do find that the weight is a little much on my knee when I try and move under it.
Those were my initial thoughts on it and I’ve now been using it for over half a year. I am finding that it’s too much for me to use the whole night and I find the biggest benefit from using it is as I’m winding down just before I’m wanting to go to sleep to help me feel calmer. So I’ll do my little routine and end with laying down in bed relaxing.
Speaking of my routine, here’s what I do. I start with taking off my lashes if I wore them that day and washing my face. Then I brush my teeth and fill my water bottle with fresh water to have by my bed. Get into pjs if I didn’t get comfy earlier and get into bed. I take my nighttime supplement of magnesium to help my mind and body relax. I put on something on the TV – either some YouTube, Netflix or Disney+ and watch an episode of something while playing a game on my phone. Lastly I lay on my back and put on a guided body scan meditation and put the weighted blanket across my body – usually from my shoulders to my thighs. After a bit, I can feel myself passing out and want to get comfortable on my side/stomach position I described earlier and it’s usually then that I feel like the weighted blanket is too restrictive so I remove it and just use the duvet. All of this is on a good day when it works as planned.
When my anxiety is especially high, it turns into insomnia where my mental static won’t quiet and I can’t get into a comfortable position and keep tossing and turning. The meditation only exasperates the anxiety on nights like this and feels really annoying and irritating and I need to turn it off. Usually I’ll end up turning the TV back on as a distraction (I play re-runs of something I’ve seen before so I don’t care if I miss any of it) and eventually my body gets tired enough that I pass out – but it’s not usually until practically the morning by then.
I definitely go through phases with my sleep and the better my routine is, the better I usually sleep. So when I’m working and have a set schedule and reason for waking up, it’s usually easier. Of course my mental health plays a big roll in it too and sometimes no matter how hard I try to keep that schedule and routine, stress comes into play and doesn’t allow it all to go smoothly. But the more I keep doing the sleep routine portion, the better equipped I am to help keep my sleep schedule the best it can be.
What does your sleep hygiene routine look like? Share about it in the comments below!
Until next time, xoxo
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