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This page is all about weighted blankets. It should answer any questions you may have about deep pressure therapy through weighted products and how they may be beneficial to you. 

 

 

 

 

Why use weighted products?

 

They can help with sleep, help with concentration and staying still and

help to reduce anxiety.

The weight of the blanket acts as deep pressure therapy. Through this,

receptors become stimulated and serotonin gets released – similar to

swaddling an infant. This helps the body to relax, feel more grounded

and safe.

There’s a lot of research backing up these statements, and there are

references to peer reviewed scientific research provided further down.

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Who can it help?

Research shows that weighted products help with an array of conditions.

These include:

Autism, sensory processing disorder, sleep problems, anxiety, Parkinson's

disease, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, Tourette’s syndrome, bipolar

neurological problems, fibromyalgia, PTSD, ADHD, cerebral palsy, and

menopause.

It’s been shown that autistic children are low in serotonin. This could be

one of the reasons why they, especially, see so much benefit from

weighted products.

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Help with sleep

A weighted blanket or lap pad can help individuals struggling with insomnia.

Serotonin release encouraged by the blanket helps to regulate mood,

eases relaxation and is necessary to create melatonin, a chemical that

tells your body when it’s time to sleep.

In addition to chemical changes, our nervous systems calm down when

under the weight of a heavy blanket. This can be a major help for those

who can’t fall asleep due to anxiety.

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Help in concentration and staying still

Sitting still can be a struggle for those with sensory issues (such as SPD,

ADHD, and autism). This creates issues at school, in work, and when

learning. Having the extra weight of the lap pad adds sensory input that

allows people to feel their body. For those with sensory issues, not being

able to feel where your body is in space can make it harder to stay still and

concentrate.

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For these situations, a weighted lap pad is a great option. Not only does

it help calm thenervous system and release serotonin, but the sensory

input of the fabric can give something to focus on for an extended period

of time. Weighted blankets can help with concentration, behaviour, and

attention. It therefore helps improve memory and performance in

completing tasks. It also reduces stimming (self-stimulatory behaviours

such as flapping or rocking) and fidgeting.

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Reducing Anxiety

Weighted lap pads have been shown through many research studies to

reduce anxiety, not just the anxiety many of us feel but also helps alleviate

clinical anxiety (prescribed anti anxiety medication can also work by

increasing levels of serotonin).

There are a lot of disorders that are related to low serotonin for which a

weighted lap pads could be useful, including depression, aggression,

PTSD, and bipolar disorder.

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The research

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• Deep touch pressure has been described to produce a calming effect in children with psychiatric disorders (Ayres 1979, King 1989).

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• It also has been used to reduce tactile defensiveness in children who cannot tolerate being touched.

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• One study published in the Journal of Medical and Biological Engineering in 2012 used high anxiety situations (dentist visits) to trial weighted blankets, and found the blankets gave physiological changes in the nervous systems of the patients which calmed them.

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• Another study found that use of weighted blankets in an acute psychiatric unit gave significantly great reductions in patient distress and clinically rated anxiety.

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• McClure and Holtz-Yotz (1991) found that deep pressure on the arms reduced self-injurious behaviour and self-stimulation in autistic children

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• Takagi and Kobayasi (1955) found that deep pressure applied to a person’s body results in a decrease in pulse rate, metabolic rate, and muscle tone.

 

A weighted blanket is not a replacement for prescribed medication but it can compliment their beneficial effects.

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Reviews of Adapted James weighted products

 

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The blanket is wonderful! My son loves it so much. I do

notice some improvement in his sleep. Thankyou!

-Bob The Builder weighted blanket for autistic 3 yr old

 

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I've had this blanket for almost a couple months now. It is

very heavy and soothing. The blanket is high quality at a

competitive price. The stitching is secure and I have not

had any issues or concerns, even with heavy daily use.

The fabric is pleasant to the touch, and the blanket is

well ventilated due to the poly pellet filling, keeping you

cool. The seller was very kind and patient and put in

extra effort to ensure he found just the right pattern and

texture of fabric. Blanket was made quickly and arrived

in the mail in a cute package. Seller was very communicative

and provided updates on my order in

addition to promptly rectifying a shipping overcharge

issue. Excellent service and product, would highly recommend

this shop.

-Autistic adult

 

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 She is getting on great with it and asks for her blanket every

night at bed so has been a great success

-Fleece backed rainbow weighted blanket for a child with GDD

 

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This is a great lap pad for me! I'm a frozen fan and have autism,

it's comfy, soft and a lovely light-medium weight that doesn't

hurt my skin or affect my circulation. Perfect! Thanks!

- Frozen weighted lap pad

 

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Perfect size for my son and well made. No worries about him

tearing this up with regular use. The fabric is perfect for my star

wars fan.

-Weighted lap pad for an autistic tween

 

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The lap pad is a very pretty & soft fabric & it's just the right size.

The weight gives good

feedback that allows my leg muscles to relax &, for general

calming, it's comfortable to place on my ribs. It's naturally quite

cool but that could be because it's winter - I find that quite nice

- it's not cold or uncomfortable. The fact that it can be heated

is great too though - it fits

comfortably under my shoulders without being bulky & lying on

it when heated helps my shoulder pain.

-Heatable weighted Lap pad

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How do I order a completely custom Adapted James weighted product?

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(‘Standard’ Custom products are available on the Adapted James concscious crafties page here)

 

• Decide on the colour and/or design that you would like, such as Star Wars,  floral, or Monster High, and contact me with the pattern idea and the age/approx. size of the person that the blanket is for

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• I will investigate to see what fabrics I can find that will work and get back to you with the options to choose from.

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• Once you’ve made your choice I will put up a listing on Conscious Crafties for a deposit of approx. 30% of the agreed price on the Adapted James Etsy page so you can pay the deposit and I can start work

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• I will complete the product within 2 weeks. Once completed, a listing will be put up on Conscious Craftiesfor the remainder of the payment. It will be posted within 2 days of payment.

 

 

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