https://www.mosaicweightedblankets.com/choosing-a-weighted-blanket/
Gillette Children's Specialty Heathcare has a page devoted to weighted blankets:
https://www.gillettechildrens.org/your-visit/patient-education/weighted-blankets
You may purchase a custom-made weighted blanket through any of these sources:
Affordable Therapy Solutions
877-318-1638
www.affordabletherapysolutions.com
Calming Creations
651-998-0672
Sromell55@netzero.net
763-533-6125
AtYourService@cozycalm.com
DreamCatcher Quality Weighted Blankets (expect approximately 4-6 months for delivery)
www.weightedblanket.net
Jeri Espeseth
651-783-0550
Jeblankets@juno.com
New England Adaptive Equipment
207-269-2816
www.neeweightedproducts.com
Salt of the Earth Weighted Blankets (expect delivery within 4 weeks)
800-345-0579 (toll-free)
http://weighted-blankets.com
Southpaw Enterprises
800-228-1698
www.southpawenterprises.com
The Magic Blanket
877-711-2020
www.beanblanket.com
Weighted Wearables
715-505-3651
www.weightedwearables.com
How to Make a Weighted Blanket
Use the video tutorial at this web page to help you sew your own weighted blanket:
http://mamasmiles.com/sewing-tutorial-how-to-make-a-weighted-sensory-blanket
It’s important to remember that the filling must either be removable or washable. You can purchase machine wash/dry poly bead filler from CraftPellets.com, a local Minneapolis supply company: 763-533-0176 or www.craftpellets.com.
What is the Research on Weighted Blankets?
Title: Efficacy of Weighted Blankets for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sensory Over-responsivity, and Sleep Disturbance
Authors: Bryan Gee, PhD, OTR/L, BCP; Tyler McOmber; Jesse Sutton; Kimberly Lloyd, MOTR/L
Source: 2American Journal of Occupational Therapy, July 2017, Vol. 71, 7111515242p1. doi:10.5014/ajot.2017.71S1-PO4116
Background: Sleep and rest disturbances in children with an autism spectrum disorder and sensory over-responsivity are challenging issues to address. These are important self-care challenges that are commonly faced by many individuals with an autism spectrum disorder, with a high percentage of individuals with an autism spectrum disorder reporting sleep disturbances. Many health-related professions, including occupational therapy, use weighted blankets to assist children with an autism spectrum disorder to calm, fall asleep and remain asleep.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the efficacy of weighted blankets with children with an autism spectrum disorder and sleep disturbances using a single case, multiple baseline design.
Methods: This pilot study included two children with an autism spectrum disorder and sensory over-responsivity.
Results: Using a single subject design found that there were minimal changes reported via caregivers, indicating that weighted blankets assisted in improving the overall quality of sleep for their child with an autism spectrum disorder, specifically time to fall asleep, number of awakenings in the night, duration of sleep and behavior in the morning. Using visual analysis, changes were noted in the variability of data points but not with abrupt changes in the slope of trend lines.
Conclusions: This study provides a valuable springboard justifying the necessity for additional research studies related to improving the quality of sleep in children with an autism spectrum disorder and sensory over-responsivity using more robust single subject design methodology and objective measurement resources.
Title: Weighted Blankets and Sleep in Autistic Children--A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Gringras P1, Green D2, Wright B3, Rush C4, Sparrowhawk M5, Pratt K4, Allgar V5, Hooke N3, Moore D3, Zaiwalla Z6, Wiggs L5.
Source: Pediatrics. 2014 Aug;134(2):298-306. doi: 10.1542/peds.2013-4285. Epub 2014 Jul 14.
Objective: To assess the effectiveness of a weighted-blanket intervention in treating severe sleep problems in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Methods: This phase III trial was a randomized, placebo-controlled crossover design. Participants were aged between 5 years and 16 years 10 months, with a confirmed ASD diagnosis and severe sleep problems, refractory to community-based interventions. The interventions were either a commercially available weighted blanket or otherwise identical usual weight blanket (control), introduced at bedtime; each was used for a 2-week period before crossover to the other blanket. Primary outcome was total sleep time (TST) recorded by actigraphy over each 2-week period. Secondary outcomes included actigraphically recorded sleep-onset latency, sleep efficiency, assessments of child behavior, family functioning, and adverse events. Sleep was also measured by using parent-report diaries.
Results: Seventy-three children were randomized and analysis conducted on 67 children who completed the study. Using objective measures, the weighted blanket, compared with the control blanket, did not increase TST as measured by actigraphy and adjusted for baseline TST. There were no group differences in any other objective or subjective measure of sleep, including behavioral outcomes. On subjective preference measures, parents and children favored the weighted blanket.
Conclusions: The use of a weighted blanket did not help children with ASD sleep for a longer period of time, fall asleep significantly faster, or wake less often. However, the weighted blanket was favored by children and parents, and blankets were well tolerated over this period.
There is a lot of anecdotal and subjective reporting on how weighted blankets improve sleep health for children with a variety of disabilities. Parents’ perceptions seem to be that weighted blankets support children’s sleep. Unfortunately, parent report of their child’s sleep in isolation of any objective measure cannot provide conclusive data.
In her article on Exploring the Safety & Effectiveness of the Use of Weighted Blankets with Adult Populations, Tina Champagne, M.Ed., OTR/L, reminds us that there are many different qualities of weighted blankets that need to be taken into consideration when suggesting families use them: tactile, temperature, weight, visual, position of the person using it, self-control (can the person remove it?), trauma history, safety considerations (respiratory/cardiac/circulatory/skin integrity/orthopedic/need for medical clearance, etc.), how will you judge if it is effective (subjective review, objective vital signs)?2
“Therapists should educate parents on the principles of sensory–based interventions and inform them that they are still considered experimental”.3 Also when suggesting weighted blankets for sleep, it is not appropriate to use recommendations based on weighted vest and backpack literature since the weight is delivered in a different way.
1https://www.ot-innovations.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/aota2007weighted_blanket_web_final_607.pdf
