Kocoono Weighted Blankets for Insomnia - How they can Help?

What is Insomnia and How it Affects You?

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that can make it hard to fall asleep, stay asleep, or cause you to wake up too early and not be able to get back to sleep. Insomnia is classified as chronic when it happens almost every night for at least one month.

If you have a poor sleep over a long period of time, it can severely affect your life, as it can cause fatigue, bad mood, and poor concentration and affect your mental health. Someone with Insomnia is 10 times more likely than someone without Insomnia to also have depression.

Symptoms of Insomnia

• Difficulty falling asleep at night
• Waking up during the night
• Waking up too early
• Difficulty returning to sleep
• Not feeling well-rested after a night's sleep
• Feeling tired or fatigued during the daytime
• Irritability, depressed mood or anxiety
• Difficulty paying attention, focusing on tasks or remembering
• Poor performance at work or school
• Ongoing worries about sleep

What Factors Cann Cause Insomnia? 

More and more people have Insomnia. The reasons are numerous. It can be:

• Symptom of depression or other mental disorder
• Effect of stress and anxiety
• Disturbed circadian rhythm due to night shift work or long exposure to screens
• Some medications that can disrupt the sleep
• Health conditions that disrupt sleep such as Restless Legs Syndrome, apnea or Fibromyalgia. 
• Inadequate diet 

 We urge you to talk to your GP if you are concerned about  how certain medicaments or illnesses can affect your quality of sleep.

Visit our blog "Why can't I sleep at night?" to learn more about the factors that may be stealing your sleep and some natural ways to combat them!

Alternatives to Sleep Medication - Weighted Blankets and Sleep Hygiene Routines

The most popular form of treatment is sleeping pills, but they do not always bring the desired results. It is worth using natural alternatives to decrease the severity of your sleep problems.

Kocoono Weighted Blankets can help you fall asleep naturally and stay asleep longer by relaxing your body, but they have to be coupled with good and consistent sleep hygiene routines.

Sometimes Insomnia comes from poor Sleep Hygiene. Sleep Hygiene is a series of practices, rituals and routines that enable quality sleep. We all need to have relaxing habits associated with our preparedness to sleep and try to do them at the same time every day

How Weighted Blankets Help with Insomnia? - The Science Behind it

What makes a Weighted Blanket calm your body and have a sleep-promoting effect? The response is Deep Touch Pressure Therapy! 

A suggested explanation for the calming and sleep-promoting effect is the pressure that the chain blanket applies on different points on the body, stimulating the sensation of touch and the sense of muscles and joints, similar to acupressure and massage," said principle investigator Dr. Mats Alder, consultant psychiatrist in the department of clinical neuroscience at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden. "There is evidence suggesting that deep pressure stimulation increases parasympathetic arousal of the autonomic nervous system and at the same time reduces sympathetic arousal, which is considered to be the cause of the calming effect"

There are several studies that have shown the effectiveness of weighted blanket on the treatment of insomnia symptoms:

• Studies have shown the positive effects of Weighted Blankets on Insomnia: the sleep bout time increased, and there was a decrease in participants' movements during weighted blanket use. The participants found it easier to settle down to sleep, and they felt more refreshed in the morning. Overall, the participants who used the weighted blanket had a calmer night's sleep.
• A 2020 Study by Swedish researchers found that Weighted blankets can help improve sleep in people with depression, bipolar disorders, generalized anxiety disorder, and ADHD. The participants using the weighted blanket for four weeks reported significantly reduced insomnia severity, better sleep maintenance, a higher daytime activity level, and reduced fatigue, depression, and anxiety symptoms.  
• A 2021 clinical trial conducted in Stockholm proves that weighted blankets are an alternative to sleep medication. The aim of the study was to investigate whether deep pressure stimulation provided by a weighted blanket would improve the sleep of the patients and reduce the need for sleep medication. They found a statistically significant association between Weighted Blanket use and decreased use of common sleep medication

5 ways a Kocoono Weighted Blanket Can Help you with Insomnia

1. Reduces Anxiety, Helping You Fall Asleep

According to Harvard Health Publishing, sleep problems affect more than 50 per cent of adults with generalized anxiety disorder. Insomnia elevates our anxiety levels, and Insomnia can also worsen our anxiety levels.

By providing Deep Touch Pressure Therapy, calming blankets trigger the dopamine and serotonin release (the "happy hormones" produced in the brain). These hormones provide a calming effect that helps combat anxiety and break the cycle.

2. Helps You Stay Asleep Longer

The weight of a Kocoono Weighted Blanket on your body encourages stillness and decreases the impulse to move. Kocoono weighted blanket acts like a massage, stimulating pressure points in the body and relaxing the muscles. You will drastically reduce restlessness and the need to move back and forth. 

3. Reduces fatigue

Daytime fatigue is a common symptom of Insomnia. Kocoono Blankets not only help you fall asleep but also help you have a night of restorative sleep. Kocoono Weighted blanket acts like a massage, stimulating pressure points in the body and relaxing the muscles. The integrated Shoulder Embrace in the LUXE version of Kocoono will make you feel cuddled and comforted, enhancing a deep sleep that will help you restore your body. You can drastically reduce restlessness and the need to move back and forth, enabling you to sleep longer without waking up.

4. Can Help with Depression

People with Insomnia are more likely to develop depressive moods or depression. The Deep Touch Pressure Therapy applied by weighted blankets may trigger neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, which are feel-good hormones produced in the brain. These hormones help combat stress, anxiety, and depression. By providing deep pressure touch, weighted blankets can promote relaxation, combat anxiety and help break the cycle.

5. It boosts Melatonin Levels Naturally 

Melatonin, known as the "sleep hormone” is a key factor in the quality of your sleep. It controls and regulates our circadian rhythm, helping us have a healthy sleep. The level of this hormone increases with darkness and decreases with light. That is why it is important to get lots of daylight and avoid bright light or devices before bedtime. When a Kocoono weighted blanket stimulates serotonin, melatonin hormones are also released, promoting sleep and helping regulate the sleep cycle. This then helps your body become on a more regular sleep schedule. 

Testimonials on How Kocoono Weighted Blankets Helped with Insomnia

 Best purchase ever!

"I've had insomnia since I was 14 years old and I've tried every single tablet, remedy or suggestion that's ever been offered to me. Nothing ever worked and I'd kind of become resigned to the fact that I was never going to sleep a full night or be well rested. For the first few days after I got the Kocoono Weighted Blanket I was cautiously optimistic, I wanted to wait and see if the effects were lasting - I had plenty things in the past work for a few days and then lose their effectiveness. But here I am now a year later and I don't have insomnia anymore and I can nearly count on one hand the number of bad nights sleep I've had since then. Absolutely class "- Jaqueline. Limerick

You will not regret this purchase

"I  recently bought my second Kocoono Weighted Luxe Blanket. My original one is at home while I am staying elsewhere and I noticed the difference so much that I had to get a second one! I am a long-time insomniac and have tried everything and anything to get a good night’s sleep. Even if I wake up I can get back asleep without hours of twisting and turning - Eobhan. Dublin 

 Love it!

"As a chronic pain sufferer with insomnia my  Kocoono blanket has brought me great comfort. Especially use it while meditating and relaxing as part of pain management. It's so soothing and find the pain and associated anxiety levels are reduced. Like a big hug in ways. A great product. Thanks"- M.C. Sligo 

Order Your Kocoono Weighted Blanket for Insomnia

Insomnia can impact negatively on your daily life. A Kocoono weighted blanket may help with the severity of your Insomnia by relaxing your body in a natural way. It is important to couple them with good and consistent sleep hygiene routines and alway reach out your GP for additional advise.

Weight Selection

When buying a gravity blanket, look for one that weighs around 10 per cent of your body weight. It will be heavy enough to help with some of your symptoms but not so heavy that you are uncomfortable.

We have 3 different weights for our Kocoono Weighted Blankets:

• 5kg - Suitable for someone who weighs between 50 - 70 kg (8- 11 stone)
• 7kg- Suitable for someone who weighs between 70 - 90 kg (11- 13 stone)
• 9 kg- Suitable for someone who weighs over 90 kg  over 13 stone)

Do you have any questions?

Are you interested in buying a Kocoono Weighted Blanket to help combat Insomnia and have any questions? We love to hear from you! Send us an email at info@kocoono.com or use our contact form to get in touch. 

Let us know how you manage your fibromyalgia pain in the comments below!

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