Weighted pillows have become quite popular lately, rivaling the ever-popular weighted blanket. But while a weighted blanket makes sense upon first thought, there are a few follow-up questions that pop up whenever I think about weighted pillows.
Namely, how can a pillow help you with anxiety if you’re sleeping on top of it rather than lying underneath it as you would with a weighted blanket? Well, we’re here to answer all of your questions about weighted pillows to see if they can be used to usher in peaceful, restful sleep.
What is a weighted pillow?
A weighted pillow is similar to a weighted blanket. They’re products filled with beads or pellets and are thought to use deep pressure to calm the nervous system and release serotonin and dopamine throughout the body. Therefore, they may help relieve anxiety and usher in relaxation for an easier, deeper sleep.
Weighted pillows come in different shapes and sizes. You can get larger weighted pillows made that contour to the shape of your head—or you can get smaller weighted pillows to hold and cuddle with that are shaped like hearts and stars.
Most weighted pillows only weigh between one and five pounds, with three pounds being the most popular weight. Weighted blankets, on the other hand, are much larger, typically ranging in size from 10 to 20 pounds.
There are even weighted pillows that come in the form of stuffed animals. Weighted stuffed animals are perfect for cuddling with at night, holding while you’re propped up on the couch, or using underneath your head as you sleep.
Benefits of weighted pillows
Like most new inventions, there’s still more research that needs to be done on weighted pillows. However, the research that currently exists on weighted blankets shows that weighted sleep products can aid in stress relief.
Studies suggest adding pressure to the body can help release cortisol, aka the stress hormone. As we’ve reported previously, high levels of cortisol can lead to poor sleep.
According to Lynelle Schneeberg, PsyD, author of Become Your Child’s Sleep Coach: The Bedtime Doctor’s 5-Step Guide, Ages 3-10, weighted pillows are similar to weighted blankets in their effects but “obviously cover less of the body, so some people might still prefer a weighted blanket.”
You don’t have to sleep with the pillow on top of your body for it to provide comfort. “You can cuddle it or sleep with it on a part of you—your arm or your stomach, for example,” explains Schneeberg. “You can also, of course, sleep on top of it. If you do, you may find that the material used to weight the pillow can be adjusted to conform to your head and neck in a way that some people might find very comfortable.”
Weighted pillow review
I’ve been sleeping with a small pillow to cuddle with for years. I actually have to pack it when I travel because I need to hold onto something to fall asleep.
Upgrading to a weighted pillow was definitely a game-changer for me.
While I wouldn’t say the weighted aspect helped as I slept (I’m a side sleeper and can basically cuddle with anything, weighted or not, to get the desired effect), the weighted aspect did come in handy when I used the pillow in other ways, like on my lap while I was working on my desk and holding it on top of me while watching TV on the couch.
Before, I always had a sort of nervous energy that prompted me to reach for my cell phone and doom scroll, even though I was already watching the TV screen. Having the weighted pillow to keep my hands busy with the gentle pressure of three pounds allowed me to relax and be totally present in the moment.
If you’re a back sleeper, I could see this being very relaxing to fall asleep with on your back or stomach.
How to choose a weighted pillow
Weighted pillows come in so many different shapes and sizes, and they’re easy to find at retailers like Amazon and Bed Bath & Beyond. Here are the features to consider when shopping for a weighted pillow:
- Outer material: The outer material of the weighted pillow should be soft. And depending on your needs, you can choose a cooler or warmer fabric. Cooler fabrics include cotton, linen, and bamboo, while warmer fabrics include flannel and wool.
- Fill: Most weighted pillows are filled with plastic microbeads or sand. If you want a pillow that can be placed in the microwave to enjoy warming effects, look for a fill that’s heat-safe (it’ll say so in the product description).
- Weight: Most weighted pillows are in the one- to five-pound range. Choosing the weight of your pillow is entirely up to you. If you’re shopping for a child, consider which weight they can easily carry and move around.
FAQs
What does a weighted pillow do?
Weighted pillows “provide pressure that most people find calming and relaxing, similar to a hug or a massage,” says Schneeberg. They can help release cortisol and usher in relaxation to promote deeper sleep.
What are weighted pillows filled with?
Weighted pillows can be filled with different materials, such as plastic microbeads, rubber-like plastic pellets, or even sand.
Do weighted pillows help with anxiety?
Yes. Weighted pillows definitely aren’t a cure-all for anxiety, but they can help individuals find relief from stress as they’re about to fall asleep.
This article originally appeared on Saatva and was syndicated by MediaFeed.
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Can alcohol actually help you sleep?
I’ve never been a huge drinker, but I’ve definitely imbibed more than usual over the last year and a half. With all the added stress from the pandemic, I’ve found myself reaching for a large glass—or two, let’s be real—of wine almost every night.
Not only does drinking alcohol leave me with a serious case of acid reflux, though, but it also makes getting a good night’s sleep pretty difficult. That’s not surprising, given studies show alcohol negatively impacts sleep.
“While some people notice that an alcoholic drink or two causes drowsiness and aids them in falling asleep, there is evidence to suggest that alcohol, particularly in high doses, can interrupt and negatively affect the quality of one’s sleep,” says Emma M. Laing, PhD, RDN, clinical associate professor and director of the didactic program in dietetics at the University of Georgia.
To get my sleep (and health) back on track, I’ve decided to temporarily quit drinking and do a dry month challenge. Here, learn more about how alcohol affects sleep and the many benefits you can expect from a dry month.
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In general, alcohol quickens how fast you’ll fall asleep — and it also makes it harder for noise and commotion to wake you up.
Research shows alcohol increases the amount of time spent in slow-wave sleep, the deepest stage of sleep, although recent data suggests this only happens in people who are already deficient in deep sleep. (This could be the case if you have a sleep disorder, like sleep apnea.)
These effects only occur in the first part of sleep, usually within the first four hours of the night as your body metabolizes the alcohol. Once your body has broken down all of the booze, you’ll start to experience worse sleep. Now you’re awakened and can be aroused from sleep more easily.
Why is that? According to studies on alcohol and sleep, you tend to spend more time in the lighter stages of sleep and REM sleep (the period when you dream) during the later part of the night, after you’ve thrown back a few cocktails.
In general, most people can metabolize one drink every one to two hours. But when it comes to how alcohol will affect your individual body and sleep, a lot of factors come into play. These include:
- What you drink: Some types of booze have a higher alcohol content than others and will therefore hit you harder. A standard serving of beer (12 ounces) usually has around 5% alcohol; a standard serving of wine (5 ounces) usually has around 12% alcohol; and a standard serving of distilled 80-proof liquor (1.5 ounces) usually has around 40% alcohol.
- How much you drink: The more alcohol you drink, the higher your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) will be.
- How quickly you drink: The faster you down drinks, the higher your BAC will be.
- Your gender: Alcohol affects men and women differently. Women tend to weigh less than men and ultimately tend to get intoxicated more quickly. Women also have less dehydrogenase, the enzyme that breaks down alcohol in the stomach. This can lead to higher BACs for women even if they drink the same amount of alcohol as men.
- Your body size: People with smaller body sizes will feel the effects of alcohol faster.
- What you eat: Food also plays a role in how alcohol will affect you. Having something in your stomach, whether it’s carbs, fat or protein, will help slow down the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream. The larger the meal and the closer you time it to your drinking, the lower your peak BAC is likely to be.
That said, research shows as little as one drink could worsen your sleep, regardless of your gender or your weight. A 2018 study found that one drink reduces the restorative quality of sleep by 9.3%. Moderate alcohol consumption (three drinks), meanwhile, was shown to lower sleep quality by 24%. High alcohol consumption (seven drinks) was shown to decrease sleep quality by as much as 39.2%.
Results were similar for women and men, as well as for people of smaller and larger body sizes and people who were physically active versus those who were more sedentary.
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Research shows alcohol can increase the amount of deep sleep people with insomnia get. But this increase in deep sleep is only temporary. After about six nights, people with insomnia will start to develop a tolerance to alcohol and need to drink more to get the same effect, according to one study.
While the research isn’t conclusive, it does suggest using alcohol as a sleep aid for insomnia could increase the risk of alcohol abuse.
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There’s a link between alcohol consumption and sleep apnea. Alcohol depresses the central nervous system, slowing down the part of the brain that controls breathing, along with the firing of the muscles that keep your airway open. When you have sleep apnea, this part of the airway gets repeatedly blocked during sleep. This causes brief arousals throughout the night.
Moderate to heavy drinking can lead to episodes of sleep apnea, even if you don’t have the condition. And for people who do have sleep apnea, studies show drinking can exacerbate this problem.
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Yes, alcohol can disrupt sleep. While it has sedative effects that can cause feelings of sleepiness, studies show alcohol, particularly when consumed in excess, can reduce sleep quality and sleep duration.
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Drinking alcohol isn’t going to do your sleep any favors. But if you’re smart about when, what and how much you imbibe, a glass (or two) of Pinot noir won’t necessarily ruin your night, either. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
- Stop drinking a few hours before bed. Exactly how long you should leave between your last drink and hitting the pillow depends on how much you drink and how quickly your body metabolizes alcohol. Most of us metabolize about one drink every one to two hours.
- Don’t overdo it. The more drinks you consume, the longer it takes your body to metabolize the alcohol. Regardless of whether your body metabolizes alcohol quickly or slowly, the less alcohol in your system, the less potential for your sleep to get disrupted.
- Watch out for heavy pours. Stick to standard-size drinks, not doubles, extra-large wine glasses or mixed drinks with multiple shots of different liquors. Bonus: You’ll certainly save money the next time you hit the bar.
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Now you know all the ways alcohol can wreak havoc on your sleep. So naturally, you might be wondering whether taking a break from booze could improve your shut-eye.
Here’s what you need to know about Dry January, the benefits of doing a dry month, and how to stick with it to experience the best results.
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Dry January involves taking a month-long break from alcohol. Because it begins on January 1, some people participate in Dry January to kick-start a New Year’s resolution to cut back on alcohol. Other people use it as a way to reset after lots of holiday drinking.
The first Dry January took place in 2013. The campaign originated with Alcohol Concern, a U.K. organization, as a way to encourage mindfulness around alcohol consumption.
That first year, 4,000 Brits took the challenge, and it’s since expanded worldwide. Close to 25% of Americans reported interest in participating in Dry January in 2019.
Other popular months to stop drinking include September and October, which you’ll often see referred to as Sober September and Sober October. But really, you can do a dry challenge any month of the year.
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Even taking a short hiatus from drinking alcohol can result in better quality sleep. According to 2015 research out of the University of Sussex, 62% of Dry January participants reported better sleep.
“Appreciating the various ways in which alcohol can disrupt sleep, it makes sense that taking a break from drinking can result in more restful nights,” says Laing.
She does note, however, that heavy drinkers who decide to stop drinking abruptly may experience withdrawal symptoms before they start to see the sleep benefits. “Multiple factors, including how much and how often you drink, can contribute to the severity of these withdrawal symptoms,” she says.
Hilary Sheinbaum, journalist and author of The Dry Challenge: How to Lose the Booze for Dry January, Sober October, and Any Other Alcohol-Free Month, first took the Dry January challenge in 2017 and noticed improvements in her sleep.
“When I gave up alcohol for one month, one of the most surprising epiphanies was my quality of sleep,” she says. Before taking the challenge, Sheinbaum says she used to sleep an average of five hours a night, often waking up in the middle of the night.
“I truly thought that was due to my crazy-busy New York City life, my around-the-clock job and my anxiety as a whole,” she says. “Nope! Not long into my first Dry January, I realized that even though my work and lifestyle were as busy as ever, I was sleeping seven to eight hours each night, which was a personal record.”
The only change Sheinbaum had made in her life? Giving up alcohol.
Laing says additional health benefits of cutting out alcohol, even for a short period, include an improved immune system and liver function, as well as a heightened ability to curb mindless snacking.
Per the University of Sussex research, 62% of Dry January participants reported more energy, while 82% felt a sense of achievement. Additionally, 49% of participants said they lost weight.
One of the more surprising benefits for Sheinbaum, meanwhile, had to do with her skin.
“My skin looked infinitely clearer and more glowy, even in the dead, dull, month of January,” she says. “As it turns out, alcohol dehydrates your body, including your skin.”
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A month without booze might sound daunting, but there are some things you can do to ensure the process goes smoothly, no matter if you plan it for January or any other month:
- Be clear about your intentions. Make a list of the top reasons you’re giving up alcohol to remind yourself why you’re taking this break in the first place, suggests Laing. “Keep your list in a prominent place and refer to it when the urge to drink strikes,” she says. “If possible, talk about your intentions with your friends, family, and your healthcare provider, so they understand and are able to offer support when needed.”
- Enlist a friend to do it with you. “For first-timers, I suggest recruiting a friend or friends to partake in the challenge with you,” says Sheinbaum. Her first Dry January stemmed from a spontaneous bet she made with a friend on New Year’s Eve in 2016. “The first year I did the dry challenge, and made a Dry January bet, it felt like a group effort,” she says. “It was so helpful to have a friend to keep me accountable—and also share tips and tricks along the way.”
- Replace drinking with another activity. These last few months, I’d always reach for a glass of wine at the end of a stressful day. But there are healthier ways to relieve anxiety, and Dry January is the perfect time to incorporate some of these activities into your routine. Try taking a relaxing bath, going for a walk around the block with your pet or cooking a new recipe, says Laing.
- Keep alcohol out of sight. “If you think you’ll be tempted by having alcohol in the house, put it away or give it to a friend to temporarily hold,” suggests Sheinbaum. As she notes, the point of a dry challenge isn’t to torture you. “It’s to make a dry month as simple, easy and as enjoyable as possible,” says Sheinbaum.
- Sip tasty non-alcoholic beverages. “Replacing what is in your glass or cup doesn’t have to be fancy or require a lot of effort,” Laing says. “Making a cup of soothing hot or iced tea, coffee or hot chocolate can be a helpful alternative, along with juices, smoothies, bubbly waters, and other beverages you have on hand that pique your interest.” Sheinbaum likes flavored seltzers, as well as Gruvi’s non-alcoholic prosecco and Athletic Brewing Company’s non-alcoholic beers. (For more inspiration, we’ve rounded up these delicious mocktail recipes.)
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This article originally appeared on Saatva.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
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