Most people have experienced what anxiety feels like since anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the US. Women are more affected by anxiety disorders than men, but it is estimated that 31% of people will experience an anxiety disorder at some point in their life. With anxiety rates on the rise and ever more common, knowing how to treat anxiety is paramount, so it doesn’t infringe on your quality of life.
Often making small lifestyle adjustments can result in significant improvements to someone’s anxiety, with some fixes so simple you can do them in your sleep. Medical professionals have been using weighted blankets for years to ease patients’ anxiety and stress during medical procedures and therapies. Just using a weighted blanket when you sleep or taking breaks to rest under a weighted blanket can help decrease feelings of anxiety.
How Do Weighted Blankets Lower Anxiety?
Weighted blankets lower anxiety by helping your body produce neurotransmitters that help you sleep, relax, and feel calm. Through what scientifically is known as deep touch pressure stimulation, the weight of the blanket presses on certain pressure points, acting to calm the nervous system and promote the release of serotonin and melatonin while simultaneously decreasing cortisol levels. Since weighted blankets work to calm the autonomic nervous system into rest mode and boost feelings of calm, they lead the way for deeper, more restorative REM sleep. With sleep deprivation linked to increased anxiety, getting adequate sleep is essential to stop a vicious cycle of anxiety, fatigue, and insomnia.
A weighted blanket evenly distributes weight and creates the feeling of being embraced by another person. Feeling hugged or embraced has been studied and found to produce oxytocin, better known as the love hormone, in the brain. Oxytocin helps reduce anxiety and promote trust and empathy, encouraging more positive feelings and an overall feeling of well-being.
Weighted blankets are an easy way to help ease symptoms of anxiety. By evenly distributing its weight over pressure points in the body, it relaxes the nervous system as your brain releases serotonin and melatonin and lowers cortisol. If you or a loved one is struggling with mental health issues, contact Avalon Malibu. Avalon Malibu is a world-renowned, California state-licensed mental health and substance abuse recovery treatment center. At Avalon, our dedicated staff is committed to making you feel supported in your treatment. If you are ready to seek treatment and begin working towards a life of balance and well-being, call us today at (844) 857-5992.
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