Does the Gravity Blanket actually help you sleep?

Gravity Blanket started off on Kickstarter in 2017 and raised over $4 million in funds for the project, so the interest in such a product was there from the beginning.

A Gravity Blanket is a premium-grade, therapeutic blanket that's weighed down internally with microbeads that should equate to about 10 percent of your body weight. It comes with a micro-fiber duvet cover that's incredibly soft and removable, while also being machine washable (blanket is hand wash only). Gridded stitching on the blanket keeps the microbeads uniformly distributed so that all of the weight is even while you're underneath it.

While the Gravity Blanket is relatively new, weighted blankets have been around for quite some time for therapeutic uses. Gravity Blanket seems to have caused a spike in popularity since many copycats have popped up since the Kickstarter.

If you scour the internet, it's a bit of a mixed bag in regards to Gravity Blanket and other pricey, weighted blankets. However, it seems that the majority of people who use them report that their sleep has improved since using such a product.

The Gravity Blanket comes in three weights: 15, 20, or 25 pounds. To figure out the right one for you, just calculate what 10 percent of your total weight is, and then get the blanket that is closest to that number. You can also opt for something heavier or lighter if you prefer.

The weight from the microbeads in the Gravity Blanket simulates the feeling of being held or hugged while it's on top of you. The beads help with "deep touch pressure stimulation," which is when pressure points on your body associated with sleep, mood, and relaxation are stimulated, improving the quality of rest you get.

With deep touch pressure stimulation, the levels of both serotonin and melatonin increase in the body, while cortisol, the hormone that causes stress, is reduced. This results in decreased heart rate, reduced blood pressure, less stress and anxiety, and more enjoyable sleep and rest.

If it works on you will be entirely up to, well, you, but experts have backed up the claims.

Perhaps, but it may not be heavy enough comparatively. Gravity Blankets and others feel more like those lead aprons dentists put over you before taking your X-rays.

I'm not sure if you can simulate that feeling with just a bunch of normal blankets since they're not weighed down like the Gravity Blanket. Plus, it would take a lot of blankets to equal that kind of weight.