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- The Gravity Blanket is a weighted blanket designed to help you feel less stressed and sleep better.
- The cover began as a Kickstarter campaign, which raised more than 65 million rand. Gravity says the coverage generated more than 208 million rand from sales.
- I've tested the cover – with Gravity's heavy sleep mask – for a few weeks and I've got the best sleep of my life.
- The Gravity blanket helped my mind stop running and sleep almost instantly.
When I started testing a gravity blanket, I had great plans to make it a science experiment.
I was wearing an Apple Watch, I thought, to test how my heart rate was responding to weighted coverage. I had planned to take notes on my mood and my stress level to determine if the blanket could actually relax my central nervous system and calm me down.
The problem is that I did not stop falling asleep.
For anyone who has never heard of Gravity Blanket or heavy blankets in general, consider it a men's t-shirt. The basic premise of heavy rugs is that uniform, evenly distributed pressure will produce a soothing and relaxing effect. Studies have shown that weighted vests or blankets can also help people with autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, high anxiety or insomnia.
But at the most basic level, weighted blankets usually feel like a hug.
Gravity's weighted cover version started as a Kickstarter project in 2017. Gravity has raised more than $ 4.7 million (65 million rand) from nearly 24,000 backers to create a plush blanket weighing approximately 7 kg.
Gravity claims to have sold more than 60,000 weighted hedges, representing $ 15 million in sales. Gravity has now expanded its product line to include a weighted sleep mask, a refreshing blanket for those who "sleep warm", etc.
I've had the opportunity to test the original $ 250 Gravity Blanket and the $ 30 weighted mask for a few weeks. I offered them to friends, colleagues, and anyone who was willing to sit with a 20-pound blanket on them. For some people, the experience was strange and uncomfortable. Others have described it as "similar to the uterus".
Me? I've had some of the best naps of my life.
Size issues
The most important and important thing you need to know about the Gravity cover is that it comes in different weights. The right coverage for you depends on your size, since it should be around 10% of your weight.
Not realizing this, I went with the 20-pound (9 kg) blanket and after a few weeks of testing, I found it slightly too heavy for me. For most adults, 20 pounds do not seem like much, but it can be overwhelming when you lie down (or try to take her home on the subway).
The other thing to know about the blanket, is that it is not the size of a comforter or a quilt, and it 's not not really done to be shared. It will not replace your bedding – unless you sleep in a twin bed – and will not cover you and your partner at the same time.
Plus, at $ 250, it's a very expensive blanket.
"I had the impression of being in the womb"
All of that aside, I was curious to see if a seemingly simple blanket – albeit a heavy blanket – would have the same effect as the one usually found with pharmaceuticals or meditation. Could it really reduce stress and anxiety? Could this help me sleep?
I decided to offer the Gravity cover to friends, my boyfriend and my co-workers. Let's just say that the reactions were … mixed up.
"One has the impression that an animal is lying on you," said one person.
"I feel relaxed!" another said. "But maybe it's just a placebo effect?"
A friend came to my house to try it out and informed me that the Gravity blanket made him feel like he was "in the belly".
"I … am … so … happy," he told me sleepily.
But for me, testing a Gravity blanket was like taking a sleeping pill.
I'm not someone who usually has trouble falling asleep or staying asleep – in fact, sleeping is one of my favorite hobbies. But I am not the kind to napper and I have trouble making naps or falling asleep when it is still day.
The gravity cover changed all that.
Whenever I went to test the cover, in the hope of following my heart rate changes or at least documenting my feelings, I fainted. One night, I went to bed with the blanket in the early evening and ended up sleeping under the night. Another night, I used the blanket and sleep mask while suffering from migraine, hoping that some of my symptoms would subside. I slept for three hours and woke up with a much less intense headache.
Here's the proof, kindly broken by my boyfriend:
I have not yet been able to try the cover without fainting after a few moments, but I have the impression of reaping the benefits of a heavier blanket, even asleep. My mind goes out of bed when I'm in bed and I tend to be stressed about everything, from what I'm going to wear the next day, to the trips I've planned in several months. The Gravity Blanket seemed to calm my mind enough that I fell asleep instantly, over and over again.
So, although my tests certainly have not been scientific, I can certainly say that the Gravity blanket helps me feel calm, relaxed – and very, very tired.
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