Weighted Blankets for Menopause

There are two sides to considering weighted blankets for menopause. On the one hand they may help you find relief for many of the annoying symptoms of menopause. On the other hand, they may be too warm to use during a time when hot flashes and night sweats are all too common.

Let’s look at both sides of the coin, and see if there’s a good way to achieve the benefits of this popular product without increasing issues with heat and melting.

What Is Menopause?

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According to Menopause Specialist Dr. Michael Abrahams, MD, FACOG, NCMP:

Menopause is a normal condition that all women experience as they age. The term “menopause” can describe any of the changes a woman goes through either just before or after she stops menstruating, marking the end of her reproductive period.

Menopause can occur naturally or it can be brought on by things like surgery or cancer treatment.

It’s an individual experience for each person but can include hot flashes, night sweats, sleep issues, fatigue, anxiety, and emotional/mood swings.

For many people, menopause tends to occur around the 50-year-old stage, with individual variations.

Its unsettling effects are often compounded by other lifestyle changes that also coincide with this time of life, such as retirement and the empty nest.

Weighted Blanket Benefits and Menopause

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Because many women in menopause experience sleep deprivation and fatigue, a weighted blanket may offer many benefits.

DTP Provides Calmness

The weight in these blankets creates deep touch pressure (DTP) that contributes to increased serotonin. This will improve feelings of calmness and relaxation that can aid sleep and decrease anxiety.

Weighted Blankets Reduce Anxiety

Along with sleep issues, anxiety is a common factor during menopause as women cope with physical and mental changes, plus social factors like retirement and kids leaving home.

A weighted blanket can provide relief for this time of change and potential upheaval.

Relief for Restless Leg Syndrome

There is also a lot of anecdotal evidence that a weighted blanket can help relieve the condition known as restless leg syndrome. Many people in menopause experience this uncomfortable twitching and tingling sensations in their legs.

The pressure of the weighted blanket can help to keep your legs still and to help with a more comfortable sleep during the night or for naps in the daytime. Many people use weighted blankets just because they enjoy the way they improve their sleep routines, even if they’re not in menopause.

As we age, sleep patterns become more unsettled for many people, and anything that improves your rest is welcome.

The Benefits of Better Rest

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If you can reduce sleep disruptions and get better rest, you may find that it benefits other areas of life in menopause, too.

Better Focus

With fewer sleep disruptions, you’ll have more energy to exercise and stay focused on a balanced diet to reduce the natural weight gain that occurs for many people during menopause.

The increased exercise will also help with keeping bones strong and healthy as you age.

Better Coping with Mood Swings

The increased quality rest at night will help you cope better with hormonal imbalances and mood swings that occur around this time. You’ll likely find it easier to work, do chores, and run errands, getting more accomplished during the day.

Reduce Anxiety

More quality sleep that benefits your daily routines is also going to help cut down on the anxiety produced by not being able to function well and enjoy time with family and friends.

Better Quality of Life

A weighted blanket can help to create a better quality of life at this stage instead of it being a time to just “get through.” You’ll want to continue creating great memories and being productive. There’s no reason you can’t.

Weighted Blankets and Hot Flashes

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Even though there are many potential benefits from using a weighted blanket during menopause, there is also the issue of hot flashes and night sweats.

These occurrences are too common to be ignored when using a weighted blanket.

If you usually have trouble with hot flashes and night sweats during menopause and you want to use a weighted blanket, there are some things you can do. Try the following tips to stay cooler and get good effects:

• Use a tabletop fan to stay cooler.
• Turn down the thermostat to slightly less than you normally do.
• Sleep with only the weighted blanket.
• Keep your feet out from under the blanket.
• Use cooling packs under the blanket.
• Turn up the A/C to slightly above where you normally would.
• Wear specially designed pajamas for wicking away moisture.

Use these ideas to help you stay under your weighted blanket for relief from sleep issues, depression, anxiety, and fatigue.

Fortunately for people in menopause, weighted blanket manufacturers have listened to customer feedback and have designed cooling weighted blankets that reduce heat buildup and are more breathable. These are intended for hot sleepers and are the solution for night sweats and hot flashes.

Cooling Weighted Blankets for Menopause

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Even though the tips above will help you stay cooler under your weighted blanket, manufacturers have already taken steps to address the needs of hot sleepers which can certainly apply to people experiencing menopause.

Specialized Cooling Weighted Blankets

They have done so with the development of cooling weighted blankets. These products are made using specialized technology, materials, and construction to reduce heat buildup and keep the sleeper cool and dry.

Cooling weighted blankets use features such as breathable bamboo and cotton fabrics, less synthetic filling, glass beads for less heat buildup, and special design to keep the blanket cool by optimizing airflow.

A specially designed cooling weighted blanket may be just what’s needed to enable a person in menopause to experience natural relief from some of the uncomfortable aspects that come with this change of life.

Two Top-Rated Cooling Weighted Blankets

My nephew is a hot sleeper, and we recently bought him the Synrix Cooling Weighted Blanket. He loves the blanket. He doesn’t have any anxiety problem but the calming blanket helps him sleep better at night which gives him more energy during the day and it does not trap all the heat.

The other weighted blanket manufacturer that runs a close second for us is Weighted Idea. The product receives many positive review from customers:

“I need a lot of weight on me to sleep well, but in the summer that can mean too much heat from too many blankets. This weighted blanket helps to add the weight without the heat…”

You’ll be able to keep your blanket feeling fresh and clean by adding duvet covers. Using a removable duvet cover means not having to drag around the heavy weight of the inner blanket to keep it clean.

If you’re experiencing menopause, and you want the benefits of a weighted blanket, you don’t have to give them up because of hot flashes or night sweats. A product with cooling technology will probably be the best weighted blanket for menopause, allowing you to experience better sleep and energy.