There is a general bias in identifying a pharmaceutical agent as a better, effective, or more scientific way to overcome a symptom than a natural method. In addition, it is extremely difficult to apply for a research grant to prove that such a natural method may be better than a pill for insomnia. Certainly not from the pharmaceutical industry! So, I doubt if grants are available to study how effective a weighted blanket is compared to a pharmaceutical agent for insomnia. On the other hand, there are now many anecdotal reports on the benefits of weighted blankets.
When I first read of the use of weighted blanket as an aid for sleep, decades ago, I thought it would make sense if it helped people with insomnia. I seldom have insomnia, so the idea of purchasing one never came to me.
Recently, I read some postings in DID Facebook groups that reawakened my interest. I also found out that weighted blankets have become a common commodity. I just stopped into a shop that specialized in things that promote sleep and bought a weighted blanket. It is 15 pounds; the recommended weight for someone my size. I wanted to explore the first hand experience of using one. Here is my report after using it for 3 weeks.
In the beginning, I felt mildly resentful because I felt restricted in my movements due to the weight. It seemed to be a hindrance to moving around in bed. I quickly realized that what I was seeing as an impediment was a mistaken understanding. It was an obstacle to manifesting my agitation physically in bed. But when I stopped fighting that sensation, it seemed that what it was actually generating was the sensation of safety a baby might experience being “tucked-in.” So, I imagined I was a baby in a “wrap.” Sleep came over me soon. True to my expectations, I did experience a positive feeling as if I were being held and hugged while under the heavy blanket.
Three weeks have gone by. My sleep, in general, feels deeper. The number of times I wake up to use the toilet has decreased. In the evening, I look forward to the experience of going under the heavy blanket. I feel more refreshed in the morning. I cannot rule out that it might just be a placebo effect. Placebo or otherwise, with the blanket, I quickly settle into sleep regardless of any sense of resentment at the restriction caused by the weight.
Conclusion
[1] The simplest way for me to fall asleep has always been to be still, to stop tossing and turning. This heavy blanket is like a gentle reminder to me just to keep still. I believe “tossing and turning” is the most commonest reason people who have difficulty falling asleep get into a pattern of insomnia.
It is like the phenomenon of scratching an itch: The more one scratches, the more itchy one feels. Tossing and turning make people more restless, which makes them toss and turn even more.
[2] I can feel the sensation of being tucked-in and held. There is an immediate shift from the physical sensation to the emotional.
[3] Some people may resent the sensation of restriction of the blanket stopping you from freely tossing around, as I did initially and still do to a lesser extent. It is easy to get over this, because the sensation of being safely tucked-in, that good feeling, quickly takes over.
Considering this from the viewpoint of someone with DID, how might this be helpful? For someone with early childhood trauma, the sensation of being touched is often frightening – the opposite of being safely tucked in. This early trauma impacts those with DID for decades into the future. So, a question in therapy is how can the therapist help a patient re-learn the experience of that sensation of safety without touching the patient? Further, how can the patient experience safety at home, perhaps at night when it might be most needed? Knowing the difficulties DID patients often experience with close body contact with their partners, how can a partner help engender that experience of safety in a way that eliminates any trigger of sexuality? And finally, how can someone with DID that doesn’t have a partner experience that sense of safety alone in their home.
i want to be clear that I do not believe there is any approach to DID that will successfully address the problems of all individuals with DID. However, given that different approaches can be helpful to different patients, I thought it was both interesting and possibly important enough to post these thoughts. If readers of this post have read my books on DID, the Engaging Multiple Personalities Series, you will know that I believe that re-learning the experience of safety in the here and now, the experiential sensation of being safe, is a critical component in the healing journey. The question for therapists is how to deliver that sensation.
I have written in my books about using a large bolster cushion to push lightly against a patient’s chest to have them experience the sensation of a grounding safe touch without me actually touching them directly. There was always the large bolster between us both for ethical concerns and for avoiding potential triggers. The weighted blanket seems to serve a similar function, but can be used at home, alone or with your partner, and is in your control which has the additional benefit of self-empowerment.
I told the spouse of one of my former patients that I wanted to experiment with this. He wrote back letting me know they had purchased one already. He wrote that the first night of use his spouse was irritated with the weight of the blanket. She commented that she really didn’t see any difference and didn’t like it particularly. Nevertheless, without prompting, she has used it every night since. No longer getting up repeatedly to use the washroom, no longer waiting for the spouse to fall asleep first before drifting off herself to sleep, and other positive results have happened.
So, in short, I think it may be of benefit. There are many versions and at different price points. I am not well versed enough to comment on which weighted blanket might be better than some other one. If people have tried this and had a negative reaction or no positive reaction, please post that as well. It may be helpful for others in the DID community to get a sense of whether or not it is something that has a likelihood of being helpful to them.
I do have to add a disclaimer: I do NOT hold any commercial interest associated with sleep promoting products whatsoever. To my knowledge, neither my former patient nor her spouse has any economic interest in weighted blanket companies.
