5knights3maidens Posted June 25, 2010 Share Posted June 25, 2010 (edited) Where can I buy one? This is for an almost 7 year old. Thanks!! Edited to say that I found a site. http://www.weightedblankets.us (DreamCatcher) Edited June 25, 2010 by 5knights3maidens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted June 25, 2010 Share Posted June 25, 2010 What is a weighted blanket? What is its purpose? I've never heard of them before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newlifemom Posted June 25, 2010 Share Posted June 25, 2010 I showed a picture to my aunt of a lap pad and she made one for me and filled it with corn kernals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZeldaRules Posted June 25, 2010 Share Posted June 25, 2010 A weighted blanket is used for some children/people who may have sensory disorders. If they respond to anything that gives them pressure, the weighted blanket will help them. It gives them that ahhhh....to be able to relax. Those with sensory disorders respond to different things that give them the 'ahhhh...' effect. My son loves deep pressure hugs. It will calm him immediately when he is anxious. Weighted vests do this for some children (to wear during the day), weighted blankets help at night. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProudGrandma Posted June 25, 2010 Share Posted June 25, 2010 Is there a way to determine if that is a helpful or not without having to buy a blanket..I would hate to spend the money just to find out that it is not as helpful as we thought it might be?? Kathy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlessedMom Posted June 25, 2010 Share Posted June 25, 2010 Thanks for posting this question. I don't have an answer at all, however I am thankful to learn about something new. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newlifemom Posted June 25, 2010 Share Posted June 25, 2010 well, I am glad I didn't spend any money, bc he wouldn't really use it. I suppose I could have forced the issue more, but I didn't. Mostly the kids play with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted June 25, 2010 Share Posted June 25, 2010 I think I might get one for ds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragons in the flower bed Posted June 25, 2010 Share Posted June 25, 2010 I'm sorry to hijack your thread, but, weighted blankets are cozy for a lot of normal people too, right? Like, say if you are an insomniac and find it easier to sleep under one... that doesn't necessarily indicate a sensory disorder, does it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted June 25, 2010 Share Posted June 25, 2010 I'm sorry to hijack your thread, but, weighted blankets are cozy for a lot of normal people too, right? Like, say if you are an insomniac and find it easier to sleep under one... that doesn't necessarily indicate a sensory disorder, does it? Thank goodness someone else said something first. I was also thinking they sounded kind of nice. :lol: I want one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted June 25, 2010 Share Posted June 25, 2010 I'm sorry to hijack your thread, but, weighted blankets are cozy for a lot of normal people too, right? Like, say if you are an insomniac and find it easier to sleep under one... that doesn't necessarily indicate a sensory disorder, does it? We all have sensory likes/dislikes. It isn't necessarily a 'disorder' unless it affects you normal life. DD3 is terrified of the sound of semi-loud fans. An exhaust fan in a public restroom will make her cower in fear. A year ago, I couldn't take her into some stores because she was terrified of the ventilation system noise (background heater/ac kicking on and the subsequent hummmmms). That is debilitating. This is on the 'disorder' spectrum. She has had a year of Sensory OT to get this far. She still has bad weeks but for the most part she can go into most stores now. I on the other hand just hate the constant noise of a fan. The hummming is very annoying to me. Even very quiet fans (ceiling fans/quality bathroom exhaust fans) drive me a bit nutty. Dh LOVES fans. I give in and let him run them in the house, but he knows to turn them off if he doesn't really need one on (hot room etc). My 'preference' of not wanting a fan on isn't a disorder, I am just considered 'sensory sensitive'. If you like the feel of heavy blankets and a weighted blanket is nice BUT you can go to sleep without one...I would say you are not on the 'disorder' spectrum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5knights3maidens Posted June 25, 2010 Author Share Posted June 25, 2010 Thanks for all the responses. Dd has a very hard time sleeping even with melatonin. She always comes into our room. I noticed that she always sleeps "very close" to me and "shoves" her legs under me. I was going to try the lap pad (cheaper) first for when she does school work or when I need her to sit still for a few minutes. ;) When I sleep I need heavy blankets on me. Even in the summer. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kathkath Posted June 25, 2010 Share Posted June 25, 2010 i sewed one for my son, and only bc I thought he'd like it. I have a friend who bought one for her son from a place online called cozy calm, I think?? They are pricey there but sewing one isn't too hard. It's just hard to manage once it's full of weighted pellets. I bought some from ebay that were probably an industrial byproduct lol, but you can buy them from real places that have been tested. I probably spent $15 or $20 on materials. It's interesting bc certain people LOVE to get under it when they come over. I love it. We made a throw sized one and it feels like a hug. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KellyGirl Posted June 25, 2010 Share Posted June 25, 2010 My 11ds has a weighted blanket that we bought online...I can't remember where I ended up getting it, but I know I looked at the sight you mentioned. Before investing in the blanket I took a big, old stuffed animals and filled it with marbles from the toy store. The stuffed animal was about lap pad sized and weighed 5 pounds. He really liked it, and even that helped him sleep a little better at night. I have to say, the weighted blanket was one of the best investments we ever made. DS sleeps so much better now, and doesn't always have dark circles under his eyes. And sometimes if he is super fidgety during school work I will have him wrap up in the blanket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5knights3maidens Posted June 25, 2010 Author Share Posted June 25, 2010 On that blanket site, it tells you about how much weight you should use for the size of the person. I like the idea with the stuffed animal. That wouldn't be expensive. I would probably make it about 2 1/2 to 3 lbs. :) Some one mentioned not liking fans. My ds (now 12), couldn't go into a BJ's or Costco without being scared to death. He would cover his head, shake, and cry. He couldn't look up without being terrified. We also went to the George Washington Bridge in VA. He was so scared, we had to pull him under it to walk through. It was horrible. You would have thought the sky was falling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted June 25, 2010 Share Posted June 25, 2010 I'll look in my book and see what other sources she recommends for things like weighted blankets. What about a vest? When would you use those? Last night ds could not sleep. I finally "buried" him under every single stuffed animal he owns, the crochet blanket I made him, his quilt, and then placed a large pillow on top. He fell asleep almost instantly. I guess he would really benefit from a weighted blanket. I'm just wondering about a vest since he body slams into the couch all day. Maybe that would help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homeschoolally Posted June 25, 2010 Share Posted June 25, 2010 i sewed one for my son, and only bc I thought he'd like it. I have a friend who bought one for her son from a place online called cozy calm, I think?? They are pricey there but sewing one isn't too hard. It's just hard to manage once it's full of weighted pellets. I bought some from ebay that were probably an industrial byproduct lol, but you can buy them from real places that have been tested. I probably spent $15 or $20 on materials. It's interesting bc certain people LOVE to get under it when they come over. I love it. We made a throw sized one and it feels like a hug. :iagree: We made our own weighted vest this way. The expense of a new one was prohibitive for us, and I also read (didn't verify or research it any further so I'm not sure how reliable the warning was) that some weighted blankets/vest were found to have toxic materials of some kind. It turned out that our handmade vest was a huge success. Another thought on this--I have similar issues with my legs when I sleep, and taking a magnesium supplement every day helped tremendously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twinmom Posted June 25, 2010 Share Posted June 25, 2010 Thank you so much for posting this! I've been looking for a site just like this for a while! We need some customized weighted blankets for our three kids with SPD, so this is perfect for us. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted June 25, 2010 Share Posted June 25, 2010 I would love one filled with the stuff of those smaller hot pack things that you can put in the microwave. They are filled with something natural. Cozy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted June 25, 2010 Share Posted June 25, 2010 One other thought.....if you know someone who has one, you may want to see if you can borrow it for a day or two. DD3 who loves heavy work, and deep squishy hugs, doesn't like weighted blankets. Her OT loaned her one, and her BT did too about a year apart. She didn't like the blanket or the vest at. all. She likes moving weight, if that makes sense. She doesn't like pressure in one area for a long time. Hugs, squishes, heavy toys are great...as long as they keep moving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsmith Posted June 25, 2010 Share Posted June 25, 2010 I bought ds a weighted blanket from Salt of the Earth, and he loves it. So does everyone else in our family! Dh ended up buying his own for his Restless Leg, and it helps him a lot - he even travels with it. MIL borrows the weighted blankets for naps, and she now wants her own. I like to use them if I have sore legs from a long day of walking or from working out, but not to sleep with. They weren't cheap but have held up incredibly well. One is 3 yrs old, the other 2, and they have travelled a lot. We will probably still have them 20 years from now. The company also has lap pads, shoulder wraps, and stuffed animals. http://www.saltoftheearthweightedgear.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted June 25, 2010 Share Posted June 25, 2010 I was looking at buying one from Spectrum Nasco which is the Canadian supply for spectrum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenC3 Posted June 25, 2010 Share Posted June 25, 2010 My old neighbor has ton a ton of stuff for her son. http://www.sensoryintegrations.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyinTN Posted June 25, 2010 Share Posted June 25, 2010 I had a nice heavy, heavy blanket that I had to sleep with every winter since I was a child. My great grandmother made it. I'm going to try to make one for this winter once we move and settle in... I love that feeling of being weighted down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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