Does Kocoono Weighted Blanket help with Anxiety?
Yes, Kocoono Weighted Blankets can ease your Anxiety. One of the main reasons our sleep is disturbed is because we have high levels of stress, which, when not properly managed, can turn into Anxiety.
Many people in Ireland and the UK are affected by an Anxiety disorders at one point in their life. The National Health Service in the UK reports that General Anxiety Disorders is a common condition, estimated to affect up to 5% of the population in the UK. These anxiety levels have risen in Ireland, UK and all across Europe since the COVID-19 pandemic began, people have not been able to do their normal hobbies or connect with people the same way they were used to and it has affected their brain, body and behaviour in many ways.Â
How a Kocoono Weighted Blanket can help you with Anxiety ?
Although putting 5kg to 9kg over you can sound quite anxiety provoking, the truth is that it causes the opposite effect for many of us. It can feel like a strange phenomenon when using it initially, as the body is not used to it, but the relaxing effect comes after some minutes.
Why throwing weight over yourself can help alleviate your Anxiety?
There is a connection between the sense of touch and the state of excitement or calm in our brain. A massage with moderate pressure helps treat Anxiety and stress by stimulating the vagus nerve, the parasympathetic system's main nerve, and the one in charge of relaxing. We could say that the effect is similar to the little gem that gives you a hug to make you feel better or calm you down. Â
Here we summarise the 5 different ways Kocoono can help you relax and calm your anxiety!
1. Release your happy Hormones reducing cortisol
By providing Deep Touch Pressure Therapy, Kocoono Weighted Blankets trigger the dopamine and serotonin release (the "happy hormones" produced in the brain). These hormones provide a calming effect that helps combat anxiety.
2. Mimics the feeling of a hug
Many studies show that cuddles are effective to reduce cortisol levels (the stress hormone) and increase oxytocin levels. The feeling of a hug with the Luxe version of Kocoono Blanket is even greater thanks to its shoulder embrace that applies pressure over your shoulder area and fits smoothly over you thanks to the neck cut out that surrounds you! Literally, like someone hugging you the whole night! This exclusive feature makes you feel cocooned!
3. Kocoono Weighted Blankets are a great grounding technique
Grounding techniques for anxiety typically involve gaining a sense of control. Noticing the pressure of a Kocoono weighted blanket and how it feels against your body can help you connect with the "earth", be mindful of the present and less focused on your anxious, negative thoughts.Â
Â
4. Improve your quality sleep; thus your anxiousness levels decrease!
Kocoono Weighted blankets not only helps you fall asleep faster but also have better quality sleep. In fact, many people think that you need to have insomnia or any other condition to use Kocoono Weighted Blankets, when the reality is that many people use them simply to feel refreshed and rested in the morning.Â
5. Say Goodbye to twisting and turning all night! Ever have one of those sleeps where you lie in bed twisting and turning only to awake in the morning feeling like you didn't sleep a wink?! With the Kocoono weighted blanket you will find that your body will naturally feel calmer, as the gentle pressure cocoons your body you will have a drastic reduction in restlessness and the need to move back and forth. Goodbye restlessness, hello happy days!! Â
The importance of choosing the right weight for you
Buying a Kocoono Weighted Blanket that is not of the right weight for you would defeat its purpose. If the weight is too heavy, it can feel uncomfortable and, at times, anxiety-provoking. If it is too light, it can feel there is a limited benefit, so it is really important to get this right.
The recommendation is approx 10% of your body weight. So 5kg is suitable if you weigh 50kg (8 stone), 7kg is suitable if you weigh 70kg(11 stone), and 9kg is suitable if you weigh 90kg+ (14 stone). However, this does vary based on personal preference. Some people prefer lighter/heavier. We highly recommend having a look at this blog for more information. If you have some questions about what weight you should choose, contact us. Our wellness experts will be happy to help you!Â
Bear in mind that there is an adjustment period with the Kocoono blankets. It can feel like a strange phenomenon when using it initially, as the body is not used to such deep touch pressure. It can take from 14-30 days for the body to become fully adjusted to it and achieve the benefits it was designed to provide. If you feel it is too heavy or too light after this period, our customer service will be happy to help you provide the right weight for you.
How to adjust the weight of your Kocoono LUXE depending on your level of anxiety.Â
Our most popular Blanket is Kocoono Weighted Blanket LUXE, which is fully customisable: you can add or remove the weights as needed. Here we tell you how you can make the most of this feature when anxiousness disrupts your nights!Â
Some people benefit from more pressure when they are anxious. Still, everyone is different, and some people feel the Kocoono weighted blanket can be anxiety-provoking days when they are more susceptible or stressed or at different times of the month for us ladies. If this is your case, you can remove part of the inner weighted bands. Some feedback from customers is that the Shoulder Embrace of the Kocoono LUXE around the neck cut helps them feel secure and calm, as they feel like someone is hugging them. You could leave that feature but remove some of the inner weighted bands if you feel it too much on those days of extreme anxiousness.Â
What to do if your mind is racing before sleep?Â
For many people switching off before bed is a challenge! We tend to think about all the things that are not going well when we are in bed. You run the risk of entering a circle in which, despite being sleepy, your mind cannot disconnect: worry and rumination can seriously interfere with our ability to fall asleep.
We are susceptible to stress in our daily lives: economic problems, work deadlines, family concerns, and others.
The NHS in the UK states that one in 3 of us suffers from poor sleep, with stress, computers and taking work home often blamed. If you are in this group, check our 5 tips to reduce anxiety while working from home
We can't change reality but we can choose our attitude and how to deal with our stressors. You can do many actions to ease your mind and deal with stress, from meditating, exercise, and setting time aside to do enjoyable activities that help you switch off. Here you can find 6 strategies to deal with stress and anxiety that might helps you!Â
If you can't stop your mind in bed, we highly recommend you check these 6 relaxing techniques before going to sleep. They are ideally selected to allow your brain to enter in peace.
Allow yourself at least 2 hours of switch-off time before the desired hour to fall asleep to put the techniques into practice. Leave your body (and brain!) time enough to understand that bedtime is coming. No WhatsApp, no emails. Let yourself do relaxing things (non-screen activities if possible) such as reading a book, meditating, writing a journal, or taking a hot bath.
Fall in love with Sleep againÂ
Our mission at Kocoono is to help you fall in love with sleep again with "Irish designed", "crafted with love", "produced ethically and sustainably in Europe", "quality products". Your support is what makes this possible. Blogs are a crucial way for us to explain to you how our products work. Thank you for reading our blog today, and don't hesitate to contact us for any little question you might have and leave your comments below if there is something you would like to add! We will be happy to hear from you! We wish you and your family more relaxing days ahead!
Â
Leave a comment