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I am, historically, a bad sleeper. I have tried almost every sleep routine on the internet, with little to no effect, though I do love a melatonin now and then. I started an anti-anxiety medication this year and though that has made a vast improvement in both my ability to fall asleep and to function while awake, I still lack the ability to simply drift off into a peaceful slumber. Combine that with all of the hustle and bustle of the holiday season (and yes, OK, all the sugary treats I keep eating well into the night), and I figured December would be a sleepless month. But then, the good folks at Purple sent me this gravity blanket. (This is not an ad, but it was a gift.) Now, I am a Taurus, and a new blanket is always a thrill, but I remained cautiously optimistic about its ability to help me catch some winks. Could something so simple really make a difference?
In short, yes. Unlike smaller weighted blankets, this one combines soothing heaviness with full bed coverage, ensuring that your toes will be warm as your body calms. I’ve used it without my comforter and with (depending on how generous my landlord is feeling about my heating), and have been perfectly warm and comfortable. You can remove the cover for easy washing, and it’s double-sided. You can choose to sleep with the cool or warm side against you, though I selected my preference purely on aesthetics, opting for the velvety (warm) side to remain on display. I, for sure, fall asleep faster than I have in the past, which is great for my general well-being and terrible for my reading habit. I also just feel, I don’t know, so cared for! My coworker Zoë uses a Bearaby weighted blanket and describes it as “like a big dog is lying across you—so comfortable!”
There is a downside to this whole thing, which is that making my bed every morning is now a brief, but intense arm workout. The blanket weighs a whole 35 pounds, which is a lot to sort of heave up in the a.m. before feeling fully caffeinated. This amount of heaviness might be a little too much for some folks, so if you’re worried, maybe start smaller and see how you like sleeping with a weighted blanket. Depending on your partner situation, it may also be a bit of a sticking point. But separate blankets never hurt anyone!
A weighted blanket certainly isn’t a cure-all, but it sits somewhere between luxury and successful at-home remedy, in a way that makes it feel like a special treat that I don’t feel all that guilty owning. While the Purple blanket is certainly on the spendier end of things, if you use it to replace your duvet or quilt it isn’t that far off cost-wise. There are, of course, other brands and sizes at different price points, some of which would be great for gifting: I also gave this weighted sleep mask to one of my most intense friends, and he is very into it.
As the weight of all I need to do starts to match the weight of my new blanket, I'm somehow feeling significantly less stressed than I have in years past, which for me is a holiday miracle.
