As any new parent can attest, there is nothing better than waking up in the morning and seeing your child rested, refreshed, and in a good mood.

A child who sleeps adequately at night, as has been proven by scientific studies, has increased concentration in school, better performance in sports and extracurricular activities, and a pleasant behavior in his social life.

If you enjoy the benefits of a gravity blanket yourself but haven't seen its positive effects on your child , then it's time to seriously consider adding one to their daily routine.

How does a gravity blanket help children?

The benefits of quality, restful sleep are the same for both adults and children: better concentration, increased energy, a strong memory, sharpness, and even better eating habits (yes... when we are sleep deprived we are more likely to choose a nutritionally empty snack that contains "bad" calories, rather than a healthier one ).

Although gravity blankets have been used by occupational therapists for many years to treat children with symptoms such as anxiety disorders, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, and other sensory disorders, they are also ideal for any child who simply needs help sleeping.

So in what areas does a gravity blanket benefit a child?

1. Improves sleep quality

The reason adults and children enjoy more and better sleep with the gravity blanket is because of Deep Touch Pressure Stimulation.

What is Deep Tactile Pressure ?

It is a term to describe the feeling of gentle, steady, and evenly distributed pressure on the body. This pressure helps the body relax and can be likened to the feeling of relaxation we feel after a good massage.

The body - according to research - responds positively to Deep Tactile Pressure by producing more serotonin, the hormone that helps us feel happy. This feeling it evokes is the reason why serotonin is often referred to as "the happiness hormone".

In addition to boosting our mood and calming our mind, serotonin also functions as a precursor to melatonin, the hormone that helps us sleep.

So instead of using melatonin pills to help your child fall asleep more easily at night, you can use a children's gravity blanket to help your child produce more melatonin in a completely natural way.

The benefits of quality sleep are undeniable. Research published from time to time shows that well-rested children achieve better grades in school and have increased learning abilities, while they are correspondingly less likely to show symptoms of obesity or develop high blood pressure.

Another study showed that children who are deprived of even one hour of sleep over a period of five nights are more frustrated during the day at school, more irritable, and have greater attention loss in class.

All of this means one thing: the child does not perform to his or her full potential in school when he or she misses even an hour of sleep.

If your child tosses and turns in bed for a long time before going to sleep at night and has difficulty calming down, then it's time to try a gravity blanket to help them fall asleep faster and stay asleep throughout the night.

How many hours of sleep does a child need?

Most children need 9 to 12 hours of sleep each night. According to the National Sleep Foundation ( NSF ), the ideal hours a child should sleep depending on their age are as follows:

	Age	Recommended sleep hours
Newborns	0-3 months	14-17 hours
Infants	4-11 months	12-15 hours
Toddlers	1-2 years old	11-14 hours
Preschool children	3-5 years old	10-13 hours
School-age children	6-13 years old	9-11 hours

2. Helps relax the body and reduces anxiety and stress

If you are a parent of a child with anxiety disorders, then you may have felt at times that you do not know how to help them. It is common in such cases for many parents to choose the pharmaceutical route, especially when it comes to a young child.

The good thing about using a gravity blanket is that you can help a child with anxiety without any invasive method, in a 100% natural way and without visiting a doctor. Just cover it and let the Deep Tactile Pressure work.

3. Helps with concentration

For children who suffer from attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder or those who have difficulty concentrating, a study showed that Children who wore a vest weighing 10% of their body weight had improved levels of concentration in school, higher rates of completing their homework, and less nervousness when sitting in their seats.

The advantage of this study is that it used a crossover design, meaning that each child performed the tasks with and without the vest and acted with complete autonomy without guidance from their teachers, which increases the power of the research. This was also one of the largest studies ever done on the use of the gravity blanket for ADHD, and the study involved 110 children.

How does the gravity blanket work for children?

The benefits of the gravity blanket are associated - as mentioned above - with Deep Tactile Pressure therapy. Deep Tactile Pressure involves the application of evenly distributed pressure to the body, usually in the form of compression, hugging, or firm hold.

The gravity blanket provides exactly the same sensation, distributing its weight evenly across the child's body to create a "grounding" effect that helps reduce anxiety and the emotions associated with it.

The scientific explanation behind this process is directly linked to our body's natural hormones. The compression that our body receives when we are hugged (or in our case by the weight of the gravity blanket) causes an increase in the production of the hormone serotonin. Therefore, after a few minutes in the "embrace" of the blanket, the child will enjoy the effect of serotonin on his body and in a natural way it will help him relax and easily overcome a moment of intense stress or anxiety.

The great thing about serotonin is that it naturally converts to melatonin, also known as “the sleep hormone.” When it’s time for your child to go to sleep at night, this natural conversion of serotonin to melatonin can work wonders for a child who’s having trouble falling asleep.

In addition, Deep Tactile Pressure also stimulates the person's (in this case, the child's) proprioceptive system, resulting in a calming effect, helping the body to transition from the sympathetic nervous system to the parasympathetic nervous system, i.e. from a "fight or flight" state to a "rest and digest" state.

The parasympathetic nervous system helps the body and mind enter a state of calm and peace, lowering the heart rate, relaxing the muscular system and improving blood circulation.

How heavy should a gravity blanket be for a child?

For most adults, the general rule of thumb is to choose a weighted blanket that weighs closer to 10% of their body weight.

For children, some research suggests a higher percentage of blanket weight, ranging from 10% to 30% of their body weight. The most important thing is to find a blanket that your child feels comfortable with.

Can a child use a 7-pound blanket?

There is no problem in adding a few extra pounds if the child is before or during puberty and weighs between 45 and 55 pounds.

But be careful! Gravity blankets should not be used on babies or toddlers under 3 years of age. In these cases, consult your pediatrician.

What is the best blanket for my child?

Children tend to sweat in their sleep, so it's a good idea to choose a gravity blanket made from natural fabric that doesn't contain synthetic or plastic materials inside.

Prosleep Gravity Junior gravity blankets are made from 100% natural cotton which is cool and comfortable, while to give them the necessary weight we place hypoallergenic glass beads inside them.

Prosleep gravity blankets are designed to exert uniform pressure on the body, covering it like a real and tight hug that will make your child relax and feel the same security as if you were with them.

Order the Prosleep Gravity Junior!