Meta description: Night shift workers have a difficult work schedule and they often have trouble getting a good night’s sleep. Here’s how a weighted blanket can help them!
Night shift workers in all industries are truly unsung heroes. Their workday happens during the night and early morning hours. Police officers, security guards, nurses, ER doctors, paramedics, medical sonographers, taxi drivers, hospitality workers, and air traffic controllers, just to mention a few, all work very hard.
Night shift workers are there when most of us are sleeping. As a result, they sleep at irregular hours and are more prone to develop sleep disorders. Additionally, they may develop shift work disorder. Having an odd sleeping schedule can lead to many health issues because sleeping during the day is not as recharging.
Additionally, night shift workers have very little chance to decompress and detach from work before hitting the pillow. That means they often go to bed with high blood pressure and adrenaline levels. As you can imagine, that makes it difficult for them to get deep sleep.
Well, that’s where weighted blankets come in! Getting a night shift worker a weighted blanket can be the perfect gift. Today, we will explore all the reasons why and help you choose a high-quality weighted blanket.
The Benefits of Weighted Blankets for Night Shift Workers
Weighted blankets provide deep pressure stimulation (DPS), which is why they provide many amazing benefits. DPS is firm, gentle squeezing. It’s the kind of pressure you feel when someone hugs you. This kind of gentle pressure relaxes the nervous system and triggers a chain reaction that leads to complete relaxation.
What weighted blankets do is apply constant gentle pressure to your entire body. As a result, your nervous system switches from its “flight or fight” mode to its “rest and digest” mode. It means you’ll no longer be on alert, so you’ll feel calm and at peace.
Your muscles relax, your circulation improves, and your heart slows down. Additionally, weighted blankets stimulate the production of feel-good hormones. Such as serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins, which will allow your mind to relax so you can surrender more easily to sleep.
When night shift workers get home, their nervous system is still in its “flight or fight” mode. That’s what allows them to stay alert during their shift, solve problems, and do their job well. However, it’s very difficult to turn that off when they get home.
A weighted blanket will help them do that very easily! It will make them feel comfortable and snug, so they can truly relax. Deep relaxation is what leads to better, deeper sleep. Even if they’re sleeping during the day, night shift workers will wake up feeling more rested if they use a weighted blanket. That means it will be a life-altering gift!
Not only will weighted blankets allow night shift workers to sleep better, but they will also:
- Help reduce insomnia and other sleep disorders.
- Help reduce anxiety because weighted blankets help reduce the production of cortisol, the stress hormone.
- Help improve focus and attention to detail.
- Help stimulate the production of feel-good hormones.
- Help stimulate the production of melatonin, which aids sleep.
- Help avoid the use of sleep medication, which can be difficult to obtain and lead to dependency.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Weighted Blanket
When it comes to weighted blankets, there are way too many options on the market. That can make it difficult for you to choose one as a gift for a night shift worker. Don’t worry, though! There are a few specific factors to keep in mind that will make the process easier.
- Weight
Weight is the most important factor to consider because it will define the effectiveness of deep touch pressure. Weighted blankets are available from 5 to 30 pounds.
You need to make sure you choose the right weight for the person receiving the gift. If it’s too heavy for them, it won’t provide the benefits it’s meant to. Ideally, the weighted blanket should be 10% of the user’s body weight. The most popular weighted blankets are between 12 and 15 pounds.
- Size
Size is the second most important factor to keep in mind. The perfect blanket will be long and wide enough to stay on you even when you toss and turn. It’s very important to choose the right size for the night shift worker you’ll be treating.
Luckily, weighted blankets are available in many different sizes! Finding the right one won’t be an issue. Just make sure the size and weight are proportional so the weighted blanket can be comfortable.
- Materials
Needless to say, the materials of the weighted blanket make a huge difference. You need to pay attention not only to the fabric but also to the material that provides the weight. There are two kinds of weighted blankets. Knitted blankets, where the material itself provides the weight.
And duvet-style blankets that contain fillers, such as plastic, steel, glass, sand, rice, etc. If you’re choosing a weighted blanket with filling, make sure it’s not too bulky or noisy. As for the outside material, the higher quality and softer the better!
Final Words
Zonli Home offers some of the best weighted blankets on the market. If there’s a night shift worker in your life and you want to treat them, this is the way to go. The Chunky Knitted Throw Blanket is a great option! This weighted blanket is beautifully knitted with dense, high-quality chenille yarn. It’s warm, light, breathable, and super comfortable.
If you’re looking for something a bit simpler but still effective, this Cotton Weighted Blanket is the right choice. It’s a durable, luxurious cotton blanket that’s ultra-soft and highly breathable. It’s filled with fine-grade standard glass beads but it’s not noisy or difficult to use.
Whatever weighted blanket you pick, you can be sure it will improve the night shift worker’s quality of sleep. Either of these options will provide more comfort than they could ever imagine and make them feel hugged, supported, and relaxed.
It will lead to a truly recharging, deep sleep that will allow night shift workers to have the energy they need. Not only for their work but also to spend time with their friends and family!
