Sensory Goods Weighted Blanket Review & Givewaway

My son Chris has Autism, his occupational therapist had suggested we try a weighted blanket at night to help him sleep. So I was very excited when Sensory Goods gave us the chance to try one of their weighted blankets.

What is a weighted blanket? It is a blanket filled with special plastic or in my case glass beads. The weight of the blanket is different depending on the size of the child. It is suggested that you use a blanket that is 10% of the child's weight plus one pound. Chris is 26 lbs so we chose a 4 lbs blanket.

Why use use a weighted blanket? The heavy feeling creates a calming sensation in children. They have been traditionally used in children with Autism or other sensory disorders. But new studies show that they can have a benefit for any child. Think back to when you swaddle a newborn, that deep pressure that helps calm the baby down and sleep sound. This is how a weighted blanket works for older kids. You should not use a weighted blanket until a child is two or earlier if directed by a doctor.

Now lets take a minute to talk about choices. Who doesn't love choices? Sensory Goods knows not everyone fits in the same box so they have lots of options.

• Size: The blankets come in Small, Medium, Large, and Extra Large. They also have a line of blankets for Standard size beds. Twin, Full and Queen. This is great because as the child gets older you can always find a weighted blanket to fit them. 
• Fabric type: Blankets are available in cotton, flannel or fleece as well as denim. Which is important because if you have a sensory prone child you know they have fabrics they love, and ones that they can't stand. They even have vinyl so if you need a blanket that is quick and easy to clean, vinyl is a good choice.
• Colors- For this you are going to have to stop by and check out all the wonderful choices. They have solid colors, as well as trademarked prints so that you can create a blanket as unique as your child. 
• Filling- You can choose classic plastic beads or glass beads. The plastic beads cost less but are more bulky. The glass beads have a sand like feel and lay very flat on the body. Helping give more of a hug feeling. (In my personal opinion they are totally worth the small extra fee, no really, get the glass you will love it)

If you need more help with getting the right size blanket for your child stop by here. If that doesn't answer your question shoot them an email. 

Mail day came and I could not wait to get into the box. Which came very quickly by the way. I ordered on a Thursday and the blanket was in my hands on Saturday.

It came priority mail, inside the box it was wrapped in plastic. I loved seeing this because nothing is more depressing then getting your mail on a rainy and having the contents of your package wet. 

To me this shows they really care about getting you a quality product and keeping it safe on its travels to you. 

Even the way they fold the blanket to show of the color of the other side and include the instructions show a level of care and superior customer service. The little things really do matter. The printed fabric was cotton and the blue back side was flannel.

The colors are vibrant and true to what is displayed on the site.

This is the small size weighted blanket on Chris bed, which is an XL Twin mattress. (Daddy or Mommy end up sleeping with Chris for the start of the night) It was perfect fit for him, and does fit on a toddler bed. 

The blanket has an inner hidden layer that holds the weighted beads. So the outside of the blanket has a smooth seamless finish. But if you feel carefully you can find the pockets for each section of beads. This insures that you get an even distribution of weight. I really liked the clean non quilted finish of the blanket for several reasons. The main one is, Chris hates seams, he would pick at them all night. The second reason I liked the clean finish was that it looks just like any other blanket, so if you have an older child that might have friends over or if they go on a sleep over their blanket will blend in. No reason to have an embarrassed child because they have a "weird" blanket.

The most import question you have is, Does it work? The answer is YES!

Normally when we would put Chris to bed we would have to lay in with him, putting him back in bed for hours, most nights it would last for 4-6 hours. We tried wearable blankets, and swaddlers and even using blankets to swaddle him. But he was just too big and would fight them. Chris does resist change, so it did take some time for him to get used to the blanket. But after a week he would not lay down without it. I realized it was working after the first night. We put him down like normal, he did not want the blanket on him, so I didn't push the issue because I did not want to upset him any more. But after he fell asleep, I slipped it on him. The next morning he slept in TWO hours longer then normal. TWO HOURS! I was in shock, he never sleeps in. I enjoyed that much needed extra rest. He does not wake up cranky any more, so I know he is getting better rest. One of us still has to lay with him to go to bed, but now it only takes about an hour. This is a huge change when you look back at the fact that our average night was 4 hours. For him this big of a change in such a short time is unheard of. 

So if you have a child that has trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or just needs that extra comfort, you should give a weighted blanket a try. 

Please stop by Sensorygoods.com and check out their awesome selection of blankets and other sensory gear. (they do more then just blankets, toys, swings, and vests are just a few of their other items.)

If I haven't said enough to convince you how wonderful the Sensory Goods company is, what I am going to say should next should let you know how great they are. 

They want to give you the chance to take home a blanket! That's right a giveaway. So enter bellow for your chance to win a blanket.

Entry-Form

Special Thanks to Sensory Goods  for Chris' blanket.