Weighted blankets

[Carowind]

Has anyone found weighted blankets helpful for night-time r.l.s.? Naturally I don't want to spend money on something that doesn't work.

[RWick]

Tried a smaller twin/lighter weighted blanket and although not a cure for rls it does have beneficial results when I focus the use at night on the legs and back pain. Been using around 6 mo.

[Madlegs1]

As with all rls issues, it is highly personal.

Some people find them useful, others feel suffocated.

As suggested by Rwick, you could try out a few heavyweight blankets or coats or duvets etc and see how that goes.

Good luck. And mind the triggers.

Note--- almost all gravies and seasonings and stock cubes/granules contain msg.

The only exception I've come across is original Bisto powder. 😷

[Hidden in reply to Madlegs1]

Ahh!

[Madlegs1 in reply to Hidden]

😆

[Omegadcuj in reply to Madlegs1]

I felt crushed and suffocated! But then I once nearly died under tons of sand sooooo Lol

[Sumoucat]

I think it helped somewhat, but my heated mattress pad didn't work with so much weight on it. (Weird, I know.) I'll try the blanket again in late spring. It is pretty cumbersome, though.....

[TheDoDahMan]

I bought one for around $100. Didn't do enough for me to recommend it.

[AsgardMama]

Hello Carowind, I have not tried a weighted blanket, however, I have put my leg "stocking" on at night (I couldn't stand them during the day) for about an hour or two and found it helpful. I get up at least 3 times a night to relieve my bladder so there is no danger of leaving them on too long. I got a set about 2 years ago and after numerous tries gave up and put them away. The other night I was surfing the web and found this add about a Receptific machine that you attach to your feet. It is supposed to help with RLS, sooo, I thought I really do not want something like that on my feet but decided to give the stocking a try, it worked. It was like my leg needed to be wrapped in a blanket like a newborn. God only knows how long this will be helpful but any port in a storm.

[Hidden]

Hello! I use a weighted blanket every night. I wish I could say that it works for my RLS symptoms every time they strike, but that would be lying. Sometimes and no matter what position I put the blanket in (bunching it into a ball and putting it on the most troublesome part, etc.) I am driven out of bed to pace. For example, last night was bad and I was driven out of bed despite the weight. I kept getting sitting up to adjust the blanket, but to no avail.

Sometimes the weight does work in calming my legs! I don't know why the inconsistency; it is very frustrating!

[wildlegs]

I’ve been using 16# weighted blankets for four months now and unfortunately it doesn’t seem to help. It does feel good but so far doesn’t really help my RLS. I sleep good for the first two hours but then I’m up walking around or playing with my computer for 2 or 3 hours and then back to bed and my weighted blanket.

[grandpianoman]

I tried a 15# weighted blanket. I am now trying to sell it on Craigslist, because it is more of a distraction than a help. Actually, wasn't helpful at all. It kept me warm, which means I couldn't use it in the late spring/summer/early fall time, anyway--would be too hot--so why develop any dependency on it? What HAS helped is a heat pack--a simple, compartmentalized cloth "bag" filled with rice or barley or some other grain or seed. I put that bag into the microwave for 2.5minutes, then place it on my thighs to relax my hamstrings, my worst area. The localized heat and the weight of the heat pack have been very helpful for years, now. I keep the microwave right in the bedroom, and sometimes reheat during the night. (Stay at least 6 feet away from microwave when it's running.) The weighted blanket made repositioning that heat pack difficult, waking me up, and given the other arguments against the blanket, I would recommend trying a heat pack instead. You can make your own for relatively cheap, using the end of a pillowcase or, if preferred, buying a more durable material for years of use. The compartments are to keep the grain/seed from shifting to one corner or another; to keep the grain spread throughout the heat pack so you can get the best benefit from it.