Weighted blankets were once used as medical tools. Now they’re wellness products with viral branding.

Initially designed for people with sensory processing disorders, they’re now pitched to anyone anxious, exhausted, or lying awake at 3 a.m. thinking about their phone bill. I mean…who isn’t?

They’re exactly what they sound like. The blankets are thick throws filled with glass beads or pellets, weighing between five and 30 pounds; ideally, 10 percent of your body weight. The idea is that steady pressure on the body can create a calming effect. Occupational therapists call this deep pressure stimulation, and it’s been used for decades to help regulate the nervous system.

Recent studies suggest there might be something to it. A clinical trial involving 120 psychiatric patients found that w

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