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Need weight on me to sleep, but it's too hot!

Sarah94

Senior Member
Messages
1,087
Location
UK
Sigh.

I rely quite a lot on the weight of my duvet to make me sleepy, so when it's too hot for my usual duvet, I'm rather at a loss for getting to sleep.

Last summer, I was able to sleep under a stack of 3 sheets, which kept me cool enough at the same time as adding enough weight to sleep. But this summer it doesn't feel like enough weight, maybe because I'm more easily overstimulated these days than I was last summer.

I've been looking at "cool" weighted blankets online, but unfortunately most ones that I could find would be too heavy for me to cope with - I'm severe and wouldn't be able to lift the weighted blanket onto the bed. The only ones that seemed an okay weight weren't "cool" ones and people in the reviews had said they were pretty warm. Which is obviously not what I want.

Argh.

Any other ideas for how to give me some more weight on top of me without making me too hot???

I can get round the problem by taking my zopiclone tablet. But I am only meant to use that on average twice a week. Because your body can easily get addicted to it if take it too regularly. We have a long line of hot nights coming up, and I can't take zopiclone on all of them.

Please don't suggest putting a fan or aircon on; I can't tolerate the noise. Even the "quiet" ones!

I already take melatonin and a drowsy antihistamine every night. And magnesium.
 
Messages
89
Location
Ontario, Canada
I've found a really light-weight cotton chunkily knitted or woven blanket to feel more substantial than a more tightly woven one, my body is easily tricked into believing in the denser areas of the weave and willing to ignore the sparser sections...don't know if the same will apply to you, but good luck!!
 

Judee

Psalm 46:1-3
Messages
4,461
Location
Great Lakes
What about buying a larger sheet that you can tuck under the mattress tightly on all sides so that the tightness mimics heaviness?

Edit: if you don't like your feet feeling bound, you could just tuck it tightly along the sides.

Edit #2: To save money you could just turn the sheet so the long part goes across your bed instead of top to bottom and tuck it that way.
 
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anne_likes_red

Senior Member
Messages
1,103
I've heard some people get benefit with weight distributed just across their mid section. Not sure if that could be a solution?
 

PatJ

Forum Support Assistant
Messages
5,288
Location
Canada
Water bottles filled with cold water or ice chips might help to provide weight and cooling when placed on top of the sheet or blanket (I'm thinking of the flexible kind like those made of rubber or PVC, usually for hot water).

Or maybe you could use water bottles filled with cold water and kept under the heavier blanket so that you get the cooling from the water bottle and the weight from the blanket. Although that might lead to problems with condensation and wet sheets.
 

junkcrap50

Senior Member
Messages
1,330
Lace crochet blanket using a heavy yarn.

It can be very heavy, but has large holes in it like a mesh to let heat out. So it's almost like a blanket of rope with holes in it. Some searching to find the right weight and lace/mesh/hole pattern would be required. Here are some links and pictures, but google "lace crochet blanket" or "lace knit blanket".

https://www.allfreecrochet.com/Crochet-Afghan-Patterns/Crochet-Weighted-Blanket
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Wishful

Senior Member
Messages
5,684
Location
Alberta
I'm guessing that sewing would be too much for you, but fishing stores have lead-cored lines that could be sewn onto a sheet, adding weight without insulating. Heavy metal buttons might work too, but probably less comfortably. Alternative to sewing: get some heavy fine granular material (birdshot, metal powder, etc), mix it with a suitable flexible adhesive, and apply it to a sheet in dots or lines or artistic patterns. I haven't searched for such a product before, but maybe it's available in some craft market. Post the idea on a craft market and someone will probably develop it.

Those lead shields for dental x-rays do make me feel like having a nap...
 

BeADocToGoTo1

Senior Member
Messages
536
Have you looked into custom made earplugs? I use ones that are flush with the ears, were molded for my ears, and so do not bother me when sleeping on my side. This way a fan, or air filter (usuallly even lower noise), or ac do not bother me. By the way, fans, fanless fans, and air filters have made huge strides in becoming very quiet.

There are mattresses that have cooling designs that may be worth looking at. There are also mattress gel pads with cooling design that can be put on top of an existing mattress.
 

Rebeccare

Moose Enthusiast
Messages
9,064
Location
Massachusetts
I've been looking at "cool" weighted blankets online, but unfortunately most ones that I could find would be too heavy for me to cope with - I'm severe and wouldn't be able to lift the weighted blanket onto the bed. The only ones that seemed an okay weight weren't "cool" ones and people in the reviews had said they were pretty warm. Which is obviously not what I want.
About how much weight do you think you're able to lift?

There are several people on Etsy who make cooling weighted blankets, and Etsy sellers are usually more than willing to make custom products. I wonder if you might have any luck contacting one of them and letting them know what you're looking for? Some of the stores I found in a quick search are:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/KomfyCouture
https://www.etsy.com/shop/BearHugsBlankets
 

Sarah94

Senior Member
Messages
1,087
Location
UK
About how much weight do you think you're able to lift?

There are several people on Etsy who make cooling weighted blankets, and Etsy sellers are usually more than willing to make custom products. I wonder if you might have any luck contacting one of them and letting them know what you're looking for? Some of the stores I found in a quick search are:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/KomfyCouture
https://www.etsy.com/shop/BearHugsBlankets
Dont know, a couple of kg probably?

Thanks.


Unfortunately, the first of those sellers takes 4-6 weeks to ship, and the second one doesn't ship to the UK at all.
 
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Sarah94

Senior Member
Messages
1,087
Location
UK
I'm guessing that sewing would be too much for you, but fishing stores have lead-cored lines that could be sewn onto a sheet, adding weight without insulating.

How would you sew that in? They look like they'd be too thick to sew with.
 

Wishful

Senior Member
Messages
5,684
Location
Alberta
How would you sew that in? They look like they'd be too thick to sew with.

Not sew using it as thread; use normal thread to bind the fishing line to a sheet. I haven't actually used lead-cored fishing line, but I assume it has significant weight. I was just trying to offer ideas for distributing comfortable weight on a sheet without adding insulation.
 

Shoshana

Northern USA
Messages
6,035
Location
Northern USA
Some good ideas in this thread. I might try some of them, as I have this difficulty as well.

Two ideas, I could add. One was mentioned above. I sometimes WRAP, to achieve the sensation needed. Such as, I wrap a towel around my legs, Another around my upper body. This is not easy for me to do, but sometimes helps.

My other idea, is that i too, am unable to lift or move the entire blanket. So i have small ones, to either cover or wrap, each section of my body.

And i knew i could not handle a weighted blanket, even the cool one, so instead, i opted for pads, that do similar effect, but by piecemeal. It is not easy for me to move or place those, either, but i manage it. One pad over/around legs, another over/around back..... Each pad has a little weight to it, but i can move them, because they are only about 1 foot by 2 feet, each one of them.
It is better for me to have 2 or 3 smaller items on different parts of myself, rather than a larger covering that I cannot maneuver.

I hope this gives you or someone else, an idea that can help.
 

Shoshana

Northern USA
Messages
6,035
Location
Northern USA
I do also try to keep the room as cool as possible, because I must cover and wrap, in order to have a chance for sleep.

I run any cooler, for any moments i am not in the room i will sleep in, if possible, so i can turn it off, when in it.
Or i run it during times i can toerate it better than others.
 

mattytoo

my pronouns are they/them thanks 😊
Messages
43
Location
NSW, Australia
When I can't manage my weighted blanket I usually put my gel cooling pad across my thighs and stomach and it's heavy enough to help, it gets a little uncomfortable once it's warmed up but it's light enough for me to move. I have this brand/type of roughly the same size & it probably weighs about a kg? I'm bad at estimating weight but it's much lighter than my 2.5kg weighted lap pad https://ebay.us/P0f3Nl