How I began making
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Janet Marietta,
Registered Nurse, Certified School Nurse Public School Nurse for 18 years |
I started making and using weighted blankets while working as a school nurse in a middle/high school (Grades 6-12). Children were being sent to the nurse’s office because of anxiety and stress which was manifested in physical conflict. I knew that weighted blankets had been used for many years to help children with various problems.
Instead of buying a weighted blanket off the shelf, I decided to do research to find out how they worked and what would be the best type to use with the students. I found that the correct amount of weight and the size of the blanket were important. The children’s blankets were designed to be the correct weight so that the children feel secure when the blanket is placed on them, but not confined. I had years of sewing experience as a co-owner of a custom-made costume shop and set to work to produce blankets to use with the students. The results were very good, sometimes within 20 - 30 minutes of using the blankets.
From using weighted blankets in a school setting, I expanded my mission to help adults and children benefit from the calming effects of using weighted blankets. I still get tears in my eyes when parents tell me about how their lives have changed because their child can go to sleep easily using the blanket. Other users have told me about how the blankets have helped them. A middle-aged male with Parkinson’s was able to cut back on his medication while using a weighted blanket. Adults report that they were able reduce the use of sleeping pills.
Over the years, the design of my blankets have changed as I discover what works in different situations, such as adding a fabric which allows for tactile soothing for some children. Each blanket is made to order and can be adapted to the particular needs and requests of the customer.
Instead of buying a weighted blanket off the shelf, I decided to do research to find out how they worked and what would be the best type to use with the students. I found that the correct amount of weight and the size of the blanket were important. The children’s blankets were designed to be the correct weight so that the children feel secure when the blanket is placed on them, but not confined. I had years of sewing experience as a co-owner of a custom-made costume shop and set to work to produce blankets to use with the students. The results were very good, sometimes within 20 - 30 minutes of using the blankets.
From using weighted blankets in a school setting, I expanded my mission to help adults and children benefit from the calming effects of using weighted blankets. I still get tears in my eyes when parents tell me about how their lives have changed because their child can go to sleep easily using the blanket. Other users have told me about how the blankets have helped them. A middle-aged male with Parkinson’s was able to cut back on his medication while using a weighted blanket. Adults report that they were able reduce the use of sleeping pills.
Over the years, the design of my blankets have changed as I discover what works in different situations, such as adding a fabric which allows for tactile soothing for some children. Each blanket is made to order and can be adapted to the particular needs and requests of the customer.
Check the newspaper article below about our weighted blankets
Instant relief: Washington Woman’s Weighted Bankets Help Reduce Anxiety
Washington Observer Newspaper August 10, 2017
It was difficult for Maura Angelucci of Jefferson Hills to get her then 8-year-old son with cerebral palsy to fall asleep at night. Nothing seemed to work, until she tried putting him to bed with a weighted blanket, a sleeping aid that contains weighted pellets that can help relieve symptoms of anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Washington Observer Newspaper August 10, 2017
It was difficult for Maura Angelucci of Jefferson Hills to get her then 8-year-old son with cerebral palsy to fall asleep at night. Nothing seemed to work, until she tried putting him to bed with a weighted blanket, a sleeping aid that contains weighted pellets that can help relieve symptoms of anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
