If the quilt is not right, the sleep will be in vain! What kind of quilt can provide better sleep quality?

Recently, the China Sleep Research Society released a report titled "White Paper on Chinese Residents' Sleep Health in 2024". Data show that the average time people fall asleep has been postponed to after midnight, and the average sleep duration is only 6.75 hours, among which nearly 60% of people said they have insomnia symptoms.

How can you have a good sleep? There is a very simple way, no injections, no medicine, just cover yourself with a thick quilt and go to sleep. Yes, choosing a thick quilt may improve your insomnia.

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Thick quilt

Can increase the secretion of melatonin

In a 2022 study [1], researchers selected 26 healthy adults with normal sleep and asked them to cover themselves with two quilts of different weights while sleeping. One was a thick quilt equivalent to 12% of their body weight, and the other was a light quilt that was only 2.4% of their body weight. They then observed their physical reactions and sleep changes.

The experimental results show that people who cover themselves with heavy quilts have a 32% increase in melatonin secretion one hour before going to bed. In comparison, people who cover themselves with light quilts only have a 25% increase in melatonin secretion.

Melatonin is a hormone that plays a key role in regulating the sleep-wake cycle and is secreted by the pineal gland in the brain. Increased release of melatonin can improve insomnia[2].

As for why thick quilts can increase the release of melatonin, the researchers also proposed some possible explanations:

Thick blankets may produce a calming effect through deep pressure stimulation. This pressure may activate sensory nerve endings in the skin, which transmit sensory information through the spinal cord to the nucleus tractus solitarius in the brainstem. The nucleus tractus solitarius has projections to the supraoptic nucleus and paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, which contain oxytocin-ergic neurons that can promote calmness and happiness and reduce fear, stress, and pain. In addition, these neurons are also connected to the pineal gland, affecting the release of melatonin.

In addition, the pressure of the thick quilt may activate the unmyelinated C-tactile afferent nerve fibers in the skin, which transmit tactile information in the skin and may regulate the release of melatonin by affecting the hypothalamus and pineal gland.

Thick quilt

It can also relieve anxiety, fatigue, and depression

In another larger clinical trial[3], researchers recruited 120 adult subjects who had suffered from insomnia for more than two months and were diagnosed with psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder.

The researchers randomly divided them into two groups, one using an 8kg weighted blanket and the other using a 1.5kg regular blanket. The results showed that after only one week of using the weighted blanket, the subjects' insomnia symptoms improved significantly. By the end of the four weeks, 42.2% of the participants in the weighted blanket group had significantly improved their insomnia, while the improvement rate in the regular blanket group was only 3.6%.

What’s more interesting is that after the experiment, the participants were arranged to use weighted blankets uniformly for the next year. The results showed that no matter which group they originally belonged to, after using weighted blankets for one year, 78% of them reported a significant improvement in sleep quality. In addition, weighted blankets not only improved insomnia, but also significantly reduced their symptoms of fatigue, anxiety and depression.

In addition to the effects of melatonin mentioned in the above study, thick quilts may give people a sense of security and calmness through their thicker touch and wrapping feeling. When the body is stimulated by strong tactile stimulation, it can effectively relieve anxiety and help release psychological pressure. This method is called "Deep Pressure Touch" [4]. Just like a baby gets warmth and comfort from the embrace of its mother, the moment we cover ourselves with a thick quilt, we will also feel that warm embrace.

These methods

Also helps with falling asleep

In addition to covering yourself with a thick quilt, if you want to have a good sleep, you can also try the following tips~

1. Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dim, and at a comfortable temperature. Try using blackout curtains, earplugs, or a white noise machine to reduce external distractions.

2. Try meditation, deep breathing, or progressive muscle relaxation before going to bed to help your brain and body enter a relaxed state.

3. Reduce the use of electronic devices within two hours before bedtime to avoid affecting the secretion of melatonin.

4. Maintain a regular schedule and try to go to bed and get up at the same time every day, even on weekends.

Avoid caffeine and alcohol in the hours before bedtime, as they may interfere with sleep.

Don't eat too much before going to bed, especially avoid spicy or greasy foods.

Limit naps. If you nap during the day, try to limit it to 30 minutes or less to avoid affecting your nighttime sleep.

So, whether you are young or hard-working, let us sleep well and enjoy every night that belongs to us.

References

[1].BodilEkholm, Aweightedblanketincreasespre-sleepsalivaryconcentrationsofmelatonininyoung, healthyadults.JournalofSleepResearch.03October2022.

[2].BrainardGC,HanifinJP,GreesonJM,etal.Actionspectrumformelatoninregulationinhumans:evidenceforanovelcircadianphotoreceptor.JNeurosci2001;21:6405.

[3].EkholmB,SpulberS,AdlerM.Arandomizedcontrolledstudyofweightedchainblanketsforinsomniainpsychiatricdisorders.JClinSleepMed.2020;16(9):1567–1577.

[4].Wang,C.,Liu,H.,Li,K.etal.Tactilemodulationofmemoryandanxietyrequiresdentategranulecellsalongthedorsoventralaxis.NatCommun11,6045(2020).

Planning and production

Author: Ding Yu, PhD in Neurobiology

Reviewer: Zhao Wei, Chief Physician of the Department of Neurology, Tianjin Teda Hospital