New York Patent of the Month – April 2022
Weighted blankets are used to provide a form of deep pressure therapy while sleeping. The medical community has seen impressive results using this therapy to help bring relief to disorders including insomnia, anxiety, and sensory disorders. The deep pressure therapy provides a feeling of safety similar to a hug or swaddling. A traditional weighted blanket is made using weighted materials such as sand or plastic pellets set up between layers of fabric. Unfortunately, these designs are difficult to clean, limit breathability, and limit airflow. It’s easy to overheat under these blankets.
Bearaby, Inc. has recently designed a weighted blanket made of yarn rather than the traditional methods. The weight of the yarn can be adjusted to meet 20% of the user’s body weight. This 20% is necessary to provide effective deep pressure therapy. These knitted blankets can be cleaned as easily as any other blanket of the same material. The knit pattern ensures air can flow through the fabric so temperatures can be better regulated. Even further, since the yarn itself provides the weight, there is no chance of the weight being poorly distributed across the surface. Instead, the deep pressure therapy is evenly distributed, and ensures that safe feeling never goes away. The yarn can be made of various materials, but is always designed with an outer and inner layer. The outer material might be cotton or velvet or any fabric that feels nice. The inner layer is a sheet that is folded over and over to increase its density. Adjusting the density allows for control over the final weight of the blanket. The folded layer and the outer layer create a tube which is then crocheted or knitted as you would with any other yarn.
In addition to these methods of fabrication, Bearaby uses sustainable materials and practices to make sure your improved sleep is guilt free. They believe self-care should be joyful and their design strives to make that possible.
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