Feeling comfortable and secure while sleeping is a need that goes all the way back to being a newborn. This may be one reason the popularity of weighted blankets is so high. Weighted blankets weigh from five to 25 pounds. They are made with squares filled with plastic or glass beads. The best way to choose a weight is to choose a blanket that is about 10 percent of your ideal body weight.

Children under the age of three should not use one due to the risk of suffocating. If you’re on the fence about the trend, here’s all you need to know about weighted blankets:

1. Weighted blankets for sensory disorders

The idea behind weighted blankets is that the weight helps keep the person sleeping secure so they don’t toss and turn as much. It’s not a new idea, but a seemingly new trend. People have been using weighted blankets for ADHD and other sensory disorders for a long time now. For children with sensory processing disorder, weighted wraps and now blankets help them feel calmer. Deep touch pressure therapy that is used to help treat this disorder provides the pressure these children need to feel secure. Weighted blankets for ADHD are used as a calming mechanism helping the person feel more secure and in control of their surroundings.

2. Weighted blankets for anxiety

Many people find great usefulness of weighted blankets for anxiety. Many children and adults with anxiety feel stressed, lose sleep and feel out of control. The weight of the blanket helps them feel relaxed and secure beneath the blanket. For many, their world doesn’t seem so stressful at that time. The calming effect helps many people with anxiety and insomnia sleep better.

3. Weighted blankets for grounding and trauma

Weighted blankets don’t just help people with disabilities. They help many people that just want to feel comfortable, secure and present. One thing people use them for is earthing or grounding. Earthing or grounding is the feeling that you are living in the moment. Many people that have experienced trauma have trouble grounding because they are dissociated with their world and don’t ever feel secure. A weighted blanket helps these people by making them feel the pressure and the “hug” of the blanket. They’re able to touch it and look at their surroundings in a deeper way so they feel “in the moment.”

These blankets are a trend that don’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. Whether they’re for treatment or warmth, people seem to love them. Most people report the heavy blanket helps them sleep better and longer. For many, a weighted blanket is a firm hug after a long day.