Why A Weighted Blanket Is The Perfect Gift For Your Stressed-Out College Kid

Meeting our body’s sleep needs is important in all of life’s stages, but there are certain periods when our sleep levels take a particularly hard hit. One of these times is during college. Studies show that nearly two out of every three college-level students undersleep.

It’s not unusual for a freshman to struggle with the academic adjustment from high school to college, or the exciting new independence accompanying this big move. Add endless socializing or competitive-level sports or the pressure of mounting student debt into the mix, and it’s no surprise that the average college kid is stressed-out and sleep deprived.

A lifestyle that leaves young minds overloaded and under-rested not only hinders academic success, it critically affects emotional wellbeing. Chronic sleep deprivation makes our kids moody and unable to reach their full potential.

A simple way to support your kid through this tricky almost-adult- but-not-just-yet college life phase is by encouraging good sleep habits. A weighted blanket is a functional gift that can help your child sleep better, cope better and all-around feel better.

 

One of our weighted Nappers is a great gift for a college-going kid. Here’s why:

It Helps Your Kid Thrive

Students need a variety of academic and emotional skills to thrive. All of these depend heavily on sufficient sleep. A body of research on the effects of sleep deprivation on students’ academic performance consistently demonstrated that a good night’s rest is vital in fulfilling educational potential.

Research suggests that up to 70% of college-level students aren’t getting enough sleep. Attempts to address this worrying statistic include initiatives like Sleep 101 at Harvard University.

Sleep 101 is an interactive online module that aims to educate college students on the various implications, and dangers, of sleep deprivation. All Harvard first-years are required to complete the module, which is used as a starting point for a larger initiative aimed at improving the college culture of sleep.

Poor sleep habits thwart effective learning and put students at a heightened risk of academic failure. Not to mention that a chronic lack of sleep also significantly impacts our temperament. Exhaustion is kryptonite to a good mood.

Statistics invariably show that students achieve better–academically, emotionally, physically and socially–when they’re consistently well-rested. Using a weighted blanket is a science-backed sleep hack that can make the difference between your college kid surviving, or thriving.

Tapping into the proven principles of Deep Touch Pressure therapy, sleeping under weight slows the body’s production of stress hormones - called cortisol. Odds are that your college kid’s cortisol levels are making it hard to get some quality shut-eye. And even harder to get good grades.

Sleeping or napping under a weighted blanket is an easy habit to get into, and a natural way to get those stress levels under control. Simply put, schooling your kid on healthy sleep habits helps set them up for success.

It Encourages Self-Care

As much as a college education is an academic endeavour, it’s also a season where we hone fundamental life skills. Often it’s the first time we’re able to start living away from the comforts and safety of home, so college is when we really start charting our own path.

As parents, we hold out hope that our kid manages to carve out a lifestyle that strikes a healthy balance between work, play, and self-care. This is one of our favourite things about giving someone a weighted blanket! A gift that encourages better sleep, essentially encourages self-care.

Prompting your almost-adult child to make healthy lifestyle choices when they’re living away from home isn’t easy. A cool and comfy weighted blanket can be a sweet reminder for a college kid to practice some self-care. (Not to mention the underlying message that they’re loved. Aww.)

As a parent you can also find some peace of mind knowing you’ve added something to your child’s living space that cues better sleep. Or perhaps a much-needed power nap.

It Sets The Perfect Scene For Power Naps

Speaking of naps, we didn’t name our weighted blankets ‘Nappers’ for nothing! A well-timed power nap can be a great way for tired, stressed-out college students to recharge.

Whether your kid needs a mental refresh before tackling a test, renewed energy to get an assignment done in time, or something to help them better concentrate during late afternoon lectures, a power nap can do the trick.

And don’t underestimate the potential of a power nap to dissipate a bad mood. Napping (under one of our super-comfy Nappers of course!) works wonders when it comes to regulating emotions.

Here are some tips you can share with your college-going kid when it comes to setting the scene for a great power nap:

• The optimal time for a power nap is usually in the early afternoon.
• Power napping under a weighted blanket increases the release of serotonin (the happy hormone) and decreases those troubling cortisol levels.
• The optimal environment is a cool sleep space. Good thing our Nappers are known for their breathability.
• The optimal length is 20-30 minutes. This ensures we get restorative sleep but don’t get into the deep sleep associated with the REM stage of a sleep cycle. If we wake up during REM sleep we’re often left feeling groggy. Set your alarm before you snooze!

 

Power naps are a great hack to clear brain fog, barricade burnout, and increase productivity. In fact, power napping has proven so effective that some of the most successful companies (think Google and Nike) have constructed dedicated power napping spaces for employees to use on a regular basis.

With powerhouses like Huffington Post and NASA advocating a corporate culture that prioritizes rest, being pro-sleep is trending. And we’re loving it!

It’s Trendy

Another thing we love? Chunky-knit styles. We’re a trendy bunch here at Bearaby and lucky for us, layer upon layer of woven yarn is reigning the design industry.

We went ahead and paired up these trends to create the first ever handmade, chunky-knit weighted blanket. Our blankets are stylish enough to catch the eye and weighted enough to help the body release those much-needed sleep hormones, keeping our design ahead of the curve.

Looking for ways to help your stressed-out college kid stay ahead and succeed? We don’t have any golden parenting advice to offer (why can’t kids come with a manual?!), but we know that sleeping under one of our knitted Nappers is a surefire solution to lowering your kid’s stress levels, and a pretty style-savvy one too! #parentingwin