More and more people are experiencing stress and anxiety every day, leading to difficulties in relaxation and even falling asleep. Now, a Kickstarter project is introducing a weighted blanket that uses the pressure of gravity to stimulate deep touch pressure, leading to improved mood, sleep, and relaxation.
Gravity
Marketed as a premium-grade, therapeutic weighted blanket, Gravity evidently harnesses the power of deep touch stimulation to strategically distribute deep pressure across the body.
With three weight options (15 pounds, 20 pounds, and 25 pounds) to choose from to ensure safety, and that the blanket will be about 10 percent of the user's body weight, Gravity relaxes the nervous system by simulating the feeling of being embraced or swaddled.
This enhances and increases serotonin and melatonin levels, hormones that are associated with sleep and mood, and decreases cortisol levels, otherwise known as "stress hormones."
Gravity claims to reduce stress and anxiety among its users, as well as enable a deeper REM sleep as it reduces movement and maximizes relaxation.
Deep Pressure Stimulation
The idea of deep pressure stimulation in therapeutic settings isn't exactly a new concept. More than to simply relieve stress, deep pressure stimulation has been linked to positive therapeutic results in patients with PSTD, autism, and serious cases of stress.
In fact, in a study that tested the safety and relaxation effects of weighted blankets, 78 percent of adult participants reported feeling more relaxed with the blanket than without it.
Stressed Society
Stress is something that many people are dealing with every day, though serious stress seems to be weighing in too much on some more than others. Early in April, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared depression as the leading cause of sickness and disability in the world, with over 300 million sufferers worldwide.
Meanwhile in the United States, Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi topped a recent study's list of the most stressed states in the country.
On Gravity's Kickstarter page, they roll out the numbers, stating that more than 40 million Americans are experiencing stress and anxiety on a daily basis. A contributing factor may be that an average American now spends 30 percent of their time browsing the internet, with 61 percent admitting to being addicted to their devices.
As a result, people are finding it harder to relax and recover from distractions, as 70 percent of Americans struggle to fall asleep at least once a week.
In this regard, these very numbers perhaps are the reasons why Gravity may just work, as it would give its users access to an open therapeutic secret that could aid in stress relief and relaxation on a daily basis.
