My son Luke, age nine, has Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) among his many other diagnosis, including ADHD. He is a sensory-seeker most often, occasionally a sensory-avoider. Since he was three or four years old he’s been crashing into things and flinging himself on the ground with great force, seemingly on purpose.
It never made sense until we started Occupational Therapy and learned about SPD (also sometimes called SID, Sensory Integration Disorder) and proprioceptive input ( ”the awareness of posture, movement, and changes in equilibrium and the knowledge of position, weight, and resistance of objects as they relate to the body”). They told me Luke has a proprioceptive input deficit and that is why he has intense interactions with stuff, because he uses that physical input to supplement the proprioceptive input. During OT he got to crash on purpose, throwing himself against padded walls and onto padded mats. He was encouraged to get into a body sock and be zipped up tight. He LOVED it! We were encouraged to try weighted lap pads and tight shirts (under armor) outside of OT, but they didn’t help a lot. Weighted blankets were mentioned too, but we hadn’t tried one yet. Luke always wraps tight in his covers and between pillows so I hadn’t felt the need for a weighted blanket too.
I was thrilled when Mosaic Weighted Blankets offered to send Luke a blanket to try out though. Now I could try it and see if there is an extra benefit. I am happy to report there is an extra benefit! Luke LOVES his “monkey blanket” (he choose the monkey fabric for his custom blanket). He only uses it in bed at night but now will not sleep without it. He feels grounded and secure under its weight. It’s a lot more sensory input than a tight sheet and a couple pillows on either side (which we called a Luke Taco). The more sensory input for him the better.
Here’s how it works: “The deep pressure touch stimulation brought about by the Mosaic Weighted Blanket helps to encourage the production of serotonin, which is a hormone that helps to calm us down and put us in a more peaceful, happier state of mind. Serotonin, in turn, leads to the production of melatonin, which helps us sleep soundly.”
When I found out they were sending us a blanket, I hoped it would resolve his waking at night. Unfortunately, it did not, although it did lessen the number of times he wakes during the week. I suspect the reason he’s still waking is because the small-sized blanket slides off of him at night — if it stayed on him all night I think he’d only awake occasionally. Mosaic Weighted Blankets offers larger sizes, full comforter sizes, so that could resolve this one issue.
The company was so easy to work with too. Luke chose his pattern from a vast array of kid-friendly fabrics and the blanket was custom-made based on his preferences and his size (his size dictated an 8 lb blanket). It’s a quality product with a nice benefit. If you have a sensory-seeker in your home, especially one with trouble sleeping, I definitely recommend a Mosaic Weighted Blanket.
Did you know a weighted blanket can also help with the following? Maybe you could benefit from one too.
- Sensory Disorder of any kind (weighted therapy can increase Serotonin and Melatonin levels overnight)
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Elderly Alzheimer’s patients
- People of all ages suffering from traumatic brain injuries
- Men and women who live with insomnia or restless leg syndrome
- Anyone who must deal with chronic pain
- Women with discomfort of menopausal symptoms
- People of all ages suffering from anxiety
We are in love with our Mosaic Weighted Blanket, i.e. the “monkey blanket.” I can’t imagine Luke sleeping without it now.
Connect with Mosaic Weighted Blankets:
UPDATE {August 2012}
Mosaic Weighted Blankets was so kind to offer Luke another weighted blanket to try, in a larger size, to see if the larger size would stay on him at night. I am happy to report, it does most nights. He won’t sleep without his weighted blankets now — they bring a level of comfort to him that would be hard to replicate in any other form. ~Penny
Penny Williams is the original creator of {a mom’s view of ADHD}. She is also a freelance writer, real estate broker, wife, and mother of two living in Asheville, N.C. She has published several pieces in ADDitude Magazine, the #1 national publication dedicated to ADHD, and has also been quoted in Parenting.com’s Family Health Guide on ADHD and The High Desert Pulse article, When Ritalin Works. When not writing, she can usually be found behind a camera.
