Are Weighted Blankets Worth It for Your Child? What I Tell Families Like Mine
From one third-culture family to another, let’s talk about when (and how) weighted blankets help—and when they don’t.
Hi everyone, Aya here—pediatric OT, third-culture kid, and founder of Koi Wellness.
This blog post started with a message from my sister:
“What type of weighted blanket do you recommend?”
Which pairs closely with this question, I get from parents all the time:
“Should I get a weighted blanket for my child?” or “What are your thoughts on weighted blankets for children?”
These are questions I hear often from parents, especially those navigating sensory processing differences, bedtime battles, or just wondering if a blanket could help their child feel calmer. And like many things in parenting, the answer is… it depends.
Let’s talk about how weighted blankets can support regulation—and what to know before buying one.
What’s the Ideal Age for a Weighted Blanket?
First, let’s talk safety.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, weighted blankets are not recommended for babies or toddlers—definitely not under age 1, and ideally not until around 5–6 years old, when a child has enough body awareness and motor control to move the blanket on their own. That’s typically Kindergarten to 1st grade. You can read more about this here.
If your child is younger than that and you're seeing bedtime struggles, I’d suggest exploring other sensory strategies instead (happy to support you in finding them!).
What Size and Weight Is Best?
This is where it gets personal, literally. A weighted blanket should be designed for one person, not shared. Why?
Because when you share a blanket, one person always ends up hogging it (we all know it’s true!). For a sensory-seeking child, the benefit comes from feeling cocooned and evenly pressured across their body—not competing for coverage.
Recommendations:
Kids: Twin size, ~10% of the child’s body weight
Adults: Full size if needed—but again, for single use only
If the blanket is too heavy, it won’t get used.
If it’s a little light, you can fold it and place it over the chest or legs for calming input.
Also, a common mistake I see is choosing a blanket based on bed size rather than body size. I always remind families: “Your blanket should fit your body, not your bed.”
If it’s too large, it will likely slide off the bed—and onto the floor—before it has a chance to do much good.
Which Brands Do I Recommend?
I’ve personally tried a few different options and have purchased blankets from both Bearaby and YNM—two brands I recommend often.
Bearaby makes beautiful, chunky knit weighted blankets that are textured, breathable, and surprisingly cozy. They’re a great fit for kids who enjoy tactile feedback or who get overheated easily at night.
YNM offers more traditional pocketed weighted blankets, often at a lower price point. Just be sure to size it for the person—not the mattress—or you’ll run into the sliding-off-the-bed issue I mentioned above.
Serious Talk on Care & Maintenance
Here’s something people don’t talk about enough: weighted blankets are heavy—literally and practically. While many now come with removable covers (highly recommend!), washing the blanket itself is a job.
You can wash it at home—but I’ve seen more than one washer call it quits after. My advice?
🧺Take it to the laundromat 1–2x a year and use a cover for regular upkeep.
It’s extra work, yes. But when a child sleeps better, feels more grounded, or gets through a meltdown with a little more ease, it’s worth it.
The Bigger Picture: Weighted Blankets Are a Tool, Not a Cure
Like any sensory strategy, a weighted blanket isn’t a magic fix. Sometimes it helps tremendously. Sometimes it’s tossed off the bed five minutes later.
What matters most is that the tool fits your child’s sensory profile, developmental stage, and preferences—not just a trend or one-size-fits-all advice. That’s why conversations like the one I had with my sister are important.
What Does the Research Say?
To be completely transparent, research on the effectiveness of weighted blankets is still limited and mixed—especially when it comes to children.
One 2018 study published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy explored weighted blankets for children with autism and sleep difficulties. The results? Some families reported positive outcomes, like feeling calmer or sleeping more soundly—but overall, the study found no statistically significant improvement in objective sleep measures compared to using a regular blanket (Gee et al., 2018).
So, what does that mean for your family?
It means that while weighted blankets may help some children—particularly those who are sensory-seeking or benefit from deep pressure input—they’re not a guaranteed solution for all kids.
Clinical experience and parent reports suggest benefits, but every child is different. That’s why it’s so important to consider your child’s unique sensory needs, preferences, and environment before jumping in.
Need Help Figuring Out What Works for Your Child?
If you’re navigating bedtime battles, emotional regulation, or wondering whether OT support might help—but you don’t know where to start—let’s talk.
I recently opened up Virtual Parent Consultations at Koi Wellness. These one-on-one sessions are designed for families like ours—cross-cultural, multilingual, often in-between systems—who want clarity, practical strategies, and compassionate support tailored to your child, not a diagnosis code.
📩 You can learn more about these sessions here, or reach out directly at aya@koiwellness.org for a free screening.
Whether you need help choosing the right sensory tools, advocating at school, or just feeling more grounded in your parenting—I’m here for you.
Final Thoughts
As a TCK and OT, I know what it’s like to feel in-between. To speak one language at school and another at home. To see your child struggle and not have the right words—or the right support system—to advocate for them.
That’s why Koi Wellness exists. To offer parents and caregivers a space that’s not only informed, but inclusive. Rooted in science, yes—but also in lived experience.
Keep asking questions, sharing honestly, and building tools that actually work for our families.