Safe use of a weighted blanket: our rules for age, weight and sleeping

A weighted blanket can quickly weigh several kilos. That is exactly the point, but it also means you need to use it correctly. This page sets out our safety rules. They are simple, and we based them on guidelines from paediatricians, occupational therapists and healthcare organisations. You can read which ones at the bottom.

Our safety rules

• You can remove the blanket yourself. This is the most important rule. Anyone lying under the blanket must be able to push it away using their own strength.
• Keep your head and neck free. The blanket must never cover your head or face.
• Never wrap yourself or anyone else in it. Do not wrap anyone in a weighted blanket, and do not roll yourself up in one. Simply place it over yourself.
• Never use it as a restraint. Never use a weighted blanket to keep someone still or in bed. If someone does not want to lie under it, stop using it.
• Do not let it hang over the edge of the bed. Choose a size that fits the bed so that the blanket does not hang over the sides.
• Does it not feel right? Remove it. If you become short of breath, nauseous or too warm, develop skin irritation, or feel restless or anxious under it, remove the blanket.
• Not for babies and children under 3 years old. You can read more about this below.

From what age, and up to what age?

A weighted blanket is not suitable for babies. The relevant organisations are clear about this. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) advise against weighted blankets, sleep sacks and swaddles for babies. There is also no research into how safe they are for healthy babies. In the Netherlands, VeiligheidNL advises against them in a blog for babies who are starting to roll over, because the weight makes it more difficult for them to roll back onto their backs.

There is no official age limit for toddlers and older children. We use 3 years as our guideline. We advise against using a weighted blanket below that age. From the age of 3, it may be suitable if your child can push the blanket away independently and can indicate that it needs to be removed.

There is no maximum age. A teenager, an adult or someone aged eighty can sleep perfectly well under a weighted blanket, as long as they can remove it independently. Does someone have difficulty turning over or vulnerable skin, which is more common among older people? Then a lighter blanket is often more comfortable.

How heavy can the blanket be?

Our rule of thumb is approximately 10% of your body weight. If you weigh 70 kilos, that comes to around 7 kilos. Are you unsure between two weights? Choose the lighter one. This especially applies to children.

That 10% is a rule of thumb. British occupational therapists use the same figure as an upper limit, but no one has studied exactly which weight is safest or works best. Keep in mind that it may take several nights for your body to get used to the pressure of a weighted blanket.

Sleeping under the blanket

You may sleep under a weighted blanket at night if you can remove it independently. This applies to adults and children aged 3 and over.

Can someone not do this, or is it difficult for another reason? This may include an intellectual or physical disability, or someone who is very drowsy from medication. In that case, use the blanket only under supervision, or only during the day while the person is awake. Not sure? Consult your GP, treating clinician or occupational therapist.

Consult your GP first

Do you have one of these conditions, or does one of these situations apply to you? Consult your GP or treating clinician first:

• sleep apnoea, asthma or another condition affecting your lungs or breathing;
• heart or circulation problems;
• epilepsy;
• low muscle tone;
• vulnerable skin or open wounds;
• pregnancy;
• medication that makes you drowsy or less alert.

Extra caution is needed in cases of sleep apnoea. In a small Turkish study, people with insomnia fell asleep more quickly under a weighted blanket, but their breathing also faltered more often. The study had no comparison group, but it is still a reason to discuss this with your doctor first.

What is this based on?

Our rules follow the recommendations in various guidelines and assessment reports. The advice on babies comes from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The usage rules, such as being able to remove the blanket yourself, keeping your head free and never wrapping yourself in it, appear in the guidance from the British professional association for occupational therapists (RCOT, 2023), in guidance from a British NHS hospital and in a Canadian assessment report from 2025. That report also states that the 10% rule is not based on research. The study on sleep apnoea is by Benbir Şenel and Karadeniz (2024).

The British guidance is more cautious than we are about sleeping under the blanket. It recommends removing the blanket as soon as someone falls asleep. We follow the Canadian report on this point. It says that nighttime use by adults may be safe if contraindications are respected, and advises parents to monitor their child when they sleep under the blanket. In a Swedish study of 120 adults, some participants slept under a weighted blanket every night for four weeks. The researchers did not observe any serious adverse effects.

You can read more about research into weighted blankets in our overview of the science. Looking for a blanket for your child? Take a look at the collection of weighted blankets for children and read our article about a weighted blanket for your child.

Sources

• American Academy of Pediatrics (2023). Letter to CPSC and ASTM International about weighted products for babies, 15 June 2023. Link
• U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Safe Sleep: Cribs and Infant Products. Link
• Royal College of Occupational Therapists (2023). Weighted blankets for children and adults: A guide for occupational therapists. Link
• West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, Integrated Community Paediatric Services. Use of Weighted Blankets. Link
• Grenier, J., Lawani, M. A., Caron, D., & St-Jacques, S. (2025). Utilisation thérapeutique des couvertures, vestes et autres objets lestés auprès de différentes clientèles. UETMISSS, CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale. Link
• VeiligheidNL (2022). Is a weighted sleep sack or blanket suitable for babies? Blog, 30 September 2022. Link
• Benbir Şenel, G., & Karadeniz, D. (2024). Interim analysis of a prospective polysomnographic study of weighted blankets in patients with psychophysiological insomnia. Psychiatry and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 34(4), 365-370. Link
• Ekholm, B., Spulber, S., & Adler, M. (2020). A randomized controlled study of weighted chain blankets for insomnia in psychiatric disorders. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 16(9), 1567-1577. Link

Checked on 2026-10-12.

Written by Koen Dolron, owner of Novaline. Koen is not a doctor and Novaline does not provide medical advice: this page is intended for informational purposes. Are you unsure whether a weighted blanket is suitable for you or your child, for example because of a medical condition or medication? Consult your GP or treating clinician first.