Weighted Blankets for Veterans

Veterans, you’ve taken the watch so that the masses may sleep at night. So that the civilian population can continue with their lives without fear out threats both without and within. And upon returning to civilian life, you may well have some issues taking it easy. Whether that is due to the stress of service, injuries, or just habit of keeping one eye open, we at SleepForce want to offer some help with a discount on our Weighted Blanket selection. Why might you want a weighted blanket? Well, let’s take a look and see if you can rest while your brothers and sisters take the night watch.

What Can a Weighted Blanket Do For Me?

If you’re a veteran, chances are that you have been exposed to events, scenarios and decisions that most civilians can hardly imagine, let alone experience. As a result, you’ve also been exposed to multiple factors that can affect your mental and physical health for years to come. As a result, to become the optimum version of yourself, some self care may be needed, no matter how tough you happen to be. It is a well known statistic that more soldiers have passed at home after a tour than on the tours of duty themselves in both Iraq and Afghanistan combined, in fact it is estimated that one veteran every 22 seconds succumbs to suicide in the United States alone, which means that if you are facing mental illness, you are not weaker than your brothers or sisters, and certainly not alone. If you are in fact struggling with life after duty, please take a look at some of the resources listed below this article so you may get some help if you have yet to have received any. In the case you have, weighted blankets can provide secondary support in several different areas we will now cover: Physical Pain, Depression, Anxiety, and general Sleep Problems.

How can a Weighted Blanket help with Pain?

For many of those who have come home, pain can set in pretty early on, often earlier on than VA benefits kick in. While it may seem odd, weighted blankets can often help with nerve and leg pain, which are the most common pains to experience after a deployment. How can a blanket help with pain, though? Well, it’s all about the weight. While weight in the field makes humping it go from a mild nuisance to a major pain, weight on a blanket can allow for what is called deep pressure touch stimulation. DPTS is similar to a massage in the respect that by using pressure, a blanket like the SleepForce Blanket helps the body release endorphins like dopamine, which can limit the amount of pain experienced and won’t interact with the 800mg of ibuprofen that you’ve likely taken for it anyways. This can occur either while in bed, or if you happen to have a long haul or office job, having the blanket folded over your legs.

How can a Weighted Blanket help with Depression, Anxiety or PTSD?

Let’s face it, mental illness is something we don’t talk about, or at least not enough. It’s still seen as a sign of weakness in many circles, and most want to just deal without burdening anyone else. If you are currently seeking help though, or not quite ready to yet, the weighted blanket can make a great stop-gap or supplement to treatment. While explored more deeply in the articles “weighted blankets for depression” and “weighted blankets for anxiety”, the summary of how weighted blankets can help with depression, anxiety and PTSD is that the warmth and weight of the blanket can ensure a more steady release of serotonin, dopamine, and melatonin. In short, serotonin helps calm the nerves that can often be associated with anxiety attacks or flashbacks, dopamine often acts as a mood stabilizer and is associated as a “happy” chemical, and melatonin can aid in ensuring that when you do get sleep, it can restful and consistent, which may make flashbacks less common, and you to be less likely to wake to normal noises. Likewise, during an anxiety attack or during an agitated period due to PTSD or depression, putting this blanket on can relieve a primal urge for safety and cover, which can often be paired with time to cool off and allow you to regain your bearings without causing any other issues.

As a word of warning, though. Weighted Blankets are not designed to be acute rescue devices. If you or one of your brothers or sisters are a cause for concern, please check out the following resources:

The Veterans Crisis Line: A resource ran by the VA that helps veterans who could be a risk to themselves, with both chat and phone lines available.

Lift for the 22: A gym association that brings veterans together to work out, have fun, and form camaraderie that we often miss.

DTOM22/0: Standing for Don’t Tread on Me 22/0, this organization plans on creating a veterans ranch for individuals who could use some time away from the world with their fellow veterans, while also providing for therapeutic and volunteer opportunities.

Team Rubicon (USA or Global): Team Rubicon brings Veterans and Civilians together to handle local and national disasters while forming a TRibe of individuals who work and sacrifice to help others. Often, greyshirts (volunteers) find a great deal of satisfaction and brotherhood when on deployment, and can use skills learned in the field to help their nation and the world once again.

In closing, the SleepForce weighted blanket can be extremely useful for veterans, and with our military discount, can make buying one extremely affordable. Be sure to look into the different types of blankets available and see which one would work best for you.