Weighted Blankets... A Good Tool In Relieving Anxiety and Fear At The Dentist’s Office
DreamCatcher Staff March 02,2009
For many children and adults, a trip to the doctor or dentist is a stressful experience
Pressure on the body from a weighted blanket relieves anxiety. For years, we have heard many of our customer's comment on how "good" the weight from the heavy "lead" apron feels when worn while getting x-rays at the dentist’s office . We have testimony from dentists on how the blankets help anxious patients, both children and adults relax while in their chairs.
They get a relaxing feeling by wearing a DreamCatcher Weighted Blanket, and it is a safe alternative to the x-ray lead apron.
A new study to be published in the Journal of Pediatrics is about to back up the DreamCatcher testimony. The study reports that a relaxing environment, including the use of weight, relieves stress at the dentist’s office.
Dr. Michele Shapiro, of the Issie Shapiro Educational Center in Ra'anana and colleagues from Hebrew University in Jerusalem, compared the anxiety levels of 35 children who took two routine cleaning visits to the dentist. The children were aged between 6 to 11 years, and 16 of them were developmentally disabled. Shapiro and her team found that use of the sensory adapted environment decreased anxiety levels in all the children, particularly those with developmental problems.
The studies first trip to the dentist included the typical sensory experiences of a dental office, including fluorescent lighting and the use of an overhead dental lamp. During the second trip, however, the researchers created a sensory adapted environment that modified the experience of the children. No overhead lighting was used, a slow moving repetitive color lamp was added, and the dental hygienist wore a special LED headlamp that directed the light into the child’s mouth. The children listened to soothing music and were wrapped in a heavy vest that created a “hugging” effect.”
The created “hugging” effect is the deep
pressure touch stimulation and the serotonin connection we talk
often about at DreamCatcher
Weighted Blankets.
As explained at our website, serotonin is the neurotransmitter that studies show is released by deep
pressure touch stimulation. Massage and deep pressure releases both serotonin
and endorphins. The serotonin acts as a calming mediator for the body while the
endorphins act as a happy stimulator for the brain. Together they can bring
pleasurable feelings and general elevated moods in both your body and mind. It calms you when feeling anxious.
Dr. Shapiro's study showed that in normal children, the duration of anxious
behavior dropped significantly, from an average of 3.69 minutes to 1.48 minutes,
while in those with developmental problems, anxious behavior dropped from 23.44
minutes to 9.04 minutes, according to the researchers.
The full report on the upcoming study can be read at the link below:
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In the past few years, there have been a few new weighted blanket makers that are "using" DreamCatcher Weighted Blankets research and formulas in their written material and web sites in an effort to sell their products.
The information on our web site is freely given for all to benefit from. It is however , information that is copyrighted and has been researched and sought after personally by DreamCatcher staff. Other weighted blanket manufacturers that copy directly or have re-written DreamCatcher Weighted Blanket information in their written material have not asked for permission to use either our research, weight formulas or information, against copyright laws.
While we are flattered to be used as a model for their companies, please keep in mind DreamCatcher Weighted Blankets is not affiliated with, nor can we control or recommend products offered by weighted blanket companies that have simply used our research and information to easily promote their products.