Forget weighted blankets: Why swaddling like a baby could help you sleep like one

The key to sleeping like a baby could be swaddling yourself like one.Adult swaddling involves laying in the fetal position, being wrapped up in fabric from head to toe like a baby burrito, and being gently rocked by a partner or pal.Adult swaddling provides gentle, even pressure across the body, a sensation known as deep pressure stimulation (DPS); unlike weighted blankets, swaddling produces DPS through compression rather than weight.

Kien Vuu, M.D., a Los Angeles-based physician and founder of Vuu MD Performance and Longevity, tells Fox News Digital, “The deep pressure stimulation can have a calming effect, reducing cortisol levels (the stress hormone) and increasing oxytocin, the comfort hormone.These hormonal benefits can be particularly beneficial for individuals with anxiety, PTSD, or sensory processing disorders.” Among the reported feel-good benefits of swaddling?A more extreme version of adult swaddling is already an established therapy practice in Japan, where it is known as Otonamaki, or “adult wrapping.”Practioner Orie Matsuo previously told the BBC, “The reason why Otonamaki was invented was because some people were worried about babies struggling or feeling claustrophobic while being wrapped up.

We thought if adults were rolled up like them, they could experience how good it feels.”If you’re interested in going full cocoon at home, experts recommend using a thin, stretchy, breathable fabric.Airflow is crucial as the fabric will cover your head, and you’ll be wrapped for some time.

In the more traditional approach to adult swaddling, you’ll need a partner or pal to help roll you up and rock you into relaxation.Healthline gives the following instructions for partnered swaddling.

For those who live alone or prefer to keep their swaddling to themselves, there are commercially available full-body self-swaddles like the Shark Tank–famous Hug Sleep Sleep Pod.A Wirecutter review notes of their Sleep Pod experience, “Slowly, the comp...