It’s natural to be anxious when you’re stuck in a hospital bed suffering from a serious illness.
But that anxiety might be eased with one cheap and easy strategy, a new pilot study says.
Placing a weighted blanket over hospital patients appeared to help calm them down, researchers reported Sept. 1 in the American Journal of Critical Care.
The 15-pound blankets cut patients’ anxiety by nearly four points on a 10-point scale, researchers found.
“Hospitalized patients often experience heightened anxiety, which can negatively affect their recovery, sleep and mental health,” senior researcher Marci Ebberts said in a news release.
“Our study found that a short treatment period with a weighted blanket can ease their anxiety significantly more than other nonpharmacologic methods, even after the blanket is removed,” Ebberts said. She is director of nursing research at Saint Luke’s Health System in Kansas City, Missouri.
Initially used to calm patients with autism, weighted blankets have surged in mainstream popularity, researchers said in background notes. The heavy blankets offer relief from insomnia, stress and other conditions.
“Weighted blankets have been shown to provide therapeutic benefits in a variety of settings, including dental offices, inpatient mental health facilities and occupational therapy clinics,” Ebberts said.
For the pilot study, researchers recruited 54 patients treated at the hospital between March 2023 and February 2025.
All the patients were placed under a weighted blanket for 20 minutes. Half were put under the blanket immediately, and half waited 20 minutes before receiving the blanket.
In both groups, patients’ self-reported anxiety levels dropped immediately after time spent under a weighted blanket, the study found.
The patients also remained calmer for at least 20 minutes afterward, suggesting a continued carryover effect even after the blanket had been removed, researchers said.
In an exit survey, more than 80 percent of patients found the blanket calming.
However, 26 percent felt the blanket was too hot, and 33 percent thought it was too heavy, researchers said.
Larger studies involving more patients will be needed to verify the potential benefits of weighted blankets, researchers said.
“Further research on weighted blankets in hospitalized patients should focus on more specific patient populations or settings,” researchers concluded in their paper. “Weighted blankets may be particularly useful for patients suffering or recovering from critical illness.”
RELATED: Why Black Patients Need to Be Represented in Mental Health Clinical Trials
Being in a hospital can bring up fear, uncertainty, unfamiliar surroundings, procedures, pain, disrupted sleep, and loss of control. Knowing how to handle all that anxiety is important when trying to have a comfortable patient experience in a medical facility.
Other approaches, such as a weighted blanket, may be more appealing to some patients. But it’s important to note that a comfy blanket might not be the resolution for people dealing with moderate-to-severe anxiety. Medication or other treatments may be recommended for intense hospital anxiety. Your healthcare team will determine what best manages your symptoms.
This study found lower self-reported anxiety after a 20-minute weighted-blanket session. However, it was a small pilot study of 54 hospitalized adults, so larger, more diverse studies will need to confirm the findings. The researchers called for future research to involve more specific patient populations and settings.
But an important question remains: Were Black patients adequately represented?
The study doesn’t report if any Black participants were involved, so even with the small study, it’s difficult to determine how weighted blankets may help Black patients with hospital anxiety.
This shows why representation in clinical trials matters. Treatments and interventions should be studied across populations that will ultimately use them. Without a diverse range of participants, it can be hard to apply the study’s results to a broader patient population.
RELATED: Why Black People Are Underrepresented in Clinical Trials
A weighted blanket may not be right for everyone. Ask your care team whether a weighted blanket is appropriate for your medical condition, mobility, breathing, temperature regulation, or other circumstances.
Also, remember that this should be viewed as a possible comfort, anxiety-management tool, but not a treatment for the underlying illness.
More information
The Cleveland Clinic has more on weighted blankets.
SOURCES: American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, news release, Sept. 1, 2026; American Journal of Critical Care, Sept. 1, 2026
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