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Beyond the Hug: The Psychological Benefits of Weighted Blankets and Huggable Pillows for Females
We live in a paradoxical age in which we’ve never had better life conditions, yet women have never been more mentally and emotionally stressed. Thankfully, there are more and more effective ways to help us manage our anxieties over time, it’s just a matter of finding the one that works for you.
For some women, it’s meditation; for others, it’s cold plunges and sauna. Some people try different aids and tools to help them get their well-being to the next level. One of the more recent and simple methods to reduce stress and instigate a sense of calm is deep touch pressure therapy (DTP), which can be experienced by incorporating weighted blankets and pillows into your sleep and relaxation routine. Here’s what you need to know!
How can weighted blankets and pillows help you ease anxiety?
The connection between relaxation and DTP may not be obvious at a glance, but it’s closely connected to the human need to feel held and protected. Some say that using a weighted blanket makes you feel safe, just like swaddling did when we were babies, while others say that it emulates a hug, which is known for helping us regulate our sympathetic nervous system.
Deep touch pressure helps us switch off our fight or flight response, the number one culprit of our hectic thoughts and feelings of anxiety and heightened stress. As the sympathetic nervous system takes the back seat, our parasympathetic nervous system comes to the forefront, bringing with it serotonin, melatonin, oxytocin, and dopamine. These neurotransmitters help keep us relaxed, and they prepare us for rest and deep sleep, which are necessary for optimal functioning.
This means that when you use a weighted blanket or a premium weighted pillow by Quiet Mind, your body gets a signal that you’re not in danger, so you can let go of stress. This allows your high cortisol levels to go down, letting your body and your mind prepare for sleep or relaxing after a long day.
Benefits of Weighted Blankets and Huggable Pillows
We talked about how weighted blankets and pillows affect your nervous system, now let’s look into the benefits that come with using them regularly. The truth is that these aids can help you with a variety of stress-related issues, whether it’s mood disorders or having trouble sleeping.
- Weighted blankets can improve your sleep quality. One of the most effective ways to use weighted blankets is to boost the quality of sleep. If your mind keeps racing after you’ve gone to bed or you’re struggling with insomnia, the gentle pressure of a weighted blanket could be just the thing to help you get some much-needed shut-eye.
- Weighted pillows can give you a sense of security and comfort. Huggable pillows can help you get the comfort you need when you’re feeling stressed, and there’s no one around to give you a proper hug. Just the physical act of hugging can release oxytocin, a neurotransmitter that boosts the feeling of connection and contentment while reducing stress and enhancing overall emotional well-being.
- Weighted blankets can help you deal with anxiety. If you’ve got an anxious mind, you know that it can lead to all kinds of physical ailments, and the lack of quality sleep only exacerbates those effects. DTP can provide a simple yet effective way to manage and slow your busy mind. The sensation of being gently held can slow your heart rate and create a sense of calm, making it easier for you to relax and fall asleep more easily.
- Huggable pillows can be used to elevate mindfulness practices. If you’re already working on incorporating meditation or calming breathing exercises into your routine, weighted pillows can help elevate the whole experience. You can hug your pillow while you’re doing the exercises or place it on your thighs while you’re meditating on the ground, which will help you feel more grounded, letting the excess energy slowly dissipate.
The list of benefits continues, but the ones listed above are the most prominent, as they cause a chain reaction that can gradually improve the overall quality of your life. Before you buy your first weighted blanket, though, do your research to ensure you get the right weight (about 10% of your body weight), and introduce it gradually into your routine. This will allow your body to adjust to DTP without feeling overwhelmed.
Conclusion
The psychological benefits of weighted blankets and pillows are universal, and for women who are under a lot of pressure and stress, these aids could be a game changer. Whether you’re looking for ways to soothe your overactive mind, deepen your mindfulness practices, or sleep better, weighted blankets and pillows could be a big help in your quest. Just remember to take it slowly and give yourself plenty of time to get used to the new sensations – you’ll be glad you did!
Submitting your research project for Femtech World Awards recognition can feel daunting.
What makes one project stand out from another?
After reviewing successful submissions from previous years, we’ve identified the key elements that transform good research into award-winning work.
Innovation That Solves Real Problems
Judges aren’t just looking for novelty – they’re looking for innovation that addresses genuine gaps in women’s health.
The best submissions clearly articulate a specific problem and demonstrate how their research offers a fresh approach to solving it.
Ask yourself: Does your research tackle an underserved area? Are you approaching a known problem from a new angle?
The most compelling projects often focus on issues that have been overlooked, understudied or inadequately addressed by existing solutions.
Whether you’re investigating menopause in the workplace, developing better diagnostic tools for endometriosis, or exploring mental health interventions for new mothers, clarity about the problem you’re solving is essential.
Rigorous Methodology
Strong research stands on solid foundations. Judges carefully evaluate your methodology to ensure your findings are credible and reproducible.
This doesn’t mean your research needs to be complete – early-stage projects are welcome – but you should demonstrate thoughtful research design.
Include details about your sample size, data collection methods, controls, and analytical approaches.
If you’re conducting qualitative research, explain how you’re ensuring validity. If you’re building a technological solution, describe your testing protocols.
Transparency about limitations shows intellectual honesty and strengthens rather than weakens your submission.
Measurable Impact Potential
The research projects that win hearts and awards are those with clear pathways to real-world impact.
Judges want to see beyond the research itself to understand how your work will improve women’s lives.
Consider questions like: Who will benefit from this research? How many people could be affected? What would successful implementation look like?
Whether your impact is clinical, social, economic, or policy-related, be specific.
Instead of saying “this will help women,” try “this diagnostic tool could reduce endometriosis diagnosis time from 7-10 years to under 2 years for an estimated 200 million women worldwide.”
Inclusivity and Diversity Considerations
Award-winning FemTech research recognises that women are not a monolith.
Judges increasingly value projects that consider diversity across age, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, disability, and geographic location.
Have you thought about how your research applies across different populations? Are you inadvertently excluding certain groups?
The strongest submissions acknowledge these considerations and, where possible, design research to be inclusive or clearly define the specific population being served.
Clear Communication
Even groundbreaking research won’t win if judges can’t understand it. The ability to communicate complex ideas clearly is crucial.
Avoid unnecessary jargon, define technical terms, and structure your submission logically.
Think of your submission as telling a story: Here’s the problem, here’s why it matters, here’s what we did, here’s what we found, and here’s why it matters for the future.
Feasibility and Sustainability
Judges appreciate ambitious research, but they also value realistic plans.
Show that you’ve thought about practical considerations: Do you have the resources to complete this work? Is your timeline reasonable?
For projects seeking commercialisation, is there a viable path to market?
Demonstrating that you’ve considered challenges and have strategies to overcome them shows maturity and increases confidence in your project’s success.
Your Passion Matters
Finally, don’t underestimate the power of genuine passion.
The researchers who win aren’t just technically proficient – they deeply care about their work and its potential to create change.
Let that commitment shine through in your submission.
Ready to submit? Find out more about the awards and enter for free here.
Transdermal HRT best protects bone density in women with functional hypothalamic amenorrhoea, a condition that stops periods, a review of trials has found.
The meta-analysis pooled randomised clinical trials involving 692 participants and found transdermal hormone replacement therapy and teriparatide increased bone mineral density by between 2 and 13 per cent.
Functional hypothalamic amenorrhoea can follow anorexia or intense exercise. Bone mineral density measures bone strength and the amount of mineral in bone.
Around half of women with the condition have low bone mineral density, compared with about 1 per cent of healthy women, and their fracture risk is up to seven times higher.
The research was conducted by scientists at Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.
Professor Alexander Comninos, senior author of the study and consultant endocrinologist at the trust, said: “Bone density is lost very rapidly in FHA and so addressing bone health early is very important to reduce the lifelong risk of fractures.
“Our study provides much needed comparisons of all the available treatments from all available studies.
“Clearly the best treatment is to restore normal menstrual cycles and therefore oestrogen levels through various psychological, nutritional or exercise interventions – but that is not always possible.
“The foundation for bone health is good calcium and vitamin D intake (through diet and/or supplements) but we have additional treatments that are more effective.”
When FHA is diagnosed, clinicians first try to restore periods through lifestyle measures, including psychological and dietary support, but these can fail. Guidelines then recommend giving oestrogen, though the best form was unclear.
The team reviewed all prior randomised trials comparing therapies, including oral and transdermal oestrogen, and also assessed teriparatide, a prescription bone-building drug used for severe osteoporosis.
They found no significant benefit for oral contraceptive pills or oral hormone therapy.
A recent UK audit reported that about a quarter of women with anorexia-related FHA are prescribed the oral contraceptive pill for bone loss; the study suggests using transdermal therapy instead.
Comninos said: “Our goal is simple: to help women receive the right treatment sooner and to protect their bone health in the long-term.
“We hope this study provides clinicians with better evidence to choose transdermal oestrogen when prescribing oestrogen and so inform future practice guidelines.
“Right now, millions of women with FHA may not be receiving the best treatments for their bone health.”
An AI tool cut interval breast cancers by 12 per cent in a Swedish screening trial of more than 105,000 women.
The study also found 27 per cent fewer aggressive breast cancers detected at screening when AI was used.
Interval cancers are cancers found between routine screening appointments because they were missed at the original scan. They are often more dangerous and linked to higher death rates than cancers found at screening.
The MASAI trial is described as the first large randomised study to test whether AI can improve mammography screening, which uses low-dose X-rays to examine breast tissue for signs of cancer.
The AI tool, called Transpara Detection and developed by ScreenPoint Medical, supported radiologists in analysing mammography images.
Earlier results from the same trial showed that Transpara Detection increased cancers found by 29 per cent and reduced radiologist workload by 44 per cent compared with standard double-reading, where two radiologists independently review each scan.
The latest findings indicate higher accuracy with AI support. Sensitivity, the ability to detect cancer, was 6.7 percentage points higher in the AI group while specificity, the ability to rule out healthy cases, was maintained. Results were similar across age groups and breast density levels.
Women screened with AI had 16 per cent fewer invasive interval cancers and 21 per cent fewer large interval cancers than those in the standard screening group.
The system also helps doctors assess risk more precisely by subdividing suspicious findings into BI-RADS 4 categories A, B and C. BI-RADS (Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System) is a standardised scale that guides whether a patient needs closer monitoring, further tests or treatment.
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