{"id":374,"date":"2023-12-14T07:35:12","date_gmt":"2023-12-14T07:35:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/?p=374"},"modified":"2024-01-12T07:36:21","modified_gmt":"2024-01-12T07:36:21","slug":"how-weighted-blankets-help-sleep-apnea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/how-weighted-blankets-help-sleep-apnea\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cHeavy\u201d Sleep: How Weighted Blankets Help Sleep Apnea"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/AdobeStock_486214798__1705040871_36411.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/AdobeStock_486214798__1705040871_36411.jpg\" alt=\"A woman sleeping with a weighted blanket\" class=\"wp-image-375\" width=\"297\" height=\"198\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/AdobeStock_486214798__1705040871_36411.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/AdobeStock_486214798__1705040871_36411-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/AdobeStock_486214798__1705040871_36411-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 297px) 100vw, 297px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>As you might know, sleep apnea can ruin a good night\u2019s rest. Its symptoms often keep people from sleeping fully and deeply. That said, a recent social media craze may be of use. Research suggests that weighted blankets help sleep apnea patients. By using them, you could better manage your disorder. Your local Fresno dentist will explain the details. So, here\u2019s a primer on sleep apnea, how weighted blankets relieve it, and other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/sleep-apnea-snoring.html\">treatment<\/a> ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Exactly is Sleep Apnea?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sleep apnea refers to when breathing frequently stops and starts while asleep. Typically, it\u2019s caused by a blockage (partial or full) of your airway. As this blockage occurs, your brain must wake you to clear it and resume breathing. These awakenings then result in shallow, low-quality sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Left unchecked, sleep apnea can lower your quality of life. Some of its awful symptoms include irritability, insomnia, headaches, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Do Weighted Blankets Help?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Weighted blankets can\u2019t treat sleep apnea, but they can manage it. The reason comes down to how these coverings work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You see, weighted blankets apply gentle pressure throughout your body. This force amounts to \u201cdeep pressure stimulation,\u201d which strongly affects your whole self. The most notable result is the lower arousal of your nervous system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By altering your nervous system, weighted blankets:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Stimulate Oxytocin <\/strong>\u2013 Among other things, oxytocin is a hormone involved in the sleep cycle. A weighted blank can increase its levels, reducing sleep apnea symptoms.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Raise Serotonin <\/strong>\u2013 A weighted blanket can increase serotonin, a hormone that promotes mood stability and good sleep-wake cycles. In doing so, it\u2019ll help you rest more soundly at night.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lower Cortisol <\/strong>\u2013 Deep pressure stimulation reduces your levels of cortisol, which is key to your body\u2019s stress response. That means a weighted blanket can ease muscle tension and ease light snoring.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lasting Sleep Apnea Treatments<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While weighted blankets are nice, you\u2019ll need more to cure your sleep apnea. Luckily, there are several great treatment options. They include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Lose Excess Weight <\/strong>\u2013 For many people, excess body fat makes sleep apnea likely. However, losing that extra weight can bring the risk back down.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Drink Less Alcohol <\/strong>\u2013 Alcohol can relax the throat muscles, causing you to snore. As such, refrain from it as best you can.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>See a Sleep Dentist<\/strong> \u2013 Today, many dentists are equipped to treat sleep apnea. For example, they might offer an oral appliance that opens your airway.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Clearly, weighted blankets help sleep apnea patients. For lasting relief, though, don\u2019t neglect a healthy lifestyle and visit your sleep dentist!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About the Author<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/meet-your-dentist.html\"><em>Dr. Byron Reintjes<\/em><\/a><em> is a dentist based in Fresno, CA. Since earning his DDS from Case Western University\u2019s School of Dentistry, he\u2019s worked in the field for roughly thirty years! His expertise thus extends to preventive, cosmetic, and restorative work, as well as emergency oral care. Of course, he and his team are also versed in sleep apnea procedures. Today, Dr. Reintjes practices at <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/\"><em>his self-titled clinic<\/em><\/a><em> and is reachable on <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/contact.html\"><em>his website<\/em><\/a><em> and by phone at <strong>(559)-438-6684<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As you might know, sleep apnea can ruin a good night\u2019s rest. Its symptoms often keep people from sleeping fully and deeply. That said, a recent social media craze may be of use. Research suggests that weighted blankets help sleep apnea patients. By using them, you could better manage your disorder. Your local Fresno dentist [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How Weighted Blankets Help Sleep Apnea | Dr. Byron Reintjes<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As it turns out, weighted blankets help sleep apnea patients. Learn the reasons behind their benefits with your local Fresno dentist.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/how-weighted-blankets-help-sleep-apnea\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How Weighted Blankets Help Sleep Apnea | Dr. Byron Reintjes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As it turns out, weighted blankets help sleep apnea patients. Learn the reasons behind their benefits with your local Fresno dentist.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/how-weighted-blankets-help-sleep-apnea\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Fresno Family Dental\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-12-14T07:35:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-01-12T07:36:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/AdobeStock_486214798__1705040871_36411.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"fresnofamilydental\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"fresnofamilydental\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/how-weighted-blankets-help-sleep-apnea\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/how-weighted-blankets-help-sleep-apnea\/\",\"name\":\"How Weighted Blankets Help Sleep Apnea | Dr. Byron Reintjes\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/how-weighted-blankets-help-sleep-apnea\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/how-weighted-blankets-help-sleep-apnea\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/AdobeStock_486214798__1705040871_36411.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-12-14T07:35:12+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-01-12T07:36:21+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/32aceb463f36ac9015b419786814dd2b\"},\"description\":\"As it turns out, weighted blankets help sleep apnea patients. Learn the reasons behind their benefits with your local Fresno dentist.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/how-weighted-blankets-help-sleep-apnea\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/how-weighted-blankets-help-sleep-apnea\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/how-weighted-blankets-help-sleep-apnea\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/AdobeStock_486214798__1705040871_36411.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/AdobeStock_486214798__1705040871_36411.jpg\",\"width\":800,\"height\":533},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/how-weighted-blankets-help-sleep-apnea\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"\u201cHeavy\u201d Sleep: How Weighted Blankets Help Sleep Apnea\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Fresno Family Dental\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/32aceb463f36ac9015b419786814dd2b\",\"name\":\"fresnofamilydental\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f04a6291b5fba31963a3ba9f39a3c367?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f04a6291b5fba31963a3ba9f39a3c367?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"fresnofamilydental\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/author\/fresnofamilydental\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How Weighted Blankets Help Sleep Apnea | Dr. Byron Reintjes","description":"As it turns out, weighted blankets help sleep apnea patients. Learn the reasons behind their benefits with your local Fresno dentist.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/how-weighted-blankets-help-sleep-apnea\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How Weighted Blankets Help Sleep Apnea | Dr. Byron Reintjes","og_description":"As it turns out, weighted blankets help sleep apnea patients. Learn the reasons behind their benefits with your local Fresno dentist.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/how-weighted-blankets-help-sleep-apnea\/","og_site_name":"Fresno Family Dental","article_published_time":"2023-12-14T07:35:12+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-01-12T07:36:21+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/AdobeStock_486214798__1705040871_36411.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"fresnofamilydental","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"fresnofamilydental","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/how-weighted-blankets-help-sleep-apnea\/","url":"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/how-weighted-blankets-help-sleep-apnea\/","name":"How Weighted Blankets Help Sleep Apnea | Dr. Byron Reintjes","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/how-weighted-blankets-help-sleep-apnea\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/how-weighted-blankets-help-sleep-apnea\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/AdobeStock_486214798__1705040871_36411.jpg","datePublished":"2023-12-14T07:35:12+00:00","dateModified":"2024-01-12T07:36:21+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/32aceb463f36ac9015b419786814dd2b"},"description":"As it turns out, weighted blankets help sleep apnea patients. Learn the reasons behind their benefits with your local Fresno dentist.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/how-weighted-blankets-help-sleep-apnea\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/how-weighted-blankets-help-sleep-apnea\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/how-weighted-blankets-help-sleep-apnea\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/AdobeStock_486214798__1705040871_36411.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/AdobeStock_486214798__1705040871_36411.jpg","width":800,"height":533},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/how-weighted-blankets-help-sleep-apnea\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"\u201cHeavy\u201d Sleep: How Weighted Blankets Help Sleep Apnea"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/","name":"Fresno Family Dental","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/32aceb463f36ac9015b419786814dd2b","name":"fresnofamilydental","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f04a6291b5fba31963a3ba9f39a3c367?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f04a6291b5fba31963a3ba9f39a3c367?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"fresnofamilydental"},"url":"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/author\/fresnofamilydental\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/374"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=374"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/374\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":378,"href":"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/374\/revisions\/378"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=374"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=374"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fresnofamilydental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=374"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}