Weighted blanket for autism: not sleeping longer, but chosen more often by children and parents

Your child has been in bed for an hour and is still wide awake. Twice, they come downstairs for something to drink. Around eleven o'clock, they finally fall asleep, and you go to bed too. At four o'clock, you hear them in their room again, and then it takes a long time for them to fall asleep again.

This is often how it goes for children with autism. According to an American guideline for doctors, 44 to 83% of children and young people with autism have sleep problems. A weighted blanket is one of the things parents try. In Sweden, children and adults with ADHD or autism were even prescribed such a blanket through the healthcare system.

A British study from 2014 investigated whether this helps. Children with autism and severe sleep problems, aged 5 to 16, slept under a weighted blanket for two weeks and under a blanket that looked the same but had an ordinary weight for two weeks. Of the 73 children who started, 67 completed the study. According to a wrist monitor, they did not sleep longer or fall asleep faster with the weighted blanket. They also did not wake up less often. Nevertheless, children and parents preferred the weighted blanket.

Measured objectively, the children therefore did not sleep better with the blanket. We do not know why they still preferred it. Below, you can read what was measured and what it means for you as a parent.

Why this was studied

Children with autism were already using weighted blankets, but when this study was designed, the researchers said there had not yet been a randomized study of them. Parents did report that their child fell asleep faster and slept longer with one. The main question was therefore: do these children sleep longer under a weighted blanket than under an ordinary blanket?

How the study worked

The study was led from Evelina London Children's Hospital. Children could participate if they had autism and severe sleep problems that had not improved enough with usual support. A sleep problem was defined as not falling asleep within an hour after the lights went out, or sleeping for less than seven hours in a row on three out of five nights. Children with probable sleep apnea, cerebral palsy, or uncontrolled epilepsy did not participate.

Each child slept under one blanket for two weeks and the other for two weeks, with randomization determining which one they started with. This design is called a cross-over study. The comparison blanket was identical to the weighted blanket, but had an ordinary weight. This type of comparison blanket is called a placebo: it helps show what effect the weight itself has.

The weighted blankets weighed 2.25 kilos (small) or 4.5 kilos (large) and were filled with 3-millimeter steel pellets instead of small glass beads.

During both periods, the child wore an actigraph, a small wrist device that measures movement and can therefore show when a child is asleep. Parents kept a sleep diary and completed questionnaires about their child's behavior and the family.

What the researchers found

• With the weighted blanket, the children did not sleep longer than with the ordinary blanket.
• They also did not fall asleep faster or spend less time awake at night.
• The parents' sleep diaries and the children's behavior also showed no difference.
• Children and parents did prefer the weighted blanket, and the blankets were well tolerated.

The 2020 American neurology guideline summarized the figures from this study. According to the wrist monitor, the children slept an average of 4.2 minutes less per night under the weighted blanket, a difference within the margin of error. The difference in falling asleep was 2.1 minutes, also within the margin of error; they did not fall asleep faster with the weighted blanket. The only side effect mentioned in the guideline is a rash in one child that lasted two days and may have been caused by the blanket.

What this study does not say

• Each blanket was used for only two weeks. We do not know what happens after a few months.
• The study involved children aged 5 to 16 with severe, persistent sleep problems. It says nothing about milder problems, younger children, or adults.
• A wrist monitor measures movement, not brain activity. The measurements were not complete for all children.
• The study does not explain why children and parents preferred the weighted blanket. Was bedtime calmer, or did they simply like the blanket? We do not know.
• No average difference does not mean that no child benefits from it.

How this fits with other research

The same American guideline found no evidence to recommend weighted blankets as standard for children with autism. However, the study reported no serious side effects, and according to the guideline, the blanket may be a reasonable non-medication approach for some children. In 2025, the Swedish Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Assessment of Social Services (SBU) called weighted blankets for adults with autism and sleep problems a knowledge gap: more studies are needed. You can read more about this in the overview of official positions.

A Swedish study in children with ADHD compared a weighted blanket with a lighter blanket in a similar way. In that study, the children slept a few minutes longer, and they too were clearly more satisfied with the weighted blanket (read the summary of the Swedish ADHD study). What Swedish users with autism themselves experience is described in the article about prescription weighted blankets, and the bigger picture can be found in the overview of all the research.

Study at a glance

• Researchers: Paul Gringras and colleagues
• Year and journal: 2014, Pediatrics
• Country: United Kingdom
• Study type: randomized cross-over study with a placebo: each child slept under both blankets, in an order determined by randomization
• Participants: 73 children with autism and severe sleep problems aged 5 to 16, of whom 67 completed the study
• Duration: 2 weeks per blanket
• Blanket: weighted blanket of 2.25 or 4.5 kilos with steel pellets, compared with an identical blanket with an ordinary weight
• Source: Gringras et al., 2014

What you can take from this as a reader

Does your child with autism sleep poorly? First, discuss it with your family doctor or treating professional. The American guideline starts with sleep habits and behavior, and a blanket is not a substitute for treatment. If you want to try one afterward, do not expect longer nights. Your child may like it, however, just as the children in this study did. Tips for the evening can be found in this article about sleep and autism; blankets are available in the collection for children.

A weighted blanket is not suitable for babies or children under 3 years old. For older children, the rule of thumb is approximately 10% of their body weight; this is a practical guideline, not a finding from this study. The child must be able to push the blanket off independently. Read more in the article about choosing the right weight and on the safety page.

Source

Gringras, P., Green, D., Wright, B., Rush, C., Sparrowhawk, M., Pratt, K., Allgar, V., Hooke, N., Moore, D., Zaiwalla, Z., & Wiggs, L. (2014). Weighted blankets and sleep in autistic children: a randomized controlled trial. Pediatrics, 134(2), 298-306. DOI Checked on 2026-10-12.

Written by Koen Dolron, owner of Novaline. Koen is not a doctor, and Novaline does not provide medical advice: this page is intended for informational purposes. The summary is based on the original publication, which you can read yourself via the link above. Are you unsure whether a weighted blanket is suitable for you or your child, for example because of a medical condition or medication? Discuss it with your family doctor or treating professional first.

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