Tech Talk

Every year at Cyber Monday, there's always a flurry of attention to one of my most beloved possessions: weighted blankets. Now, I'm going to start right off by saying that weighted blankets are absolutely not for everyone, nor are they a guarantee to help you instantly fall asleep at night. I'm someone who has always slept under a lot of weight, so a weighted blanket let me ditch the comforter, the second quilted bedspread, and the two throw blankets I'd pile on top of that during the winter.

If you like the winter because you sleep better under heavier covers, a weighted blanket is probably for you, and tonight is the best time to buy because there's a lightning deal on my favorite weighted blanket brand right now, but it's selling fast.

Time to hibernate

YnM Weighted Blanket | 30% off

There's never been a better time to try one.

If you toss and turn and get restless at night, a weighted blanket can help you drift off sooner and stay calmer while you slumber, so if your current sleep aids aren't enough, try one out! Just be sure to buy the weight that best fits your weight class and bed size.

From $32 at Amazon

There are two mistakes that you can make when buying a weighted blanket: You can choose the wrong weight and you can choose the wrong cover/material. If you buy a blanket that's too light — I wussed out when I bought my second blanket and went with the 17 pounds instead of 20 pounds — then you'll still toss and turn, but going too heavy can have serious medical consequences as well. See, if the blanket is too heavy, you could strain or sprain your limbs trying to shift it in your sleep. You need to hit the proper weight or a little lighter, since you can always add in an extra quilt on top, so please trust the weight guide on the listing.

The second mistake you can make is buying the wrong material. A cotton weighted blanket is OK, but if you can spare an extra few bucks, the YnM Bamboo Weighted Blanket has a coupon for 25-30% off depending on your size/weight, and if you live south of the Mason-Dixon line, bamboo is worth the investment because it stays cooler than cotton. If you grab a cotton blanket, you can still buy a bamboo weighted blanket duvet cover and whether you buy a cotton or bamboo weighted blanket, you need to buy a duvet cover.

Weighted blankets are, by nature, very heavy and will absolutely wreck your home washer, so unless you live next to a laundromat, you'll need a bamboo duvet cover so that you can easily strip off the cover and wash that instead of hauling the blanket itself to and from the laundromat regularly — I wash my duvet cover every other time I wash my sheets.

If you've had trouble sleeping and melatonin and sleep sound generators haven't helped you find that happy sleepy time, pull the trigger on a weighted blanket tonight and sleep better tomorrow (or the day after, depending on delivery).