Weight ceilings for better sleep

deep pressure also increases oxytocin. Oxytocin promotes relaxation, security and sleep.

The daily function improved significantly among those who used the weighted ceilings. Subjectively, the fatigue symptom of inventory. Objectively speaking, as was recorded by the actigraph, there was a general increase in daily activity, and the highlight of the activity was later.

Further analyzes compared Responder (an ISI acceptance of> 50 %) with non-responders (<50 % ISI acceptance). The responders showed a significant improvement in the subjectively reported sleep maintenance and a decrease in vigilance after falling asleep in the actigraphy. The daily activity increased in both groups; However, the temporal delay in top activity was only significant for responders. The participants who used the weight ceilings had a significant decrease in depression and anxiety symptoms.

practice implications

insomnia with comorbid psychiatric disorders is a common illness that occurs in primary care and specialist clinics. An estimated 10 % to 30 % of adults suffer from insomnia. These disorders have enormous individual costs in the form of a lower quality of life, limited daily function and personal expenses. The average costs for the treatment of insomnia are between $ 200 and $ 1,200 a year, and employees with insomnia generally lose 11.3 working days per year. The social costs of insomnia are estimated at $ 63.2 billion a year.

The pharmaceutical management available for insomnia is anything but ideal. The latest retrospective studies have shown an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease and other types of cognitive decay that are associated with the long-term use of zolpidem, benzodiazepines, antipsychotics and antidepressants. In 2017, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (a section of the American Medical Association) found that the evidence of the use of hypnotics is "weak". ^{4 and continued in other publications that cognitive behavioral therapy in insomnia should be the therapy of the first choice in insomnia and should only be used if CBT-I has failed, or in connection with CBT- I in severe or acute cases. Unfortunately, the availability of CBT-I practitioners is not sufficient to treat the large number of people who suffer from insomnia.}

behavioral and other treatments for insomnia and psychiatric disorders that have no side effects are ideal. In this study, 1 patient reported that he felt more anxious when using the weight ceiling. In particular, no other side effects were reported.

weight ceilings exert a uniform pressure on the whole body, either with metal chains or glass beads that are sewn between 2 fabric layers. In the public media, it is generally recommended that they correspond to 8 % to 10 % of the body weight of the person or less. There are several proposed mechanisms for their effect on insomnia. First, it is assumed that they act similarly to massages by simulating touches. We know that people sleep better when they feel socially safe and touch can be part of it. The deep pressure can stimulate the parasympathetic effect of the nervous system, while at the same time the sympathetic activation is regulated. Deep pressure also increases oxytocin. Oxytocin promotes relaxation, security and sleep. 5

The big question is how universal the improvement of sleep is by using a weight ceiling. This is not yet known because only a few studies have been carried out so far. Several small studies were carried out to deal with the use of weight ceilings by certain population groups. A study of children with autism showed that sleep did not improve. Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder had an improvement in insomnia with the weight ceiling, and adults with chronic insomnia who were otherwise healthy improved. A recently published overview article, which includes 8 studies, came to the conclusion that although there are indications of the use of weight ceilings in the treatment of anxiety states that are insufficient.

The question is for the time being: Can we recommend it to a broad spectrum of people, some of whom also have comorbid diseases of different types? There are other considerations here. On the one hand, the use of a weight ceiling is an intervention without registered or known side effects. However, it is generally known that persistent insomnia contributes to many other health conditions - from high blood pressure to anxiety and depression. Insomnia also contributes to lower living income and social costs. The price of a weighted ceiling is quite low and it is a treatment that is well received by the patient. Therefore, we can recommend using weight ceilings for patients with insomnia at the moment while we keep an eye on the emerging literature.