The Benefits Of Incorporating Quiet Mind Weighted Pillows Into Your Daily Life

When creating The Original Weighted Pillow™, we set out to give people suffering from ADHD, anxiety and insomnia a simple, drug-free solution to help combat the chaos and stress of daily life. But there’s no shortage of benefits that come with regularly using your Quiet Mind Weighted Pillow. 

On-Demand Anxiety Relief

Right when you get that sinking feeling in your stomach or that lump in your throat, grab your weighted pillow and give it a hug or lay it on your chest to help activate deep pressure stimulation (DPS). This releases serotonin - the hormone responsible for mood-regulation, or better yet, happiness. This gets your body working for you, not against you, by instilling a sense of calm and relaxation, helping you feel more secure and grounded. 

DPS also increases the amount of dopamine, often referred to as the feel good hormone. Dopamine is responsible for things like motivation, focus, and sensations of pleasure - it plays a role in your brain’s intrinsic reward system. So instead of dreading a looming deadline or being overwhelmed by a long to-do list, dopamine can help your body be more productive and feel better about that productivity.

Reduced Stress

Kickstarting DPS with the help of your weighted pillow also plays a large role in reducing your overall stress. DPS lowers cortisol levels - the stress hormone - in your system. Cortisol is one of the hormones responsible for shifting our nervous system into its fight or flight response. And while cortisol has many benefits - like controlling blood pressure, increasing your body’s metabolism and even reducing inflammation, too much cortisol in your system can have severe effects on your health. 

Too much cortisol results in a poor sleep-wake cycle and a compromised immune system. Holding, hugging, or squeezing your weighted pillow can accomplish this by reducing cortisol during times of rest or when you need to get the job done.

Improved Sleep

While using your weighted pillow will certainly have a positive impact on your overall sleep, hugging or holding your weighted pillow at night can dramatically improve sleep quality by stimulating the production of melatonin, commonly referred to as the sleep hormone. 

Melatonin is one of the primary hormones responsible for our sleep wake cycle. It helps your nervous system prepare for sleep by slowing your heart rate down, quieting your mind and facilitating a smoother transition into sleep. And the benefit is actually twofold - the increase in melatonin helps you fall asleep, but it also encourages a more restful sleep. This means that you will spend less time with your thoughts while laying in bed and you will wake feeling more rested.

Longer Attention Span

DPS and the release of dopamine have incredible effects on focus, especially for those suffering from ADHD. As dopamine plays a role in motivation and concentration, increasing the amount in our system is a great way to get an instant and lasting boost of focus. And this can be even more impactful for those suffering from ADHD symptoms. Plus, it’s the feel good hormone, so you’re going to feel even better about that focus in the process.

But that’s not the only way weighted pillows improve our attention span. By activating our sense of proprioception, or touch, we can help our minds focus on one positive sensation at a time. When that happens, it can help cut through distractions and give us back control over our attention. In other words, touching something soft or squeezing a weighted pillow can help us decide for ourselves what we want to focus on and for how long.

Alleviates Loneliness

Hugging a weighted pillow as you try to fall asleep or lay on the couch binge-watching has even more benefits than shifting your body into a state of rest and digest - it can also create an emotional connection with something tangible. That’s because the act of hugging and exerting force on an object releases the hormone oxytocin, commonly referred to as the love hormone. This natural chemical also plays a role in social bonding, slowing down your heart rate, and reducing stress and anxiety levels by actively counteracting the effects of oxytocin. 

So not only does the weighted pillow offer all the benefits of deep pressure stimulation, it takes it a step further by mimicking the sensation of being hugged or embracing another person or pet. This heightened sense of security and comfort makes it easier to unwind after a long day and provides you with a sense of companionship, alleviating loneliness and improving your overall sense of wellbeing. 

Lessened Sensory Overload 

Our lives are constantly bombarded with environmental stimuli, making it almost impossible to differentiate between what needs our immediate attention and what can be ignored. DPS can help maintain a regulated nervous system and cut through the noise of an overstimulated mind by activating proprioception, or our sense of touch.

Think of things like chewing gum or petting a dog. These can dramatically help those with sensory processing disorders focus their mind by specifically stimulating a single sense. Hugging or touching a weighted pillow provides that same benefit. It allows your brain to focus on one positive sensation while also stimulating the release of calming hormones like serotonin and dopamine. The result is a calmer, more focused state of mind, free from the distractions of everyday life. Simply said, it is the best way to regulate your nervous system.

Reduced Pain and Tension 

The stress and anxiety we hold in our bodies have a terrible impact on our posture. By activating DPS with your weighted pillow and better managing these, we can reduce tension in our bodies and lessen the pain caused by poor posture.

Weighted pillows can also help reduce chronic pain by better supporting your spine during sleep. Placing your weighted pillow strategically when you sleep can help you maintain the natural curve of your spine. By alleviating the pressure on sensitive areas and encouraging an ideal sleeping position, you can avoid waking up with a stiff neck and sore back we are all too familiar with.

Enhanced Binge Watching

Quieting your mind is not always about overcoming anxiety or improving productivity. It is just as important to help our minds relax when there isn’t a task at hand or a pressing deadline to meet. The Original Weighted Pillow can help you more fully enjoy your downtime - whether you’re binge watching a new show, sitting down with a good book, or getting started with that new hobby you’ve been eager to try.

Quieting Your Mind With The Original Weighted Pillow

These are just a few of the many ways DPS and The Original Weighted Pillow can help you take back control of your stress, anxiety and relaxation. But if that’s not enough, here’s a quick list of some of the other benefits of our weighted pillows:

• A grounded sense of self
• Increased attention span
• A portable travel companion
• An on-the-go stress ball for your body
• Enhanced meditation 
• A relaxing and focusing laptop pad

There’s really no wrong way to take advantage of your Quiet Mind Weighted Pillow. So, while we designed our weighted pillows to offer targeted support to those suffering from ADHD, anxiety, insomnia, or loneliness, the benefits of DPS can help provide a sanctuary to anyone trying to navigate the chaos of daily life without causing the discomfort of overheating.