Do you know how uncomfortable life is when you’re a person who runs hot? The threat of sweat, looming, at every opportunity. For me this is not just a July, August problem (if I could be so lucky!), but a year-round assault against the promise of a cool, temperate body temperature. If you know, you know, and you learn to plan accordingly: a leisurely walk to the subway instead of a purposeful (but still walking) sprint, layered clothing you can peel off before your meeting in the office’s hottest conference room. Deodorant. So much deodorant. I’m still figuring a lot of things out, but the one thing I can say with certainty is that a weighted blanket (of all things!) was the one thing that gave me a comfortable and not sweaty night’s sleep.

There were more obvious choices before I resorted to a weighted blanket: a lighter comforter, no clothes, a fan off to the side. I did it all and I was still sweating! A specific kind of misery that’s wet and cold and and jolts you to wake up at 2AM and scooch over, only for you to repeat the whole thing around 4. It’s gross. Part of my problem is that I actually like to wrap a comforter around me, amounting to what my husband describes as my bedtime “human burrito” look. But there was something comforting about that comforter, something I was drawn to, against my better judgment, urging me to swaddle. Did I…. did I need a weighted blanket?

Weighted blankets are kind of the new coconut oil or CBD, in that the possibilities of what they can do are endless. Or so people say. There are studies that support their therapeutic effects, saying that they help children with ADHD stay focused, and that they promote a better night’s sleep. Other studies look to how the blankets help ease anxiety.

Truthfully, I landed on Bearaby’s weighted blanket on account of pure vanity; it is beautiful. The blankets come in three weights and two textures (I got the Frost Gray Tencel, but the velevet colors look rich and cozy). They recommend selecting a blanket weight that’s 10-percent of your body weight, but I wanted some extra heft and got their middleweight option that’s 20 pounds. But none of that really matters because Bearaby’s blanket is the best because of its airy, woven design. Most weighted blankets get their weight from pellets or other small heavy materials that are sewn inside. But Bearaby’s just use cotton—layers and layers of it—that is twisted into a diamond shape, creating a quilted weave with breathable pockets throughout. These air pockets are the key! Because of them I don’t sweat, and since the blanket is still heavy, I get the same burrito effect that my comforter gave. I can’t speak to any of the other miracle weighted blanket effects—I’m not the right person for that. I can only tell you we turned the heat on in my apartment last week and I was nervous. Heat coursing through my bedroom while I was vulnerable and asleep—could my Bearaby still keep me cool? I went to sleep and then I woke up. It was 7AM and I was fine.

—Ashley Weatherford

Photo via ITG.