TikTokers are all excited about a new sleep hygiene trend: wrapping yourself in a blanket before bed, just like you would swaddle a baby.
According to proponents, this sleeping position offers a number of health benefits, including reduced anxiety, improved posture, and better sleep.
Also known as ‘adult swaddling’, the baby is wrapped from head to toe, in the fetal position, and is gently rocked or rolled around.
Fans of the trend say it relaxes by stimulating the touch receptors in the deeper layers of the skin.
Activation of these specific nerve cells is known to promote a feeling of calmness.
TikTok has gone wild with the new sleep craze of ‘adult swaddling’, which involves wrapping yourself in a cloth before bed
Experts say there is little scientific evidence that it improves sleep, but it may stimulate relaxation receptors under the skin.
TikTok is home to hundreds of videos showing young women hugging themselves with a stretchy cloth before jumping into bed.
In one video, one user claims that her swaddle blanket is “the solution to years of sleep problems and insomnia.”
Swaddling is said to be beneficial due to the principles of deep touch pressure (DTP).
Apparently this gives a calming feeling due to the gentle compression, rather than just the weight.
“The connection between touch and arousal is well established,” Dr. Stacey Reynolds, an expert on DTP at Virginia Commonwealth University, told the New York Times.
‘There are receptors in our skin and body, around our muscles and joints, that respond to light touches or to deeper touches.
‘A light touch, such as a tickle or the feeling of an insect crawling on your skin, tends to make you feel more alert and cheerful, while deep touch receptors tend to have a calming effect.’
Swaddling for adults is thought to be inspired by the traditional Japanese practice of Otonamaki, in which the baby is wrapped in a large cloth to improve posture.
Otonamaki, which means ‘adult wrapping paper’, is said to be the origin of the trend
However, she warned that there is no scientific evidence yet for the technique.
“Whether they actually help you sleep better at night still needs to be fully scientifically confirmed,” Dr. Reynolds said.
However, there are indications from small studies that weighted blankets (blankets with extra dense filling) can contribute to a more relaxing night’s sleep.
A 2020 study found limited evidence that using a weighted blanket can reduce anxiety.
While lying under a thick blanket isn’t quite the same as being tightly wrapped in cloths, being unable to move while swaddled can provide a similar sense of relaxation.
The trend took off after the Hugsleep Swaddle Blanket appeared on Shark Tank – the US version of Dragons Den – and has now exploded in the UK too.
In many of the videos circulating on TikTok, fans of the Hugsleep product demonstrate how to use the product.
However, the idea is thought to have originated in Japan, as part of the traditional therapeutic practice Otonamaki.
In Otonamaki, which literally means “adult wrapping,” people are wrapped from head to toe in a large piece of cloth.
This exercise is said to help with stiffness and improve flexibility.