How do you use a weighted stuffed animal, and for how long?

Using a weighted stuffed animal is simple: you hold it and feel the soft weight. A few tips help you get even more calm from it. Here you can read where it feels nice to put it, how long to use it, how to get used to the weight and how to use it safely.

Where do you put a weighted stuffed animal?

There is no right or wrong place, as long as you can move the stuffed animal yourself and it is not on your face or neck. Choose what feels pleasant to you. People use it in different ways:

• In your arms or against your tummy. You hold it the way you would hold a regular stuffed animal. You mainly feel the weight in your arms and against your upper body.
• On your lap. Nice when you are reading, watching TV or working. A long stuffed animal spreads the weight over both thighs.
• On your tummy when you lie down. For example on the sofa, while you are awake.
• Next to you. Against your side or your leg, so you feel the weight lightly without it lying on you.
• Over your shoulders. A stuffed animal with long arms can lie loosely over your shoulders. The weight then rests on your shoulders, never around your neck.

How to use it safely in any position: never put a weighted stuffed animal on your face, head or neck, and not on the chest of someone who is asleep either. Make sure you can always lift the stuffed animal off yourself in one movement.

How long can you use a weighted stuffed animal?

There is no fixed time limit, and there does not need to be: your body is good at telling you what feels pleasant. You sometimes read that you should use it for 20 minutes at most. That number comes from a 2008 position statement by occupational therapists in Quebec, about weighted blankets. The Alberta College of Occupational Therapists (ACOT) already wrote in 2009 that there is no clinical evidence for it. So there is no need to set a timer.

It is nice, though, to use the stuffed animal on purpose. British children's occupational therapists recommend short, focused moments with weighted lap pads, not all day. That is a good starting point for a stuffed animal too.

So start with short moments and notice how your body responds. If you still feel comfortable after a while, you can keep the stuffed animal with you for longer. If you get warm, your legs feel heavy or you become restless, put it aside. That way you find the length of time that suits you.

When do you use it?

Choose moments when you want some calm or need a moment to settle. That can be during the day, when you take a break after a busy morning, or in the evening on the sofa as you round off the day. Many people combine the stuffed animal with something calm, such as reading, watching a series or listening to music. That way it becomes a regular moment of calm you can look forward to. It can also be nice at a tense moment, for example in a waiting room or before an appointment you are dreading. Something soft to hold can then help you feel steadier. And some people take it with them when they are out and about, for example on the train.

As an adult, you can also use it before you go to sleep. You can read how to do that safely in can a weighted stuffed animal help you sleep better? If you take it with you on the go, you will find tips in a weighted stuffed animal when travelling and on the plane.

How do you get used to a weighted stuffed animal?

The first time, the weight may feel a little unfamiliar. That is completely normal. Start with a few short moments when you are already sitting quietly. Hold the stuffed animal in your arms first. Then put it on your lap or tummy, once you notice that it feels nice.

Meanwhile, breathe calmly and notice how the weight makes you feel. Some people like it straight away. Others need a few tries to get used to it. And some people simply do not like pressure, even after a while. Then a weighted stuffed animal is not right for you, and that is fine. If the weight feels too heavy, have a look at how heavy should a weighted stuffed animal be?

What should you look out for with children?

With a few simple house rules, the stuffed animal becomes a pleasant and safe moment of calm for children.

• Together and under supervision. Stay with your child while they use the stuffed animal, especially at first.
• Start gently. Let your child hold and play with the stuffed animal first. The weight on their lap comes later, if your child wants it.
• Let them choose. Offer the stuffed animal. Never put it on a child who does not want it. Never use it as a punishment or to keep a child still, and never wrap anyone in it.
• Take it away for sleep. With young children, a weighted stuffed animal does not go into bed. If your child falls asleep with it anyway, take it away.
• Not under 3. A weighted stuffed animal is not suitable for babies and toddlers.

You can read more about introducing the stuffed animal to your child in a weighted stuffed animal for your child.

When do you stop?

Listen to your body, and the stuffed animal stays pleasant. Stop straight away if it causes any discomfort. Think of difficulty breathing, getting too warm, sweating, nausea, pain, irritated skin or tired muscles. Also stop if you feel more anxious or shut in instead. With children, watch for signals without words: pushing it away, turning away, becoming restless or becoming unusually quiet.

Do you have problems with your breathing, your heart or your circulation, sleep apnoea, epilepsy, low muscle strength or fragile skin? Or are you less alert because of illness or medication? Then ask your GP or an occupational therapist for advice first. Also check the seams and the filling regularly. If the stuffed animal is damaged, stop using it. You will find all the basic rules in one place in are weighted stuffed animals safe? More about choosing and care is in choosing and using.