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To sleep well, some TikTokers swear by a new trend: swaddling… in the adult version. Known for babies, does this technique really help promote sleep? Expert opinion.
To find sleep, some people are ready to try everything. The latest trend on TikTok aims to promote swaddling… the adult version. But does this technique really help you sleep better?
The technique for “getting a good night’s sleep”?
On social networks, videos of people filming themselves swaddled in a duvet or fabric, from head to toe, in the fetal position to sleep are multiplying. Some people no longer swear by this technique for sleeping.
Followers put forward different arguments to defend this method: it would relieve anxiety, improve posture and benefit from more restful sleep. The relaxation provided would come from the stimulation of tactile receptors in the deeper layers of the skin, which would promote a feeling of calm.
A soothing sensation in short, created by the gentle compression of the fabric, which experts call deep tactile pressure.
An effectiveness that remains to be demonstrated
An expert in the field of deep tactile pressure, Dr. Stacey Reynolds of Virginia Commonwealth University, explains that there is a well-established link between touch and arousal:
“There are receptors in our skin and body – around our muscles and joints – that respond to either light touch or deeper touch. The light touch, like a tickling or the sensation of an insect crawling on your skin, tends to be more alerting and exciting, whereas deep touch receptors tend to cause more of an overall calming effect.”.
However, the expert does not go so far as to validate this astonishing method. “Whether it can actually help you sleep better at night has not yet been fully confirmed by science.”.
Consult a doctor online for your sleep problems
The same principle as the weighted blanket?
While no study has validated the virtues of the adult version of swaddling, others have been interested in weighted blankets. And these would really help to have a more relaxing night and reduce anxiety. In 2022, a study carried out on 26 Swedish volunteers demonstrated that their salivary melatonin levels were on average 30% higher after sleeping with this type of blanket. Melatonin is the hormone that helps you fall asleep.
Should we attribute the same virtues to swaddling? Nothing is less certain… However, you can try this technique and if you sleep better being swaddled, nothing is stopping you from doing it… as long as you put your sex life on hold.
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