According to Dr. Broch and academic studies, weighted blankets can relieve anxiety and improve sleep in some people. The best weighted blankets provide deep pressure stimulation, which has been shown to decrease anxiety and improve relaxation under certain conditions. Through deep-pressure stimulation, weighted blankets function much like a sustained hug, (one with evenly distributed pressure). This stimulation, Broch explains, is “thought to boost mood and sleep enhancing neurotransmitters (serotonin) and hormones (melatonin) while reducing stress hormones such as cortisol.”