Can't sleep? Ditch the duvet and just snuggle under a heavy blanket - which releases feel-good chemicals because it feels like a cuddle

Put distant nan duvet if you want a bully night's slumber – you're champion disconnected sliding nether a dense blanket.

Scientists opportunity weighted blankets trigger nan merchandise of feel-good chemicals successful nan brain, which reacts to nan blanket's unit arsenic it would to an clasp aliases cuddle.

Tests show this puts you successful a amended temper successful nan greeting – and cuts cases of depression and anxiety.

'Weighted blankets mightiness beryllium a safe and effective involution for insomnia and various slumber disturbances, pinch less side-effects than supplier therapy,' study nan researchers.

They analysed information from studies looking astatine dense aliases weighted blankets arsenic a curen for improving slumber and different disorders, successful an effort to understand mechanisms down slumber problems.

Lying nether weighted blankets results successful amended slumber and less cases of chronic pain, reason nan neurologists astatine Zhejiang University Hospital successful Hangzhou, China.

Just really dense blankets person specified a melodramatic effect is unclear.

One mentation is that nan touch and unit of a weighted broad connected nan tegument tin stimulate sensory nervus endings.

The researchers propose this would activate nan parasympathetic tense system, which has a calming effect.

It besides increases nan accumulation of endorphins, nan body's ain painkillers, and boosts levels of dopamine and serotonin, encephalon chemicals progressive successful nan regularisation of temper disorders.

Endorphins and dopamine tin besides trim bosom complaint and relax muscles, which successful move tin amended slumber and limit insomnia.

Stimulation of nan nervus endings whitethorn besides promote merchandise of melatonin, nan hormone which plays a cardinal domiciled successful slumber timing.

The assemblage people increases melatonin levels astatine nighttime to assistance sleep, while supplements based connected nan hormone are utilized by doctors to dainty insomnia.

The neurologists say: 'The blankets could amended slumber value and easiness antagonistic emotions and daytime symptoms successful patients pinch slumber disorders, attraction shortage hyperactivity upset and different related disorders.'

But nan study, published successful Frontiers successful Psychiatry, concludes that much investigation will beryllium needed.