“Adult Swaddling”: Does it Improve Sleep Quality According to TikTok?
TikTok users have launched a new trend to ensure better sleep, which involves wrapping the body in a piece of cloth, much like mothers do with their newborns.
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Proponents of this trend say that adopting this method offers several health benefits, including reducing anxiety, improving posture, and achieving a more restful and deeper sleep.
Users have named this trend, which some have described as “strange”, “adult swaddling”. It involves wrapping the body, from head to toes, in a tight cotton cloth and lying in a fetal position. Videos shared under the hashtag “adult swaddling” on TikTok have garnered hundreds of thousands of views, where users are seen wrapping themselves in elastic fabric before going to bed.
One user claimed that her swaddling blanket was “the solution to years of sleep problems and insomnia.”
“No Scientific Evidence”
Experts say that although there is not enough scientific evidence that this practice helps improve sleep quality, it may help relax the body by stimulating touch receptors in the deeper layers of the skin, known for enhancing feelings of calm.
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The Benefits of Swaddling
Experts told the British newspaper Daily Mail that swaddling is beneficial due to the principles of deep touch pressure (DTP), which is supposed to make you feel calm and comfortable through gentle pressure.
Dr. Stacey Reynolds told The New York Times: “The link between touch and arousal is well known, as there are receptors in our skin and body around our muscles and joints that respond either to a light touch or a deeper one.”
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She added, “Light touch, like tickling or the sensation of an insect crawling on your skin, tends to be more alerting and exciting, while deep touch receptors tend to produce a calming effect.”
The doctor warned that there is still no scientific evidence of the benefits of this technique.
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Where Did This TikTok Trend Come From?
The newspaper mentioned that social media users were inspired by the Japanese as part of a traditional therapeutic practice known as “Otonamaki”, which means “adult wrapping.”
This practice involves covering people, often from head to toe, in a large piece of fabric. It is said to help relieve stiffness and improve flexibility and posture.
