Inclusive & Assistive Products
ISDN2001/2002: Second Year Design Project
The individual study of
Max
The weight distribution of the weighted blanket
Where should we put the weight, and what should be the weight?
Where should we put the weight?
When human are sleeping, there mainly three parts that contact with the blanket
Which are Chest, Stomach and Leg
Therefore...
This study investigates the optimal weight of a water pillow placed on the chest, stomach, and legs to promote relaxation in adults, measured as a percentage of body weight. Through controlled experiments with ten participants, the study evaluates comfort, perceived relaxation, and physical effects of varying water pillow weights.
Introduction
Weighted therapy, such as weighted blankets and pillows, promotes relaxation by stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system through deep pressure stimulation (DPS). This study focuses on water pillows, which offer adjustable weight, to determine the ideal weight-to-body-weight percentage for relaxation when placed on the chest, stomach, or legs. The experiment aims to identify weights that maximize comfort and relaxation while minimizing discomfort or strain.
Methodology
1 / Participants
10 classmates
2 / Materials
Adjustable water pillow, Heart rate monitor
3 / Procedure
-
Participants lay on a flat surface for 3 minutes
-
For each placement (chest, stomach, legs), the water pillow was filled with 1kg.
-
Each trial lasts for 3 minutes. Participants report comfort score and record their heart rate
3 / Data Analysis
-
Calculate the percentage of weight to the body weight
-
Calculate the mean comfort scores and heart rate for each percentage of weight
-
Categorize discomfort reports (e.g. breathing difficulty, pressure).
Result
Placement
~1%
~2%
~3%
~4%
~5%
Mean Comfort Score (1-5)
Chest
Stomach
Legs
3.2
3.4
3.0
4.0
4.1
3.8
4.2
4.3
4.4
3.8
3.9
4.2
2.8
3.0
3.5
Mean Heart Rate Change (bpm)
Chest
Stomach
Legs
-2.4
-2.6
-2.0
-3.8
-3.5
-3.5
-4.0
-4.5
-4.5
-2.5
-4.0
-4.0
-1.0
-2.5
-2.5
Discomfort Reports
Chest
Stomach
Legs
None
None
None
None
None
None
None
None
None
Optimal weight of
Chest
=2-3%
Stomach
=2-4%
Legs
=3-4%
2 (pressure)
None
None
4 (breathing)
2 (pressure)
None
Discussion
The results indicate the optimal weight to put on the users’ buddy to provide relaxation. With the result, we can predict the time of adding water to the blanket and the range of comfortable weight of different part of the body. Limitations include the lack of long-term effect analysis and the effect during sleep.