Weighted blankets may be a non-drug option to help ease conditions like insomnia and anxiety by allowing the body to release more melatonin (a hormone that promotes sleep) at bedtime. 

In a new study published in the Journal of Sleep Research, researchers from Uppsala University in Sweden measured the amount of melatonin, oxytocin and cortisol in the saliva of subjects after sleeping with either a light blanket or a weighted blanket. They found that using a weighted blanket helped naturally increase production of melatonin by 32 percent. There were no significant changes in the levels of oxytocin, cortisol or sympathetic nervous system activity.