Introduction: In 2020, a study found that using thick quilts during sleep for more than one month has greatly alleviated the severity of insomnia in psychiatric patients who use light quilts.

This article is original from Translational Medicine Network. Please indicate the source when reprinting

Author: Jevin

Introduction: In 2020, a study found that using thick quilts during sleep for more than one month has greatly alleviated the severity of insomnia in psychiatric patients who use light quilts. In addition, participants who used thick quilts had significantly reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety. However, the underlying mechanisms of thick quilt-improving sleep and anti-anxiety effects are not yet known.

On October 3, 2022, Uppsala University research team published a research paper online on Journal of Sleep Research . The main purpose of the study is to investigate whether using a thick quilt will lead to higher saliva concentrations in melatonin and oxytocin compared with the use of light quilts. This study shows for the first time that using thickened quilts may cause more melatonin to be released while sleeping.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsr.13743

Research background

Oxytocin is produced by hypothalamic neurons and is released into the circulation through the neuropituitary system. It has several biological effects, such as promoting childbirth and breastfeeding, reducing fear, pain and stress, and improving levels of happiness and peace. However, it is unclear whether thick quilts will promote oxytocin release.

melatonin is produced by pineal gland and plays a crucial role in sleep time. In addition to ambient light, non-light cues, such as physical activity, dietary patterns and social activities, can also affect the release of melatonin. However, whether thick quilts affect melatonin release has not been proven experimentally.

Research Process

In this study, researchers selected 26 young healthy participants, including 15 men and 11 women. The purpose of was to investigate whether the use of thick quilts before bed (about 12% of body weight) caused higher concentrations of melatonin and oxytocin in saliva than light quilts (about 2.4% of body weight). researchers examined possible differences in the stress hormone cortisol, salivary alpha-amylase activity (as an indicator of sympathetic nervous system activity), subjective sleepiness and sleep time in saliva.

measurement results show that the KSS score of the thick quilt is 0.2±0.2 points higher than that of the light blanket, and the closer it is to the sleep time, the higher the KSS score, that is, the higher the sleepiness. However, the differences between the two groups were not significant.

, but there is a significant difference in the concentration of melatonin between the two groups. The increase in melatonin concentration in participants' saliva was even greater when they were covered with thick quilts. The cover with a thick quilt can increase the average saliva melatonin concentration of participants between 22:00 and 23:00 (one hour before bedtime) by about 6.6±0.7pg/mL, a significant increase of 32% compared to the lighter quilt.

Research significance

One explanation may be that the pressure exerted by thick quilt activates the sensory afferent of the skin, and passes sensory information to the solitary nucleus through the spinal cord. This brain stem area is projected onto the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, which is a brain area that houses a small number of cells that stimulate the capacity of neurons. Through its effects on other brain networks, parvo oxytocinergic neurons can promote calm and health, reducing fear, stress and pain. In addition, they are also connected to the pineal gland to affect the release of melatonin, which may explain the significant increase in salivary melatonin under thick quilt conditions.

In addition, studies have also proved that covering a thick quilt of about 7kg can effectively increase the release of melatonin before bedtime and thus improve sleep.

Reference materials:

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsr.13743

Note: This article aims to introduce the progress of medical research and cannot be used as a reference for treatment plans. If you need health guidance, please go to a regular hospital for treatment.

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