Weighted blanket and sleep medication use among adults with psychiatric diagnosis - a population-based register study.

Objective: To measure rate of subscription of common sleep medication and diagnoses of substance use disorder (SUD) before and after receiving a prescribed weighted blanket (WB) among patients with psychiatric diagnoses.

Materials And Methods: Using register-based data of health-related factors in a Swedish region, a total of 1785 adult individuals with a psychiatric diagnosis, received a WB and resided in the region during the study period were identified. Using each individual as their own control, the rate of one-year prior prescription of WB or diagnosed SUD was compared to rate after a half year wash-out after prescription of WB for a full year.

Results: The number of patients without prescription of sleep medication increased by 3.3% (95% confidence interval (95%CI): 0.2-6.4, =.04). Furthermore, the proportion without a prescription of benzodiazepine receptor agonist/antihistamines sleep medication increased by 5.5% (95%CI: 2.2-8.8, =.001). Melatonin prescription increased after WB by 3.6% (95%CI: 1.1-6.2, =.006). Younger age and unipolar-, anxiety-, attention-deficit/hyperactivity-, and post-traumatic stress disorder was associated with decreased use while psychotic-/bipolar- and personality disorder was not associated with a decrease in the use of sleep medication. The number of alcohol SUD diagnoses did not increase while sedative SUD rate increased statistically significantly by 0.7% (odds ratio = 1.63, =.02). In a multivariate model, only younger age predicted discontinuation of sleep medication while psychotic-/bipolar- and personality disorder had statistically less decrease.

Conclusion: This observational register study found a statistically significant association between WB use and decreased use of common sleep medication except melatonin that increased slightly.