Anxiety relief plays a vital role in addiction recovery, and Sommerfly is a premier producer of weighted and compression sensory products, which provide drug-free and self-directed relief from anxiety, giving people power over their stressful lives. The company’s neuroscience-based approach to touch therapy enhances physical and mental well-being to foster sleep, focus and calm. The products work by activating pressure receptors in the user’s skin that respond favorably to deep touch and proprioceptors in muscles and joints that respond to body position and motion. Touch therapy brings a greater sense of comfort and control.

Kristi Langslet, OTR/L, has worked as an occupational therapist for over 36 years helping children and adolescents, and she founded Sommerfly in 2005. She spent countless hours designing and testing her products directly with many different people and age groups, and they are used by mental health institutions and hospital emergency rooms.

Sommerfly offers hospital-, waterproof- and home-grade, 100 percent cotton corduroy weighted blankets which provide deep pressure touch sensation, helping many to achieve a more restful night’s sleep. The blanket is designed with a curved cutout portion at the top that allows it to contour around the shoulders and under the chin for a great fit, without bunching up around the head area. It’s weighted with non-toxic PET pellets and is free from BPA, phthalates and lead. A “pocketed construction” technique keeps pellets evenly distributed in their chambers, providing optimal weight coverage over the user. The pellets are sewn into a cloth bag and double stitched for extra strength and maximum durability. Special tabs on the corduroy Sleep Tight blankets secure an optional duvet cover, which adds ease for machine washing and drying. The waterproof Wipe-Clean blankets don’t require machine washing, but can be easily cleaned with cleaning wipes.

Perhaps most importantly, Sommerfly’s weighted blankets align with research on appropriate blanket weight. Cheaper lighter weight products may be less effective. Sommerfly offers five sizes to fit body weight ranges from 20 pounds to well over 200 pounds. A sizing chart is available on their website.

The Cozy Caterpillar compression tube and Super Cat compression tube both provide a calming and relaxing experience through self-directed deep pressure touch and muscle use. They are designed to assist individuals with anxiety, ADHD, autism, Sensory Processing Disorder, restlessness or stress. Both are triple-stitched spandex for high-impact use and long-lasting durability, and both are available in five sizes. The Cozy Caterpillar is open at both ends for convenience and safety. The Super Cat includes a hood and increased length for tying at the bottom. By exerting pressure with arms and legs, one can intensify the compression and enjoy a full-body, deep touch experience. The Cozy Cat blue color was designed to enhance relaxation and tranquility.

The Sommerfly product line also includes weighted lap pads, vests, shoulder wraps, hand fidgets and more. All products are made in the USA (Fall River,  Massachusetts), with great attention to quality and detail. Langslet approaches product design with the mindset of someone who truly cares about finding the right solutions. Regarding addiction recovery, Langslet highlights the connection between recovery and techniques for reducing anxiety throughout all phases of recovery to embrace a new level of serenity.

For more information or to place an order, call 401-575-3830 or visit Sommerfly.com.

Wendy Nadherny Fachon is a frequent contributor to Natural Awakenings magazine.