Laura LeMond is a fraternal twin and was born eight weeks premature, resulting in complications with sensory integration. Beth Peacock suffers from restless leg syndrome, which often keeps her up at night. Both women have spent years trying to find solutions to calm their disorders.
In 2011, LeMond and Peacock started discussing ideas to help their symptoms and came up with an idea for a therapy that covers a range of sensory processing disorder sufferers. The result was Mosaic Weighted Blankets.
Although the women did not invent weighted blanket therapy, they did utilize their talents to create a product that looks appealing and feels good to their clients, Peacock said.
Based on the "back-to-the-womb" effect, Mosaic Weighted Blankets and other weighted blankets put slight pressure on the body to create the same sensation a person might experience when receiving a hug.
"The deep-pressure touch ... actually causes the release of a chemical in your brain called serotonin, which is [a] happy, feel-good hormone. After an increase of serotonin, melatonin is released, which provides the calming effect, much like what makes you feel sleepy."
The blankets feel like a deep-pressure massage and offer feelings of stability and security. They are thick enough to achieve the desired pressure but thin enough to use year-round, according to the company's website.
LeMond and Peacock have been selling their product since January but opened a store in Georgetown on Oct. 1. Blankets in different patterns, sizes and weights are available, and the pair helps each customer find the perfect blanket. Peacock said the product is beneficial for anyone suffering from anxiety, restless sleep patterns, ADHD, Asperger's syndrome or autism.
"It's a number of different disorders, like restless leg syndrome, anxiety, [post-traumatic stress disorder] and bipolar disorder," Peacock said. "The most compelling [are] the 6- and 7-year-old customers that have never slept through the night, and after they have their weighted blankets, now they're sleeping through the night for the first time."
Mosaic Weighted Blankets is located at 1520 Leander Road, Ste. 103. For more information, call 868-0207 or visit www.mosaicweightedblankets.com.
Blankets range from small to large in child and adult sizes. Travel blankets are also available. Prices vary based on size.