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The Hidden Power of Weighted Blankets: Unlocking Sleep, Calm, and Longevity w/ Elizabeth Grojean
Episode 227
In this week’s episode of The Red Light Report, Dr. Mike Belkowski welcomes Elizabeth Grojean, founder and CEO of Baloo Living, to share her remarkable journey and the science behind weighted blankets. Elizabeth opens up about leaving a high‑stress marketing career in New York to embark on a soul‑searching journey in Bali — an adventure that sparked her mission to help people achieve restorative sleep through eco‑conscious, beautifully crafted weighted blankets. What you’ll learn in this episode: The science of deep pressure touch: how gentle, even weight reduces cortisol, boosts serotonin, and helps your body naturally produce melatonin for deeper, faster sleep. Real-world data: results from a recent study showing improved sleep efficiency, reduced time to fall asleep, and higher readiness scores for those using Baloo blankets. Sustainable wellness: why Elizabeth built Baloo Living with environmentally responsible materials and practices—so you can rest easier in more ways than one. Practical tips: how to choose the right blanket weight and size, plus surprising uses for travel, meditation, and even pets. Elizabeth and Mike also discuss the compounding benefits of simple habits—like adding a weighted blanket to you r nightly routine—so you can build resilience, improve recovery, and wake up truly refreshed. P.S. If you’ve been curious about trying a weighted blanket, this episode might just convince you—it’s a simple, one‑time change that can pay off every single night for years to come.
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Key Quotes from Elizabeth Grojean: “The even pressure across the whole body signals to the nervous system that you’re safe. There’s a decrease in cortisol almost immediately, and then there’s an increase in serotonin, which naturally converts to melatonin.”“A weighted blanket is a one-time purchase that improves your sleep quality every single night. That has ongoing, compounding effects on your overall health.”
“We offset our carbon footprint from all production and operations—and then we double our offset. Because we all know we’ve done a bunch of harm to this planet, and the only way we’ll ever get anywhere is if we start to undo some of that.” -
Key points:
00:00 – Introduction: Weighted Blanket Sleep Benefits
01:30 – Meet Elizabeth Grojean & Baloo Living
03:19 – The Foundational Role of Sleep in Health
03:43 – Elizabeth’s Journey from NYC to Bali
05:11 – Birth of Baloo: Sleep as a Personal Renaissance
06:28 – Creating a Purposeful and Profitable Business
07:47 – The “Should vs. Must” Philosophy and Bali’s Influence
09:04 – Weighted Blankets as a Nervous System Tool
10:10 – Deep Pressure Touch: The Science Behind the Calm
13:11 – Physiological Effects: Cortisol, Serotonin, and Melatonin
14:09 – Elizabeth’s First Experience with a Weighted Blanket
15:07 – Choosing Your First Weighted Blanket
16:32 – Pets and Weighted Blankets: Thunder Jacket Parallel
17:25 – Baloo’s Sleep Study & Key Results
19:01 – 27% Faster Sleep Onset & 10% Deep Sleep Increase
20:12 – Subjective Benefits and Readiness Score Boost
21:17 – Dr. Mike’s Experience with Weighted Blankets and Magnets
23:04 – One-Time Health Investments That Compound Over Time
24:17 – Sustainability at Baloo: Eco Materials and Offsets
26:24 – Partnering with SeaTrees for Kelp Reforestation
28:08 – Upcycled Linen Robes Made in the USA
29:02 – Weighted Silk Sleep Mask with Crystals
31:05 – Pillow Mist and Lap Blanket for Medita
Published on 1 month, 2 weeks ago