The Hug Sleep Adult Swaddle Bundled Me Up Like a Burrito. It Didn’t Improve My Sleep.

Hug Sleep’s adult swaddles are essentially snug, compressive wraps made of a stretchy polyester-spandex blend. They come in four sizes, ranging from small to XL, which you select based on your height and pant size. I tested the Sleep Pod Move—Hug Sleep’s newest design, which includes a foot opening for temperature regulation and a hood for ultimate cocooning.

The fabric feels lightweight and buttery-soft. It’s stretchy, but it fits snugly, like a custom-tailored sleeping bag. And, like shapewear, the Sleep Pod gently compresses to fit tightly around your entire body. You can customize the level of mobility by choosing to keep your arms or your feet (if you opt for one with a foot opening) outside of the wrap.

The first night, I struggled to find a graceful way of squeezing myself into the Sleep Pod.

First, I tried jumping into it while standing up, but I quickly learned that was a bad idea when I tripped on the fabric and almost fell over. I eventually realized the easiest and least awkward way to get myself into the Sleep Pod was to sit on the edge of the bed first and then put my feet in while pulling up the fabric, until I was comfortably nestled inside. (This is the method that Hug Sleep suggests.)

Like a vacuum sealer, the Sleep Pod quickly compressed and enveloped my entire body. It admittedly felt a bit suffocating at first, since you can’t really move your arms and legs once you’re inside. But after I got used to the sensation, the stretch and breathability of the material allowed me to settle in. Slowly, the compression started to feel like a welcome, tender embrace from a loved one at the end of an especially taxing day, as opposed to a smothering, stifling hug from someone who doesn’t know when to let go.

Aided by my white noise machine, I successfully curbed my usual impulse to toss and turn. Snug as a bug in a rug, I eventually drifted off to sleep.

By the end of week one, I was conflicted. I loved how lightweight and breathable the Sleep Pod was. Compared with weighted blankets, the Sleep Pod was much lighter. And I noticed that I was sweating less in the Sleep Pod than with a traditional weighted blanket. Plus, washing a bulky, unwieldy weighted blanket can be a hassle, and I like that I can throw the Sleep Pod in with the rest of my laundry. (Hug Sleep suggests washing it in warm water and tumble-drying on medium, flipped inside out.)

But you can’t just toss off the Sleep Pod if you need to, as you can do with a weighted blanket. Once you’re fully enveloped in it, getting back out is a hassle. This can become a real issue if you need to get up to go to the bathroom during the night, for example.

I also had a hard time using it when I was wearing loose-fitting clothing. Since the Sleep Pod compresses to fit tightly around the entire body, I found it uncomfortable (though not unbearable) to nestle in with clothes on (imagine the feeling of squeezing into a pair of leggings while you're already wearing a pair of loose shorts).

Another Wirecutter tester found that it was even uncomfortable to wear a T-shirt and a pair of boxers to sleep in the Sleep Pod. If you wear a flowy nightgown or baggy pajamas to bed, a weighted blanket may be a better choice.

However, there is a 30-day trial. So you can try the Sleep Pod, and if you decide you don’t like it, you can return or exchange it within 30 days of delivery. Return shipping costs are not covered, though.

Hug Sleep co-founder Matt Mundt told me in a phone interview that the Sleep Pod was designed around principles of deep touch pressure (DTP), to induce the same calming sensation that weighted blankets offer but through gentle compression, rather than through sheer weight alone.

To understand the relationship between DTP and sleep, I spoke with Stacey Reynolds, PhD, director of the Sensory Processing and Stress Evaluation (SPASE) Lab at Virginia Commonwealth University and co-author of a 2015 study on DTP.

“There are receptors in our skin and body around our muscles and joints that respond to either light touch or deeper touch,” Reynolds explained. “Light touch, like a tickle or the sensation of a bug crawling across your skin, tends to be more alerting and arousing, whereas deep touch receptors tend to elicit more of an overall calming effect.”

There’s debate over whether DTP actually helps people fall and stay asleep. A study published in the March/April 2020 issue of the American Journal of Occupational Therapy found insufficient evidence to support the use of weighted blankets for treating insomnia. “The link between touch and arousal is well established,” said Reynolds, “but whether or not products like the Sleep Pod or weighted blankets can actually help you to sleep better at night has yet to be fully confirmed by science.”

Like most things related to sleep, however, preference matters. Chris Winter, MD, sleep specialist and author of The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep Is Broken and How to Fix It, puts it bluntly: “Randomized clinical trials are certainly relevant, but you don’t need them to know what feels good to you. If you think something like a sleep sack can help you sleep, then why not?”

After three weeks of being hugged to sleep, I’m not sure that I will continue crawling into the Hug Sleep cocoon every night. I might consider bringing it along when I travel and need a little extra support to fall asleep. It folds up to about the size of a hoodie, so I could easily tuck it in my luggage.

It does feel rather nice to experience the calming effects of DTP, yet it didn’t really help me fall asleep more quickly or sleep longer. Plus, as is true of any habit, my compulsive tossing and turning proved difficult to break. Though I was able to curb those impulses on some nights, my arms and legs were stubborn and refused to stay still consistently every night. Besides, I really missed snuggling up next to my chocolate lab, Mochi Q.

This article was edited by Courtney Schley and Annemarie Conte.