Is it weird for an adult to sleep with a stuffed animal?
I know that you who clicked on this post have slept with a stuffed animal from time to time, and that you're worried about whether or not this might be weird. Of course, don't worry, it's not surprising because there are plenty of people just like you. It is a normal behavior. Let's learn the deeper reasons for it next.
Adults Sleeping With Stuffed Animals is that weird?
It is absolutely not weird for adults to sleep with stuffed animals. Stuffed animals aren't just exclusive to children, it is actually quite common for adult people to want stuffed animal companies for several reasons. If you are someone who loves to sleep with stuffed animals and feel embarrassed or ashamed to do so, don't be! Following the pace of this article, you will understand the positive mentality and the psychological benefits for adults sleeping with stuffed animals.
how many adults sleep with stuffed animals？
According to an article sourced from CISION Newswire, by September 2017, a survey in the article points out that more than half of American adults still own their favorite stuffed animals or plush toys from their childhood. To be more specific, about 40% of those people still keep their stuffed animals by their side when sleeping. In addition, according to those respondents, 70% said they are keeping their stuffed animals forever.
Why Do Many Adults Prefer to sleep with stuffed animals?
The situation is actually more complicated than we think it is. There are many reasons to consider. For example, people may choose stuffed animals for psychological soothing, or as something to rely on when growing up, or just for their physical functions like softness and smoothness to improve their sleeping quality. The 4 listed below are the most common reasons why adults still keep their stuffed animals.
Impact of childhood
The impact of childhood is probably the biggest reason why people still keep their stuffed animals after they're grown. The stuffed animals that are kept by their owners are always those that the owners get from a very young age and grow up along with their owners. These stuffed animals are considered transitional objects. Transitional objects are certain objects that offer a sense of comfort and security as the child is gradually gaining independence from their mums. They are sort of like the substitute companionship to the young infants' parents. From a certain perspective, those transitional objects can soothe and ease young children's anxiety and fear of being alone or when facing certain bad stuff. Those transitional objects, usually stuffed animals and teddy bears, will keep providing that positive and protective emotional value all the way through the process of the growth of a child. As a result, most adults will still keep their stuffed animals, which can frequently provide them with good feelings.
For a more comfortable sleeping position
Besides the psychological function of soothing and providing a sense of security, stuffed animals have simpler functions. Sometimes, stuffed animals can just be enhanced pillows. Compared with pillows, stuffed animals vary in size, from handy size to body size, they are all there for people to choose from. They are smooth, soft, and fluffy, great for hugging and lying down on during resting and sleeping.
For body pillows, they can help sleep better by supporting the body orthopedically, which help release the pressure between bone joints, while maintaining a comfortable position throughout the night. The article How Comfort Objects Can Help You Get a Great Night’s Sleep published on THRIVED GLOBAL explains that "If you have your arms around the pillow, holding it at the top, and you keep it between your legs, it could help to align your spine properly. Without it, your higher leg can start to droop, which changes your pelvic and lower spine orientation"
There are also other kinds of stuffed animals that can provide a certain comfortable feeling while sleeping, such as weighted stuffed animals. Stuffed animals are filled with beads or pellets in order to make the toys heavier, which makes people cuddling them feel like swaddling, which is also a way of providing a soothing feeling for adults.
To gain a sense of security
Some people feel a sense of security when in proximity to their toy bear, which is otherwise absent and if absent, it results in the feeling of not being safe be it physically or mentally, or it reminds them of some previous trauma in their lives. In addition to that, for teenagers and adults, it is a sign expressing a deep desire for company, to hold someone or to be held! But, these people, being introverts, find it hard to express their emotions to the world. For some people, certain stuffed animals can become their greatest companions and help to alleviate their feelings of anxiety.when they feel insecured.
Relief of anxiety and depression
Many people might have past trauma or mental damage by other people and they find it hard to communicate with other people again, then maybe stuffed animals can be a treatment for that by providing space and companionship that the owners can express and confide however they like. Also for mental diseases or heavy stress anxiety and depression, sometimes adults don't need all the exams or prescriptions, all they need is a moment with comfort and space alone, stuffed animals can perfectly accomplish this mission by easing their depression and anxiety with the soft touch and cuddling. If the stuffed animals are their owners' "old friends" (transitional objects), then the effects are more obvious.
Is it harmful for adults to sleep with stuffed animals?
The behavior of adults sleeping with stuffed animals is not harmful both physically and mentally. Quite in contrast, they are both physically and mentally beneficial as proved above. You don't have to feel weird or awkward. Sleeping is the time you spend with yourself alone, and you should follow your own heart and sleep with your stuffed animal as long as it makes you comfortable and relieved. Not a lot of people will that you sleep with stuffed animals, and no one will laugh at you even if they know, because it is one of the most common and normal things in people's lives. Having high-quality stuffed stuffed animals can assist you in having a good night's sleep.
Meanwhile, you have to be careful to notice the hygiene situation of what you put in your bed, and remember to clean up your stuffed animals regularly in time. Also, choosing good stuffed animals so that the fur doesn't come off easily is very important as well.
Is it possible to sleep with other items instead of a stuffed animal?
If you are still concerned that using a stuffed animal might get laughed at, you can also try a bunch of other stuff that has similar functions. For example, weighted blankets, pillows, cushions etc. Weighted blankets are often highly recommended by experts because they function similarly to weighted animals, which can make people cuddling them feel like swaddling.
Summary
In conclusion, you must understand that hugging a stuffed animal or keeping your stuffed animals beside you in bed is one of the most common and normal things in our lives. So never be afraid or feel awkward about sleeping with stuffed animals even if you're already a grown up. You should also come to PlushThis to check on our best-stuffed animals, we not only provide great products for children, but also for people of all ages!
Reference
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/national-teddy-bear-day-survey-finds-more-than-half-of-adult-americans-still-have-their-teddy-bear-from-childhood-300512770.html
https://babysparks.com/2019/10/08/transitional-objects-how-your-childs-favorite-stuffed-animal-promotes-social-emotional-development/
https://community.thriveglobal.com/stuffed-animals-comfort-objects-weighted-blankets-help-you-sleep/
https://babysparks.com/2019/10/08/transitional-objects-how-your-childs-favorite-stuffed-animal-promotes-social-emotional-development/
https://community.thriveglobal.com/stuffed-animals-comfort-objects-weighted-blankets-help-you-sleep/