Could this John Lewis blanket be the answer to a restful night's sleep?

To many of us, it's the Holy Grail, the Fountain of Eternal Youth and the key to Pandora's box all rolled in to one. How do we get a more restful night's sleep? Just lying under the covers for the recommended eight hours simply isn't enough as, like many things in life, it's about quality not quantity. John Lewis & Partners may just have come up with the solution... or a helping hand into the land of nod at least!

With reducing stress and improving sleep a key focus in our increasingly busy lifestyles, plus over 147K #sleepbetter posts seen on Instagram, the retail giant has answered its customers' calls with the launch of its first ever weighted blanket.

Related: How to sleep better – simple ways to get a good night’s rest

Buy now: Specialist synthetic weighted blanket, from £60, John Lewis & Partners

Made from pure cotton and filled with tiny weighted glass beads, the John Lewis weighted blanket is specially designed to provide an even pressure across your body as you sleep, creating a safe and cosseting feel. Of course, it can also be wrapped around your shoulders on chilly evenings or across your lap to help reduce restlessness and provide comfort while curled up in front of the telly or with a good book.

It's available in six weights, ranging from 2.5KG to 11.5KG and John Lewis recommends picking a weight that's around 10% of your body weight for the ultimate feeling of relaxation. What's more, the calming shade of grey will co-ordinate with almost all interiors and the timeless quilted design means it'll fit right in at the end of the bed or used as a throw next to the sofa. Who knew adding pressure on the outside could relieve pressure on the inside?

Unna Patel, Filled Bedding Buyer at John Lewis & Partners says, 'The rise of social media and wellbeing podcasts has provided inspiration around how to live a calm and peaceful life. This has encouraged many people to take a fresh approach to how they live. Investing in products which improve daily wellbeing and quality of sleep is a growing priority for many of our customers so we have developed this product to offer a new tool for relaxation.'

Related: John Lewis & Partners 3D shopping experience makes buying furniture easier than ever

She adds, 'We recommend customers select a blanket weight that is around 10% of their body weight so we have created six different weighted blankets of differing weights for customers to choose from. We're proud to be the first high street retailer to launch a weighted blanket.'