Stuffed animals and other comfort items

[Sunny Villa]

It's kinda different than a toy or stuffed bear but I can't sleep if I don't have an extra pillow to hug. It seems weird to me when I have to sleep at someone else's home because of it, as I usually don't get an extra pillow lol

[Druid]

I don’t really sleep with them anymore (though I do sleep kind of hugging a pillow?), but I absolutely still have a few favourite stuffed animals. The big one is Oreo, a black & white spaniel, who was the first thing I ever saved up and bought with my own money. She was approx $40, and my allowance was half my age per week so maybe $3.50 or $4 at the time, soooo big exercise in patience - she was the last one left out of the pile I’d first seen when I finally bought her. My taste in dogs hasn’t changed at all and I now have a real cocker spaniel too haha.

In general I’m not really a ‘cuddly items for distress’ person, but I’m verrrrry nostalgic and have a lot of things from childhood floating around. A bunch of things I use day to day are ones I have strong memories of that I’ve taken from my parents’ house as they’ve replaced them with “more stylish” versions - certain mugs, my favourite throw blanket, straw trivet pot holders, etc. I also have a bunch of little plastic toys kind of blended in with other decor in my room - most are old favourites I’ve just brought, but a few are ones I never had but coveted when visiting other people and have recently found on eBay

[Ashen]

I also cannot sleep without some sort of plush. I am also picky as well as it needs to be the right shape, size and texture-for the one I sleep with. I like to rest my chin on them and it they are too hard or lumpy I can sleep with it. I have a plushie army that numbers more than thirty. A lot are high end plushies I earned from Toreba, I have some Neopets plush, random ones like Appa and My Pet Monster. I have been collecting for years but I have one that I have had almost 30 years which is a white pound puppy. I got him when I was 5-6 and wasn’t even a special gift, he was on a bed at my grandpas house one time and I asked my step grandma is I could have him and she let me. I slept with him for many years and dragged him behind me with a collar and leash to go everywhere with me. He’s never had a name even as a kid I never named him but I think I’d die if I ever lost him. He’s beat up, stuffing has been compressed to nothing among many other things. Forgot to add that I made home a little blue shirt when he started going “bald” on his skin, it’s pretty much see through now. And I also sleep with a weighted blanket on my feet and I have always needed a plush to sleep with even when I have slept with people I still need it.

[Goddammit]

I feel like for people with anxiety, depression, autism, mental or physical health problems, etc. or just because they like it... a comfort object is one of the least harmful ways to cope with certain things. Weighted blankets, weighted plushies, soft stuffed animals... you do you!

I also feel like our generation (millennials, assuming most people here fall in that generation) are very much of the "I liked this as a kid, I'm not a totally new and different person now that I'm an adult, and I still like this, so why the hell not" mindset. If it's not harming anyone, and you like it, then... why not?
Lots of people our age seem to enjoy more "childish" hobbies like collecting action figures, dolls, Lego, plushies, and other things like that with no shame! Lots of people still sleep with stuffed animals, too. (though some are more embarrassed about it than others... haha)

I personally have kept some of my favorite stuffed animals from when I was a child and I could never throw them away. I don't sleep with them, but I can hug one if I'm having a bad day and I think there's nothing wrong with that.

As someone who has major anxiety, depression and insomnia, I canNOT recommend weighted blankets enough.

[Bea]

Aw Sephiroth sounds amazing, hes been on so many journeys with you. <3

Im also someone who carnt sleep without teddys, i have one stuffed little guy thats been everywhere with me, sleepovers, holidays, school (hidden in my backpack :p ) supermarkets you name it. His name is Smile i won him from the American Adventure Theme Park in the UK (now closed) hes a bit worse for wear hes sewn up in so many different places and he used to have a little tuff of hair on his head but i cut it off because i thought he looked better bald haha i dont know what i would do without him

[Synth Salazzle]

I'm autistic, you bet your ass I sleep in a bed full of plushes.

[Hare]

I'm autistic, you bet your ass I sleep in a bed full of plushes.

hell yes, same

also my comfort plush is an owl and she's very good and nice to hold

[RealisticError]

I've collected a large amount of plushies through my life, lately I've slept with a snake one wrapped around the post of my bed.

My recent ex also saw fit to leave all of her plushies when she left so I basically doubled my collection😂

[Hollow]

I have many plushies as well and can not sleep with out them. I recently got a soft toy dragon called Dexter - he is the most softest toy I own, brings a lot of comfort to me when I'm feeling down or anxious.

[Synth Salazzle]

hell yes, same

also my comfort plush is an owl and she's very good and nice to hold

I like dragons and pokemon most for mine, but owls are 10/10 on the awesome scale.