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The Simplest Calming Sensory Trick: Deep Pressure

November 4, 2017 By Claire Heffron 1 Comment

Deep pressure can quickly help calm an anxious or overstimulated child without a lot of planning or equipment!

The Inspired Treehouse - This simple tip can quickly help calm an anxious or overstimulated child without a lot of planning or equipment!

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What’s the first thing new moms and dads do when their newborn is crying and can’t be comforted?  They wrap them up tight in a swaddle blanket!

Of course, there are a handful of other calming sensory strategies we use with babies too – rocking, shushing, bouncing, etc.  But swaddling is a tried and true trick that many families use to calm their babies.

What’s the big deal with swaddling?  Why does it work so well for so many kids?  Two words…deep pressure.

Why is Deep Pressure Calming?

Many kids (and adults) find deep pressure input to be calming and relaxing.  This is part of the reason that a massage feels so good when we’ve been stressed out.  It’s why we see many kids who have difficulty with self-regulation and sensory processing respond positively to tools and activities that involve deep pressure (e.g. weighted blankets, squishes with a cushion, bear hugs).

Deep pressure has been found to impact the autonomic nervous system (ANS), the part of the nervous system that regulates breathing, heart rate, and many other functions of the body.  There are two divisions of the ANS – the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems (SNS and PSNS).  The SNS is commonly characterized by the fight-or-flight response, and is the quick-responding part of the ANS.  The PSNS is thought of as a dampening or inhibitory system.

Deep pressure is believed to provide tactile and proprioceptive input to the body that can modulate the activity of the PSNS and SNS, bringing the systems into more of a balanced response and state of arousal.  Light touch is often perceived as alerting and even agitating to some people, while deep pressure touch is typically calming and organizing to the sensory systems.

Who Benefits From Deep Pressure?

While every child is different and has his or her own preferences, I consider deep pressure to be my go-to calming sensory strategy at home and at work.  Whether I’m working with a child who is overstimulated and can’t sit still or I’m dealing with a tantrum with one of my own kids at home, the first thing I find myself doing is getting down to their level, taking their hands, and applying deep pressure as I talk quietly to them.

Deep pressure touch has been found to be an effective strategy for individuals with autism, anxiety, hyperactivity, developmental disabilities, and other special needs.

It’s a simple little trick that can have a calming effect on kids within minutes (or even seconds) and – at its most basic level – doesn’t require any equipment but your own two hands!

The Inspired Treehouse - This simple tip can quickly help calm an anxious or overstimulated child without a lot of planning or equipment!

25 Deep Pressure Tools and Activities

Of course, the easiest way to provide deep pressure is to use your hands to massage or give “squeezes” to a child who needs some help regulating his body.

But there are many other ways to provide this type of calming sensory input.  Here’s a list of calming deep pressure ideas that you can go back to again and again when you’re problem-solving sensory strategies for kids…

1 || Weighted blanket – Check out these blankets from Harkla – they’re super soft and provide a subtle amount of weight and pressure – perfect for calming little bodies!

2 || Weighted vest

3 || Weighted lap pad

4 || Compression vest

5 || Compression clothing – Socks, pants, shirts

6 || Bean bag chairs

7 || Cuddle Me Sensory Tunnel

8 || Body Sock

9 || Cuddle Swing

10 || Pressure Foam Roller


11 || Cozy Canoe

12 || Sensory Sack

13 || Weighted Suspenders

14 || Stretch-eze

15 || Snuggle Sheet

16 || Beddy’s Bedding

17 || Double Squeezer

18 || Howdahug Seat

19 || Weighted stuffed animals

20 || Make “blanket burritos” – roll the child up in a blanket to provide deep pressure!

21 || Couch cushion squishes

22 || Massage

23 || Squeezes/bear hugs

24 || Rolling a therapy ball over the child’s body

25 || Swimming and water play

Other tactile and proprioceptive activities that can have a similar calming effect…

Rough and tumble play

Squeezing putty

Heavy work activities

Crashing on a crash pad

Rolling on a gym mat

Deep pressure isn’t the answer for calming every single child because every child has his own unique sensory makeup.  And deep pressure isn’t the only calming sensory strategy out there – far from it!  Check out these calming sensory strategies for more ideas!  Be sure to take a peek at our DIY Calm Down Kit and these awesome ideas for Calm Kids on the Go: Sensory Strategies for Outings.

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Claire Heffron

Claire Heffron

Claire Heffron is co-author at The Inspired Treehouse and a pediatric occupational therapist in a preschool/primary school setting. She began her career with a bachelor's degree in magazine journalism but quickly changed course to pursue graduate studies in occupational therapy. She has been practicing therapy for 10 years in public and specialized preschool/primary school settings. She is a mom to three funny, noisy boys and relies on yoga, good food, and time outside to bring her back to center.
Claire Heffron

Latest posts by Claire Heffron (see all)

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Filed Under: Sensory Activities

Comments

  1. Joel Desotelle says

    December 7, 2017 at 11:15 am

    I couldn’t agree more. Often we tend to try and get kids to conform and yet, many are stressed and anxious trying to cope and adapt to a challenging world. A little deep pressure goes a long way in off-setting an overactive fight/fright/flight response system trying to protect a brain that is not working right. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply

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