First of all, a sensory compression sheet is not a weighted blanket. In fact, it doesn’t use weight at all; it uses stretchy pressure to achieve the same effect. Deep Pressure Stimulation (DPS) The effect we’re talking about here is the calming effect of deep pressure stimulation. Instead of the heavy weight of a weighted blanket, the effect is produced by the consistent pressure of the tight blanket around the body.
A Large Open-Ended Pillow Case The sheets are like a large stretchy open-ended pillowcase that fits around the mattress. The person slides their body between the top of the sheet and the mattress.
Calmness from Pressure The sheet fits snuggly to the body, exerting pressure from compression. This helps to produce the “feel good” hormones that reduce stress and create a calm, relaxed feeling. Some people compare putting a compression sheet on a mattress to pulling a legwarmer on over your leg. Both ends are open and it slides on.
Material is Stretchy The material is stretchy so the person can pull it out to get under the sheet. But it isn’t so loose that it won’t exert some pressure on the body. The trick is to make sure you order the right size for your mattress.
Avoid Restriction Just as with a weighted blanket, the child (or adult) must be able to move freely under and out from under the sheet, without feeling any restriction.
Mattress thickness is recommended not to exceed 20cm. The sizes of sheets will not fit extremely thick or pillow-top mattresses and use with very thin mattresses will lead to less compression.
