The Benefits of Bearable Weight

Hugs are amazing. 

Which is something I realized after over a year riding solo in lock down. The loss of touch was something I hadn’t expected. While I was able to have my other essential needs delivered to my doorstep, I couldn’t Instacart a hug. 

When I finally got to hug my bestie for the first time in over a year, it was weird and a little awkward at first. And then an indescribable, peaceful calm settled in my body. 

Have you ever wondered why a good bear hug feels amazing? Or how burrowing under a weighted blanket is so calming? Maybe you’re one of a legion of people who discovered sleep swaddling helped with their insomnia.

It’s all connected – the physiological benefits of what’s known as Deep Touch Pressure Therapy (DTP).

What is Deep Touch Pressure Therapy?

First, we need to understand how our bodies are constantly collecting information about our environment through our senses like taste, touch, sight, smell, and sound. Another way is through our proprioception, our means of negotiating and navigating through space, e.g. how high to step when climbing a staircase, or how low to squat when sitting on a chair. 

“When you have efficient proprioceptive processing, you always know where your body begins and ends, where your fingertips and feet are.” – Harkla

Much like how our eardrums facilitate our ability to hear, our muscles and joints are instrumental to our proprioception. 

The Power of Pressure

When we’re under stress or experiencing sensory overload, DTP can help return the body to a state of calm by reducing our cortisol levels, the hormone responsible for “flight or flight” mode. 

“(DTP) is firm tactile sensory input that provides proprioceptive input to the whole body. This can consist of firm hugs, firm stroking, cuddling, hugging, squeezing, compression, or swaddling. When administered to the whole body, deep touch pressure therapy (DTP) has a calming, organizing effect on children and adults alike.” 

Some examples include:

• The Thundershirt that calms dogs during fireworks and thunderstorms

• The Sleep Pod for adults which is essentially a full-body swaddling sock 

• Any of these cats  

• And Temple Grandin’s Hugging Machine which is credited with formally kicking off the study of DTP in the early 90s

The Benefits of Bearable Weight

The benefits of DTP are kinda wild and constantly evolving: 

• Mood Booster: releases oxytocin aka the “happy hormone”

• Alleviates stress by reducing cortisol, the “fight or flight hormone”

• Fortifies connection, combats loneliness, and helps with sleep anxiety

Integrating DTP into your everyday life is easier than you may think. Here are a few ways to get in on the action ASAP:

Bear Hugs