Purchasing Sensory Body/Bed Sock Just in One Place

Do you wish your child had an easier time relaxing? A sensory body sock might be a great sensory activity to calm your child.

What Is a Body Sock?

A body sock is a sensory tool or toy that resembles an enormous pillowcase. However, the opening of the pillowcase has a slit in the middle, and the fabric is stretchy. Body socks were designed for a child to climb inside and stretch out their arms and legs. In doing so, the fabric provides a significant amount of resistance.

The Body Sock is designed with autism and sensory issues in mind. Your child will love to play, stretch, or relax in our sensory sock! It also provides tactile benefits for seekers as it is soft and stretchy to the touch. The body sock offers calming and organizing input to the entire body simultaneously.

Why Are Body Socks Beneficial for Kids?

  (1)Sensory Input

The resistance created by the snug fabric provides vestibular input and proprioceptive input. In simple terms, this is an awareness of our body in space – its movement, balance, and coordination.

This deep pressure input from the sock helps calm the sensory systems and prevents sensory meltdown.

Proprioception is one of our eight senses, with receptors throughout our joints and muscles. Those receptors send signals to the brain whenever they are squeezed or activated through pressure. Many kids who are sensory seekers love proprioceptive input, which they obtain when they climb, jump, run, squeeze into a tight space, or hug somebody.

The sensory body sock is a direct way to provide the proprioceptive input that seekers crave.

Some kids who seek proprioceptive input don’t seem to process it well. The reason we have a proprioceptive sense is to give us body awareness. Body awareness is understanding where our arm or leg is without having to look. It allows us to walk across a room full of furniture without bumping into anything.

If a child doesn’t have a good sense of body awareness, they are often described as clumsy. A sensory body sock heightens the proprioceptive feedback and may help them improve their sense of body awareness and spatial awareness as well!

  (2)Motor Skills

Body socks are excellent for motor planning skills development as your child explores different movements with their arms, legs, and core.

Material of body sock

Lycra is often the chosen material for a sensory body sock. Others use spandex, polyester, or a mixed fabric blend. Children have different sensory preferences, and it’s important to choose a material that they find comfortable. If you’re not sure which material would be best for your child’s needs, consider asking their occupational therapist.

What do I need to know when I’m using a Body Sock?

When we provide an opportunity for children to go ‘inside’ something, we need to ensure that the ‘outside’ is safe. This means;

  (1) Physically safe – no sharp edges, nothing they might stand on, or bang into, or damage – so they don’t hurt themselves or anyone else, or feel embarrassed if they do bang into something.

  (2) Emotionally safe – this means that a Key Adult is available to make sure they have everything they need. This might include making sure other children or adults nearby are kept at a safe distance, that no one comes into or leaves the room without the child knowing, no one touches them unexpectedly, and that they can get out when they need to. To climb into something (especially when your vision is occluded!) can make you very emotionally vulnerable, so it is really important to make sure you’ve thought about all of these things in advance.

  (3) Your child might like to position themselves ‘backwards’ – so the opening is behind them. Others might like to stand in it ‘forwards’ – possibly even with their head sticking out. Whichever way they choose is fine, and will help them to feel safe.

Don’t ever ‘cajole’ someone into going into a body sock – if their body is not organized, they might not feel safe – and might even feel trapped. Timing is really important with play – using games and toys at times when it feels right for the child.

Essentially, having fun is the main component for ANY play to be organizing and regulating. Explore, experiment – enjoy!