Improved Sleep Through Floating

Image created by Joel Frohlich using Pixray’s text2image model

One of the most important components of our physical and mental wellbeing is getting quality sleep. The ill effects of poor sleep are widely known and well-documented, yet a significant portion of the population are chronically sleep deprived. The modern world, with all of its conveniences and demands, can seem as though it was designed to disrupt sleep. To counteract this, it is important to be mindful of our ‘sleep hygiene’ - the habits and behaviors that affect our sleep. Things like avoiding caffeine too close to bedtime, regular exercise, and a good diet are well known contributors to a quality night’s sleep and research suggests that floating could be as well.

A systematic review of nine studies on floating found that in every study “floatation-REST demonstrated beneficial effects on sleep, both in clinical and non-clinical samples.” One study set out to measure the effects of floating on the participants’ symptoms of insomnia. The researchers found that most participants took less time to fall asleep and/or had higher quality sleep and that these benefits lasted up to 2 months after their last float session. In another study that looked at how floating affects anxiety, researchers found that there was a noticeably positive impact on sleep difficulties lasting as long as 6 months after the last float session.

While research on floating’s effects on sleep is in its preliminary stages and larger scale studies need to be conducted, early results are extremely promising and point toward what many avid floaters can attest - you just sleep better when you float. Whether it’s through reducing anxiety or some other mechanism, in the never-ending quest for a great night’s sleep floating could be an invaluable tool.

Author:
Brian Priest, Studio Coordinator @ Float Seattle

References:
Does flotation-rest (restricted environmental stimulation technique) have an effect on sleep?
A study of flotation-REST (restricted environmental stimulation therapy) as an insomnia treatment
Broderick V, Uiga L, Driller M. Flotation-restricted environmental stimulation therapy improves sleep and performance recovery in athletes. Perform Enhanc Health. 2019;7(1-2):100149.