The Power of Sleep

We all hear it a hundred times; we need more sleep. We are constantly encouraged to receive our eight hours nightly. The cycles our body experiences during sleep is key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Yet sometimes it can be hard to commit the hours to try and receive the necessary rest, especially if you have a restless mind. This is only made more difficult by the busy nature of modern day life which has made sleep a sort of nuisance. The irony is that we are far more effective when rested and would get more done if we were able to recharge during day. The benefits of napping are well documented, but traditional beds don’t maximize their potential. But thanks to Floating, a single hour in a float room can offer the restorative properties of four hours of sleep.

Sleep is so essential to a human’s well-being. Some critical benefits of sleep include: reducing inflammation, cell growth, increased memory, improved mood, and sharpened attention. However some people easily overlook the importance of resting the body. Even if you commit to the eight hours, but spend half the night tossing and turning, the benefits are drastically reduced. Not all sleep is the same. Fortunately, the solution to improving sleep quality can be achieved more easily than you would think.

A major contributor to why we feel more relaxed while resting is actually a result of which brain waves we’re releasing. For instance, during a traditional session in a float tank, your brain releases theta waves, the same waves released during deep meditation and REM sleep cycles. These brain waves have numerous benefits for the body due to their ability to instill a sense of deep relaxation and promote a healing state within the body. During REM sleep, your body also repairs tissues and bones, strengthens your immune system and acts as an anti-aging principle.

How can Floatation therapy help? Well let’s assume you are one of those workaholic types. Your brain is on constant overdrive and sleep is often an afterthought. If you were to float for one hour, completely relaxed and uninterrupted you would receive the benefits of a four-hour nap. In addition, the magnesium in Epsom salt is absorbed into your body, allowing future attempts at rest to be more successful. Not only does Epsom salt provide many health benefits, but is also responsible for the zero-gravity environment experienced while floating. So now that your body is relaxed your mind can finally begin to address all that is causing you stress. By the time you emerge from the float room you will feel rested, clear headed and in a significantly better mood.

Even if you’re someone who is able to get the recommended eight hours a night, it is still likely that you aren’t receiving the rest you need. Since such a small part of the time we spend sleeping is in the REM state, floating offers a way to increase that time and improve sleep quality every night. Those that choose to float on a regular basis will actually begin to re-train their brain to more easily enter the REM state. This will greatly improve the benefits gained from sleeping and allow you to spend much less time in bed while receiving the same benefits. It is this principle that makes floating such a powerful tool. Whether its jet lag, being worn down, or simply feeling overwhelmed, take an hour to relax in a float tank. You’ll quickly see that not only will you get more done, but more importantly you’ll enjoy doing it!