While the chaos of everyday living spins at exponential rates, the world is full of more connectivity yet less connection. We rush between living productive careers and maintaining a healthy balance at home. The lineups for coffee don’t seem to be getting any shorter as everyone is looking for their next caffeine fix to help cope with groggy mornings and the untimely, sleepy afternoon crash. We’re exhausted beyond words but cannot sleep. Instinctively, people will grab their phone or tablet to tire themselves, which in turn, only adds to the problem.

From Statistics Canada (Full article HERE)
“Short sleep duration and poor sleep quality are prevalent among Canadian adults. About one-third sleep fewer hours per night than recommended for optimal physical and mental health. This group also experiences poor sleep quality more frequently than do those who sleep the recommended number of hours.”

Enter the float tank. Floating atop 11″ of magnesium rich water heated to skin-temperature not only induces a state of pure relaxation but mimics various stages of sleep and functions to restore sleep deprivation by assisting the brain in both REM and non-REM sleep stages. Researchers actually say that one hour in a float tank is as restful as 4 hours of good sleep!* The night following your float, due to the body’s magnesium uptake as well as the body’s supreme state of relaxation, you will likely find that you fall asleep easier and sleep more soundly for the next couple of nights.

Concerned that you might even fall asleep in the tank? No worries; it does happen (though not as often as you may think.). There is actually a better chance that your brain is simply in a state of hypnagogia, where you’re actually suspended between being awake and being asleep. Should you nod off however; it would take considerable effort for you to turn over from your back, and even if it were to ever happen, the salt water in your face would cause immediate discomfort to your eyes, nose and mouth, and wake you up!

*While float therapy is great for rest, keep in mind that it is not to be used as a replacement for sleep.