Can You Drown in a Sensory Deprivation Tank?

The common myths or misconceptions of the sensory deprivation tank include:

• Floating can’t help with sleep disorders: It is a common myth. Floatation therapy is widely known for its benefits in relation to sleep, it is ideal for those dealing with insomnia or other sleeping disorders for several reasons. Floatation therapy allows an individual to clear the mind because the body releases endorphins and boosts mood. It causes a relaxation reflex (RR) in the body. The RR is directly opposite of flight or fright response of the sympathetic nervous system. The RR reflex brings down the heart rate and breathing by direct action on the parasympathetic system (relaxing system) of the body. Finally, floating causes a decrease in blood pressure as well, so that a person may emerge stress-free and ready to resume more normal sleeping habits.
• Floating may replace sleeping: It is the second common myth regarding sleep deprivation. Since many first-time floaters have heard that an hour of floating equals as much as 8 hours of sleep, they begin to wonder if they could simply float for an hour or two a day instead of ever sleeping. Although this might seem logical, floating shouldn’t actually replace normal sleeping habits. Typically, floaters feel energized after a float session and often need several hours to wind down before sleeping. Floating should, however, encourage more regular sleeping patterns. Floating is often used to treat insomnia because it is known to facilitate deeper sleep for several days following each float session.
• It’s dangerous to sleep in the tank: It’s one of the most common questions about floatation therapy. In fact, many people enter the float tank specifically to fall asleep. An hour in a float tank can serve as a type of power nap that leaves an individual completely refreshed and energized. Since many people don’t normally sleep on their backs, they worry that they would roll over in the water if they fell asleep and drown. However, the buoyancy and density caused by the Epsom salt in float tanks make it difficult to turn over, so those fears are unfounded.

The sensory deprivation tank may ease muscle tension and mental anxiety. In fact, floating in a sensory deprivation tank provides so many physical benefits. Due to the buoyancy effect of the Epsom salt water, all the muscles in the body can relax into their natural state, relieving tension, and muscle tightness. It’s an experience closest to our muscles experiencing zero gravity. The skin is also absorbing all the goodness of the magnesium sulfate in the water, which is an emollient and causes skin to soften. The tension in the muscles wears off due to the deprivation of all the sensory inputs. The relaxation reflex takes over and the body gets a chance to reset its fatigue point. This all happens whether an individual is awake in the tank or not. With an hour of floating, one can get similar physical and mental benefits to a 6-hour sleep in a bed.