“What if I fall asleep during my float?”
There seem to be a few concerns behind this question.
Embarrassment
We often feel like we shouldn’t let go in a ‘public setting’, as if it might be embarrassing or we might lose our dignity.
Have you ever fallen asleep and snored in a yoga class? I have! I felt really silly at the time, although looking back, the worst thing that was likely to happen was making someone else chuckle, probably in an empathetic way.
Expectations
We may feel like we are expected to be switched on at all times. Maybe to be ready to respond to others’ needs.
Floating can be a rare opportunity to take a break from this, and to look after yourself. After all, we all need regular self care.
Security
Maybe we feel a subconscious need to be on alert for danger, and that if we fall asleep we may be vulnerable. This one could be an evolutionary throw-back, much like animals who sometimes seem to ‘sleep with one ear open’. You can find more about our hereditary fear and stress and its impact here.
But in the float pod you are safe. If anything did concern you, there is a call button where you could alert a member of staff who will be nearby. Otherwise your room is private, with no-one to even notice, let alone chuckle if you snore.
Fear of drowning
When you fall asleep in bed you probably roll over and adjust to different positions several times during the night. It is a natural thing to worry that this might happen in the pod, until you think about the mechanics of it. In bed, you are lying on a solid surface. This enables you to push off it, in order to roll over. In fact the solid surface may often be the reason why you have the urge to roll over, as gravity starts to take its toll, and you feel the pressure compressing parts of your body such as your neck, shoulders or back.
Float effortlessly
In the pod you are effortlessly buoyant in the water because it is completely saturated with Epsom salt. This means the weight of your body is evenly distributed, so you won’t feel any pressures of gravity. You won’t feel the same urge to turn over in the water. Plus it is actually very difficult to do so, without a solid surface to push off. This makes it extremely unlikely to happen in your sleep. And if somehow you did manage it, you would not sleep through getting the salt water in your eye! If this did happen, there will be a bottle of fresh water available in the pod, to spray it clean.
You can rest assured that it is absolutely fine to fall asleep in the float pod. In fact I do so for at least part of nearly every float I do, and I highly recommend the quality of rest achieved as a result!
Floating is great for sleep
Floating regularly can in fact help you to fall asleep more easily at other times. You can find more information on the benefits of floating for sleep here.
