The Ultimate Guide to Float Therapy: Finding Your Perfect Session

Float therapy—also known as Flotation-REST (Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy)—offers a profound escape from the overstimulated modern world. By floating effortlessly in a sensory-reduced environment filled with Epsom salt-saturated water, you can access deep states of relaxation that deliver both immediate and lasting benefits. But with session lengths ranging from 30 to 120 minutes, how do you know which duration is right for you?

Our tanks are spacious - 6.5 feet wide, 8 feet long, with 7.5-foot ceilings. Twilight on the ceiling, a tank light, and music are all fully controlled by you inside the tank. It's just 10 inches of water and 1500 pounds of EPSOM salts. You don't need to know how to swim because you FLOAT without effort.

Understanding Float Therapy Session Lengths

We offer four distinct session lengths, each designed to meet different needs and experience levels:

30-Minute Sessions: The Introduction

• Ideal for: First-time floaters, those with mild claustrophobia concerns, or anyone wanting to test the waters before committing to longer sessions.

• What to expect: A brief but meaningful introduction to the float experience. While this may feel short, it provides enough time to experience the basic sensations of weightlessness and sensory reduction.

• Benefits: Immediate stress relief, initial muscle relaxation, and a preview of what deeper sessions can offer. Some float centers offer 30-minute sessions specifically for beginners to help them acclimate to the experience.

• Limitations: You may spend much of this time simply settling in and getting comfortable. During your first float, it can take 30 to 60 minutes to fully relax, which means a 30-minute session might end just as you're beginning to access deeper relaxation states.

  
  

60-Minute Sessions: The Standard Experience

• Ideal for: Regular floaters, those with established float practices, and anyone seeking consistent therapeutic benefits.

• What to expect: Enough time to move through initial adjustment, find deep relaxation, and experience the full spectrum of float benefits. Research studies consistently use 60-minute float sessions as the standard duration, and this length has been extensively validated in scientific literature.

• Benefits: A single 60-minute session has been shown to significantly reduce state anxiety, muscle tension, stress, and depression while improving mood and feelings of relaxation. This duration allows most people to:

  • Achieve meaningful stress reduction

  • Experience measurable decreases in muscle tension

  • Access meditative and theta brainwave states

  • Reduce blood pressure and cortisol levels

• The science: Studies involving 60-minute float sessions have demonstrated anxiolytic effects, with all 50 participants in one study reporting substantial mood improvement and reduced anxiety. This makes 60 minutes the evidence-based gold standard for therapeutic outcomes.

  
  

90-Minute Sessions: The Deep Dive

• Ideal for: Experienced floaters, those seeking profound relaxation, individuals working through chronic pain or deep-seated stress, and anyone wanting to maximize their float experience.

• What to expect: Time to surrender completely, move through multiple relaxation phases, and potentially experience altered states of consciousness associated with deep healing.

• Benefits: The 90-minute duration aligns beautifully with natural body rhythms. Many bodily functions operate on 90-minute cycles, including our attention span, pain thresholds, appetite, hormone secretion, and REM sleep patterns. This synchronization may allow for more complete physiological and psychological reset.

• The advantage for beginners: First-time floaters often benefit from 90-minute sessions because they need 30 to 60 minutes just to fully relax, meaning they would miss the deepest benefits of shorter sessions. With 90 minutes, even if you spend the first half hour adjusting, you still have a full hour of deep therapeutic floating.

• Enhanced outcomes: Research on treatment protocols shows that 12 flotation sessions of 45 minutes over 7 weeks has been established as sufficient to reach therapeutic effect for chronic pain and stress-related conditions. Longer individual sessions may accelerate these benefits or reduce the number of sessions needed to achieve results.

  
  

120-Minute Sessions: The Ultimate Reset

• Ideal for: Advanced practitioners, those in deep meditation practices, individuals managing severe chronic conditions, or anyone seeking transformative experiences.

• What to expect: Extended time for profound neurological reset, potential for extraordinary altered states, and the opportunity to move through complete sleep cycles while floating. One hour of float therapy in the theta state is equivalent to four hours of restful sleep, suggesting that a 120-minute session could provide the restorative equivalent of eight hours of quality rest.

• Benefits:

  • Multiple passes through different brainwave states

  • Deeper access to subconscious and creative insights

  • More profound muscular and skeletal decompression

  • Extended magnesium absorption through the skin

  • Complete mental and physical recalibration

• Considerations: This duration requires a significant time commitment and may induce very deep altered states that require adequate recovery time afterward.

  
  

How Often Should You Float?

The ideal frequency depends on your goals and where you are in your float journey.

For Beginners: Building Your Practice

First month: Start with one float per week for the first month to establish familiarity and allow your nervous system to adapt to the experience. Research protocols typically use 12 sessions over 7 weeks, providing a science-backed framework for building a therapeutic practice.

• Why consistency matters: Studies show that 12 float sessions delivered long-term benefits lasting up to six months post-treatment for anxiety and depression. Regular sessions compound their benefits, with each float building on the last.

• Getting started: Consider beginning with a series package. Many float centers offer intro packages because the more you float, the longer the benefits last afterward, with the feelings becoming more noticeable and stronger.

For Maintenance Floating: Sustaining Benefits

Once you've established your float practice, adjust frequency based on your needs:

• Monthly floats: Floating once a month provides a strong foundation for regular self-care and helps your body reset when it needs it most. Ideal for busy individuals who want consistent benefits without major time commitment.

• Bi-weekly floats: Floating twice a month helps clients stay aligned, increases energy, and strengthens the immune system. This frequency offers a balance between therapeutic effectiveness and practical scheduling.

• Weekly floats: Using float therapy weekly assists with overall mental health, helps relieve chronic pain, and can lead to increased performance in every sphere of life. This frequency is particularly beneficial for:

  • Chronic pain management

  • Anxiety or depression support

  • High-stress professions

  • Athletic performance and recovery

  • Creative professionals seeking regular inspiration

• Multiple times per week: Floatation therapy can be used every day without negative side effects, and most patients see the best benefits from two or more sessions per week. This intensive approach suits those managing severe conditions or seeking rapid transformation.

  
  

Special Applications and Timing

Athletic Performance and Recovery

Float therapy significantly reduces blood lactate levels after intense exercise and enhances both physical and psychological recovery in elite athletes. Athletes should:

• Float 30-60 minutes after intense training (not immediately after)

• Consider weekly sessions during training season

• Use bi-weekly sessions during off-season maintenance

  
  

Chronic Pain Management

Studies of patients with chronic muscle tension pain found significant relief from high-intensity pain and improved sleep quality after regular float sessions. For chronic pain:

• Begin with weekly 90-minute sessions

• Commit to at least 12 sessions to assess effectiveness

• Transition to bi-weekly or monthly maintenance

  
  

Anxiety and Depression

Flotation-REST showed clear signs of short-term benefit across PTSD, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Agoraphobia, Social Anxiety Disorder, and Major Depression in clinical trials. For mental health support:

• Start with 60-minute sessions to assess tolerance

• Progress to weekly or twice-weekly sessions

• Consider 90-minute sessions once comfortable

  
  

Sleep Quality

Spending 90 minutes in a flotation tank can feel like getting a full night's sleep, providing a refreshing, therapeutic, and rejuvenating experience.

For sleep issues:

• Evening floats may help establish better sleep patterns

• Weekly sessions show maintained benefits up to six months

• Combine with good sleep hygiene practices

  
  

Maximizing Your Float Experience

Preparation

• Avoid caffeine 3-4 hours before floating

• Eat a light meal 30 minutes prior to prevent hunger distraction

• Arrive early to relax and transition from daily stress

• Use the bathroom immediately before your session

During Your Float

• Give yourself permission to simply be, without expectations

• If thoughts arise, observe them without engagement

• Experiment with light on/off, music on/off to find your preference

• Remember you're in complete control and can exit anytime

After Your Float

• Shower to rinse salt, but move slowly and mindfully

• Allow time to reintegrate before returning to activities

• Stay hydrated—drink plenty of water

• Enjoy the "post-float glow" of enhanced sensory awareness

• Journal any insights or experiences while fresh

  
  

The Science Behind the Benefits

Flotation-REST induces altered states of consciousness characterized by the dissolution of body boundaries and distortion of subjective time, which directly correlates with reduced anxiety, burnout, and depression.

A comprehensive systematic review of 60 studies involving 1,838 participants found that flotation-REST brought about positive effects on pain, athletic performance, stress, mental well-being, and clinical anxiety.

The mechanism works through multiple pathways:

• Neurological reset: Reduced sensory input allows the nervous system to downregulate stress responses

• Magnesium absorption: Epsom salt solution delivers therapeutic magnesium through the skin

• Spinal decompression: Weightlessness releases pressure on joints and vertebrae

• Cortisol reduction: Float sessions significantly lower cortisol levels and blood pressure

• Enhanced interoception: Improved awareness of internal bodily sensations

  
  

Finding Your Float Rhythm

There's no universal prescription for float therapy—your ideal practice is personal. Start conservatively, perhaps with a 60-minute session to experience the foundational benefits. As you become more comfortable, experiment with longer durations and increased frequency.

Listen to your body and mind. Some people feel profound shifts after their first float; others find the magic gradually unfolds over multiple sessions. The key is consistency. Like meditation, exercise, or any wellness practice, regular floating compounds its benefits over time.

Whether you're seeking relief from chronic pain, a tool for managing stress and anxiety, enhanced athletic recovery, or simply a sanctuary from the relentless pace of modern life, float therapy offers a scientifically validated path to profound relaxation and healing.

The tank is waiting. Your journey to deep rest begins now.

References

1. Feinstein, J. S., et al. (2018). Examining the short-term anxiolytic and antidepressant effect of Floatation-REST. PLOS ONE.

2. van Dierendonck, D., & te Nijenhuis, J. (2001). Flotation restricted environmental stimulation therapy (REST) as a stress-management tool: A meta-analysis. Psychology & Health.

3. Kjellgren, A., et al. (2024). Induction of altered states of consciousness during Floatation-REST is associated with the dissolution of body boundaries and the distortion of subjective time. Scientific Reports.

4. Bood, S. Å., et al. (2006). Eliciting the relaxation response with the help of flotation-REST in patients with stress-related ailments. International Journal of Stress Management.

5. Norell-Clarke, A., et al. (2021). A study of flotation-REST as an insomnia treatment. Sleep Science and Practice.