Restingwell

23/01/2026

Evaluation of Floatation-REST and Anorexia Nervosa

The study The impact of floatation therapy on body image and anxiety in anorexia nervosa investigates whether Floatation-REST can reduce body image disturbance and anxiety in patients with anorexia nervosa receiving inpatient treatment

The study addresses an important clinical problem, as body image disturbance is one of the most persistent and difficult symptoms to treat in anorexia nervosa and often remains even after weight restoration and long-term treatment. There is therefore a clear need for additional treatment approaches that can complement existing care.

The study is designed as a randomized controlled clinical efficacy trial in which participants are assigned either to Floatation-REST in addition to treatment as usual or to treatment as usual alone. This design allows for a structured comparison between standard care and standard care combined with floating, making it possible to evaluate whether Floatation-REST provides additional benefits. Conducting the intervention within an inpatient eating disorder program increases the clinical relevance of the study, as the intervention is tested in a real treatment setting rather than under artificial conditions.

Floatation-REST involves floating on the back in a pool filled with highly concentrated salt water in an environment where sensory stimulation such as light, sound, and movement is minimized. The purpose of this intervention is to reduce physical and psychological stress and to promote deep relaxation. The study is based on the assumption that reduced sensory input may influence bodily perception and emotional regulation, which is particularly relevant for patients with anorexia nervosa who often experience distorted body perception and heightened anxiety. This theoretical rationale is supported by previous research showing that floating can reduce anxiety and stress in both healthy individuals and clinical populations.

An important strength of the study is that it builds on earlier pilot and safety studies that demonstrated that Floatation-REST is well tolerated by individuals with anorexia nervosa. These earlier studies reported no serious adverse events and showed significant reductions in anxiety and body image disturbance following floating sessions. These findings provide a strong justification for further investigation of Floatation-REST in a randomized controlled design and support the ethical and scientific basis of the current study.

The outcome measures used in the study are another clear strength. The primary outcome is change in body image dissatisfaction, measured with the Photographic Figure Rating Scale, which assesses the discrepancy between perceived current body size and ideal body size. This is a clinically meaningful measure that directly reflects the core symptom the intervention aims to influence. In addition, the study includes well-established and validated self-report measures of anxiety, eating disorder symptom severity, and functional impairment. The use of validated instruments strengthens the reliability and credibility of the findings and allows for comparison with previous research in the field.

Measurements are collected repeatedly, including before and after each floating session as well as at follow-up assessments six weeks and six months after the intervention. This design makes it possible to examine both short-term and longer-term effects of Floatation-REST. The inclusion of follow-up assessments is particularly valuable, as it allows the study to explore whether potential improvements persist beyond the immediate intervention period.

Safety considerations are carefully addressed throughout the study. Given the medical and psychological vulnerability of patients with anorexia nervosa, the study includes clear inclusion and exclusion criteria to minimize risk. Participants are regularly monitored for vital signs, and there are detailed procedures for identifying, reporting, and managing adverse events. Floatation-REST is a non-pharmacological intervention that can be stopped at any time by the participant, which further enhances its safety profile. Previous safety data referenced in the study protocol also support the conclusion that floating does not pose significant medical risks when applied under controlled conditions.

Another positive aspect of the study is that Floatation-REST is presented as a complementary intervention rather than a replacement for established treatment. This approach is clinically appropriate, as anorexia nervosa is a complex disorder that requires multimodal treatment. Floating is framed as a potential tool to target specific symptoms—particularly body image disturbance and anxiety—that often remain difficult to treat using conventional approaches alone.

In summary, the study presents Floatation-REST as a well-motivated, safe, and feasible intervention for patients with anorexia nervosa in inpatient care. The randomized controlled design, strong theoretical rationale, use of validated outcome measures, and thorough attention to safety all support a positive evaluation of floating based on what the study shows. The protocol provides a solid foundation for further research and suggests that Floatation-REST has meaningful potential as a valuable complement to existing treatments within specialized eating disorder care.

17/11/2025

Longevity and Flotation-REST:
A Calm Way to Support Long-Term Health.

Life today can feel seriously loud and stressful. With school, social media, and constant notifications, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. That’s why more people are trying something called Flotation-REST — and it turns out it might help support long-term health and well-being in a pretty cool way.

Flotation-REST (which stands for Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy) basically means floating in a large floating tank filled with warm, salty water. The water is so salty that you float without effort, and the temperature matches your skin, so you barely feel it. The tank is dark and calm, which helps your brain and body relax more deeply than usual.

You might wonder what floating in the dark has to do with living a healthier life. A lot, actually. One of the biggest things that ages people faster is STRESS.
The kind that keeps you tired, tense, or anxious. When you’re stressed all the time, your body stays in “alert mode,” which affects sleep, mood, and even long-term health.
Floating helps break that cycle. When you’re in thefloating tank, your body doesn’t have to deal with noise, bright light, or gravity. Everything slows down. Studies show that flotation can lower stress hormones, help you sleep better, and reduce muscle pain or pressure. People often leave a session feeling calmer and more refreshed, as if they’ve hit a reset button.

There’s also a mental side to it. Because there are no distractions, your mind gets a rare chance to think clearly, daydream, or just chill. Many people say they come up with new ideas or feel emotionally lighter after floating. Since mental health plays a big role in long-term health, this kind of deep downtime can actually make a meaningful difference.
Flotation-REST isn’t a magic way to live forever, but it supports the habits that help people stay healthier for longer — less stress, better sleep, and a more balanced mind. In a world that never stops moving, it gives you a moment of quiet that your body might seriously need.

As more research comes out, one message is already obvious: giving yourself real REST matters. And floating is the best, simple and peaceful way to do that.

Restingwell delivers durable floating tanks

08/10/2025

Just like to congratulate our family member who has her 60th birthday today. Congratulations to Sigridur Gerleman.

24/09/2025

Floating Therapy: Science-Backed Relief for Chronic Pain and Stress

Chronic pain is one of the greatest health challenges of our time. For many, traditional treatments such as medication, physical therapy, or rest offer only partial relief. But research has begun to uncover an innovative, science-based method that may transform the way we approach pain and stress: flotation therapy, also known as Flotation-REST (Restricted Environmental Stimulation Technique).

Flotation involves lying effortlessly in a specially designed tank filled with warm water and a high concentration of Epsom salt. The buoyancy allows the body to float weightlessly, while the environment is quiet, dark, and free from outside distractions.
This unique combination of sensory reduction, deep relaxation, and physical support creates conditions that trigger powerful healing responses in the body and mind.

A Case of Severe Whiplash – and Remarkable Recovery

A Swedish case study followed a man with one of the most severe forms of whiplash injury (WAD grade IV). His accident left him with constant pain, dizziness, memory problems, sleep disturbances, and overwhelming fatigue. Despite trying conventional treatments such as acupuncture, massage, and rehabilitation programs, he found little lasting relief.

When he turned to flotation therapy, however, his experience was striking. Over the course of 114 flotation sessions across 18 months, he documented a cascade of improvements:

• Deep relaxation and reduced muscle tension – After about ten sessions, even his chronically tense neck muscles began to relax for the first time since the accident.
• Significant pain relief – Sessions consistently soothed his pain, often replacing feelings of burning and pressure with calmness and comfort.
• Restorative sleep – Years of poor sleep were replaced with profound, almost effortless rest. He described floating as “compensating” for years of sleep loss.
• Renewed energy and vitality – He left sessions feeling alert, fresh, and more positive, with his family and friends noticing visible improvements in his mood and appearance.
• Improved motor skills and balance – Regular floating was linked with better coordination, steadier balance, and even the return of normal hunger signals.
• Psychological coping and wellbeing – Beyond physical changes, flotation helped him accept his condition, reduce stress, and regain joy in daily life.

What made the difference? According to researchers, flotation interrupts the vicious cycle of stress and pain that fuels chronic conditions. By lowering the body’s stress response, it opens the door to recovery: pain subsides, the nervous system calms, and the body’s natural healing mechanisms are reactivated.

More Than Just Relaxation

Early studies had already shown that flotation could lower blood pressure, reduce cortisol (the stress hormone), and improve mood.
More recent research suggests it also benefits conditions such as fibromyalgia, burnout, and anxiety disorders. The whiplash case adds compelling evidence: flotation is not only a tool for stress reduction, but also a rehabilitative method for chronic pain disorders that standard treatments often fail to address.

The model emerging from this research is simple but powerful:
• Activation – Daily life and chronic pain create strain.
• Deactivation – Floating switches off the stress response, allowing true rest.
• Rehabilitation – With pain eased and the body recharged, recovery and resilience follow.

Why Try Floating?

Floating is safe, non-invasive, and deeply restorative. For people living with chronic pain, stress-related conditions, or sleep difficulties, it offers something rare: an evidence-based therapy that feels like a luxury experience. Lying in warm, weightless silence may sound simple, but science shows that it can be profoundly healing.

This case report is only one step, but it demonstrates that flotation therapy can offer life-changing benefits where conventional treatments fall short. Clinics worldwide are beginning to adopt flotation as a complementary approach — and for anyone curious,
the research strongly suggests it’s worth experiencing firsthand.

As the Swedish patient put it after years of struggle:
“I have not found anything else that gives me rest in a better way than floating.”

Quotes:
After one semester of regular floating it becomes
summer and the laboratory closes for two months. The
more time that passes, the more powerful the respondent
experiences a worsening of his physical and psychological
condition. It is experienced as if life is sloping downwards
when the pain is increasing and the rest and relaxation from
flotation is not possible to compensate. He needs more
painkillers without floating but the consumption lessens
during regular floating.

Examples: Really longed back to the floating. This was
the first time since the summer break. My family has lately
urged me to begin floating as soon as possible because they
have seen that my powers have faded of gradually during
summer/Almost had panic when the pain only increased
and there was no rescue with calm. Had to decrease the
pace the last days/

“Subjectively I can say that it feels like I eat fewer
pain-killers when I float…and I can see now when I haven´t
floated for a month that the pain-killer consumption has
increased again, because that I can easily conclude.”

“I don´t know how to put it really, because I can hear it myself that it sounds a little bit strange to say that…now I have pain when
I sit here and then I go and lay in the tank and then I don´t
have pain, reasonably I have pain when I lay in the tank too
but there are many other positively stimulations.”

“Imagine walking around like that for six years…that is not
very fun, it takes off your powers…and then to medicate all
the time. If you then are able to lie down in this warm and
comfortable water and just let go…somehow the pain
disappears. ”

Extraction from: Behavior change and pain relief in chronic whiplash associated disorder Grade IV using flotation restricted environmental stimulation technique: A case report
Psychology and Behavioral Sciences 2013; 2(6): 206-216 Stefan Gerleman 2025-09-24

17/09/2025

Restingwell, easy to install, easy to use.
Floatation-REST: A Natural Path to Better Sleep

A good night’s sleep is essential for health and well-being. Yet, many people struggle to fall asleep, stay asleep, or wake up feeling truly rested. Stress, worry, and muscle tension are among the most common reasons for disturbed sleep. While medications and behavioral therapies exist, many people are searching for natural, side-effect-free ways to restore healthy sleep. One promising method is floatation-REST (Restricted Environmental Stimulation Technique), a deeply relaxing experience that may help your body and mind find their natural rhythm of rest.

In the systematic review “Does flotation-REST (restricted environmental stimulation technique) have an effect on sleep?” published in the European Journal of Integrative Medicine (Kjellgren et al., 2020), researchers summarized the results of nine studies investigating how floating affects sleep. Their conclusion was clear: in all included studies, flotation-REST had beneficial effects on sleep, both in people with diagnosed insomnia and in those experiencing everyday sleep problems.

How Does Floatation-REST Work?

Flotation-REST takes place in a specially designed tank filled with warm water saturated with Epsom salt. The salt makes the body buoyant, allowing you to float effortlessly on the surface. The water is heated to skin temperature, and the environment is kept dark and quiet, with earplugs often used to minimize sound. The result is a near-complete reduction of sensory input—your body and mind enter a state of deep calm that is difficult to achieve elsewhere.

This unique environment encourages the nervous system to shift from “fight or flight” into “rest and digest.” Stress hormones drop, muscle tension releases, and breathing slows. For many, it feels like a reset button for both mind and body.

Evidence for Better Sleep

The systematic review highlighted several key findings:

Improved sleep quality: In both clinical and non-clinical samples, people reported falling asleep faster, sleeping more deeply, and waking up refreshed.

Long-lasting benefits: In some studies, improvements in sleep were still noticeable four to six months after treatment.

Support for insomnia sufferers: Even participants with chronic insomnia showed measurable improvements in sleep onset and total sleep time after floating sessions.

Accessible relaxation: Unlike meditation or yoga, flotation requires no training or ongoing practice—simply lie back in the water and let the environment do the work.

Interestingly, one study included in the review found that even with just four sessions, participants experienced lasting improvements twelve weeks later. Other research compared twelve sessions with as many as thirty-three and found both groups benefited, showing that even a limited number of floats can make a difference.

Why Floating Improves Sleep

Researchers suggest several reasons why flotation-REST may be so effective for sleep:

Deep relaxation – By reducing sensory input and physical strain, the body achieves a calm state that mirrors the early stages of sleep.

Stress reduction – Studies show that floating reduces levels of cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone, which is often elevated in people with insomnia.

Improved emotion regulation – Floating helps calm racing thoughts and reduces worry and rumination, two major barriers to falling asleep.

A natural transition to sleep – The state of consciousness during floating resembles the “hypnagogic” stage, the dreamlike state between wakefulness and sleep.

Try It for Yourself

If you’re struggling with restless nights, difficulty falling asleep, or simply want to improve the quality of your rest, flotation-REST offers a science-backed, natural solution. The review by Kjellgren and colleagues shows that the benefits extend beyond the session itself, helping people feel better for weeks and even months afterward.

The best part? Flotation requires no effort. Unlike other relaxation techniques, there’s nothing to learn or practice—just step into the tank, lie back, and allow your body to float. Within minutes, stress melts away and your system begins to reset.

Experience flotation-REST for yourself, and discover how weightless relaxation can transform your nights. Sleep deeper. Wake up refreshed. Feel the difference.

Restingwell delivers durable floating tanks

10/09/2025

Large and Robust Floating Tanks – The Key to Deeper Recovery and Inner Journeys

Floating has quickly become one of the most appreciated methods for recovery and mental balance. But not all floating tanks are the same. Recent research shows that the experience is most effective when it takes place in large, robust, and well-constructed floating tanks – as they provide both safety and the optimal conditions for reaching deeper states of rest and consciousness.

The Research: Dream-like States in Sensory Stillness

A newly published study in Frontiers in Psychology (Huber, Kjellgren & Passie, 2025) explored what happens to consciousness during multiple floating sessions. The results were clear: participants reported a stronger sense of timelessness, enhanced inner focus, reduced negative stress, and the ability to experience vivid and creative inner imagery

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These effects were achieved because the participants floated in tanks that offered complete shielding from sound, light, and temperature shifts – factors that are crucial for achieving the so-called flotation-REST effect.

Why Size and Robustness Matter

A spacious tank allows the body to float freely without touching the sides or feeling confined, deepening the sensation of weightlessness. A solid, robust construction also creates a sense of safety and reliability, enabling the floater to fully surrender to the experience without distraction or concern.

The psychological impact of this should not be underestimated: the more the user can let go, the greater the chances of accessing the dream-like, creative, and restorative states described in scientific research.

From Stress Relief to Creativity

Floating in large, robust tanks is not just about reducing stress. The experience can also stimulate imagination and evoke feelings of meaning, clarity, and renewed energy. Many describe it as entering another dimension – where inner images, memories, and symbolic stories unfold. It’s a space where the logic of everyday life gives way to a more creative and intuitive mode of thought.

Conclusion

With large, robust floating tanks, both body and mind are given the space to fully let go. Research shows that this not only provides profound physical and mental recovery, but also opens doors to deeper self-awareness and creative processes.

In today’s stressed world, robust floating tanks are not just a luxury – they are a vital investment in health, balance, and inner well-being.

15/07/2025

Summer time by the ocean for our friends.

15/01/2025

https://www.sverigesradio.se/avsnitt/bli-ett-med-universum-vi-testar-floating
About floating in Swedish radio today.

12/11/2024

Today 20 years ago we got home to our farm, the very first Restingwell floating tank as a ready product and after testing it we started to sell this model throughout the world. 2024-11-12 Stefan Gerleman.

Reliable Swedish technic on a flotation-REST tank. Delivered to 22 countries, since owner can install and maintain it. Restingwell Spirit

19/04/2024

Website will be down since we change website platform. Vi byter webhotell så websidan kommer att ligga nere.

15/03/2023

Om floating i Sveriges största tidning 1/2 sida med fakta. Aftonbladet, 15 mars 2023.
About floating in Swedens biggest paper. 1/2 page with facts.