None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
During Flotation-REST, a person is floating inside a quiet and dark tank, filled with heated salt saturated water. Deep relaxation and beneficial effects on e.g. stress, sleep difficulties, anxiety and depression have been documented in earlier research but the effects from Flotation-REST had never before been studied on participants with insomnia. Our aim is to investigate the effects from Flotation-REST on sleep for people with insomnia disorder, by using sleep diaries, insomnia-related questionnaires, questionnaires for potential treatment mechanisms and as well as clinical and qualitative interviews
Interventions
Brief name: Flotation-REST (restricted environmental stimulation technique)
Flotation-REST treatment means floating on the back inside of a dark and quiet isolation tank, filled with salt saturated water. The high salt content in the water gives high buoyance, which makes possible to float on top of the water. By keeping the water at skin-temperature, sensory input to the somato-sensory system is reduced. The treatment is delivered individually and the participants are alone in the room with the
Brief name: Flotation-REST (restricted environmental stimulation technique) Flotation-REST treatment means floating on the back inside of a dark and quiet isolation tank, filled with salt saturated water. The high salt content in the water gives high buoyance, which makes possible to float on top of the water. By keeping the water at skin-temperature, sensory input to the somato-sensory system is reduced. The treatment is delivered individually and the participants are alone in the room with the tank. Instructions on how to use the flotation tanks will be given by a doctoral student in psychology with substantial experience in flotation research. A project assistant (grad student) will meet with the participants briefly before and after each session in order to unlock the facilities and to receive any completed questionnaires that the participants brings with them to be handed in. The project assistant will also alert the participants that sessions have finished, by knocking on the door to the flotation room. Intervention adherence is assessed in that the project assistant will know whether or not participants show up for their appointment. As the assistant is responsible for unlocking and locking the room the assistent observes the participants entering the float tank room, as well as leaving the room. In case of cancelled appointments, care will be taken to schedule new appointments as soon as possible. The float tanks (270 cm x 150 cm x 130 cm) are situated in quiet rooms at Karlstad University (Sweden). The float tanks contains water (0.3 m in depth) held at skin temperature (35 degrees Celsius) that are saturated with Epsom salt (magnesium sulphate). The float tanks are insulated to minimize visual and auditory stimuli, and earplugs are used during the float sessions. Toilet and shower can be accessed in the float rooms and the float rooms can be locked from inside by the participants. The participants will be instructed to keep the light out during the float session, and to shower before and after each session. The treatment consists of 12 sessions (á 45 minutes) of flotation-REST over a seven-week period, with two sessions a week. The fourth week is treatment free, in order to simulate the break needed by menstruating participants.
Sponsors
Anette Kjellgren
Study design
Allocation
Non-randomised trial
Intervention model
Single group
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
The inclusion criteria were 1) insomnia diagnosis (as diagnosed through the structured clinical interview DSISD), 2) SOL or WASO exceeding 30 min three nights per week (sleep diaries), 3) age between 18-65, 4) not currently receiving other psychological treatments for insomnia, 5) on a stable dose of medication over the last three months (if receiving pharmacological treatment).
Exclusion criteria
The exclusion criteria were 1) sleep-disturbing medical conditions, medications or untreated sleep disorders that may explain insomnia symptoms (DSISD), 2) other health conditions that would make flotation-rest unsuitable (e.g. pacemaker, open wounds), 3) sleep-disturbing mental problems (SCID-I) that may be worsened during the study period (e.g. recent manic episode), 4) suicide ideation or suicidal behaviours (SCID-I).
Outcome results
None listed