Background: Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy (REST) is a therapeutic technique that involves immersing an individual in an environment with minimal sensory input or stimulation. The goal of REST is to induce a state of relaxation that is deeper than what can be achieved through other forms of relaxation techniques. Research suggests that REST can help reduce anxiety, alleviate chronic pain, improve sleep, and enhance creativity and cognitive function. Flotation-REST is a popular type of REST that utilizes an enclosed tank filled with buoyant saltwater to facilitate relaxation. Methods: We used PRISMA to survey the flotation-REST literature from 1960 to 2023. From each paper, we extracted information regarding the participant sample, application of flotation-REST, experimental design, treatment delivery method, questionnaires and tools, and study results. Results: We propose that the application of flotation-REST can be divided into nine main categories: pain, athletic performance, physiology, stress, consciousness, psychology, creativity, clinical anxiety, sleep, smoking cessation, and other miscellaneous applications. In general, flotation-REST was found to bring about positive effects on pain, athletic performance, stress, mental well-being, and clinical anxiety, while having limited to no effect on sleep-related disorders and smoking cessation. Conclusion: This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the current research on flotation-REST, highlights ongoing limitations in the literature, and outlines potential areas for future research. While flotation-REST appears to induce various benefits for physical and mental well-being, particularly when it comes to managing states like pain and stress, more research is needed to better understand the mechanisms underlying these effects and to identify optimal treatment protocols for different populations.

The authors have declared no competing interest.

The publication received support from the Intramural Research Program of the NIH, NINDS, and a joint grant from the John Templeton Foundation and the Fetzer Institute. The views expressed herein are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the opinions of NINDS, the John Templeton Foundation, or the Fetzer Institute.

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