I've never had to soak mine and I hadn't seen her soak until recently. She hasn't had any problems shedding.

My dish is pretty much in the middle so half on the warm and the other half on the cool side. I mist her every 2-3 days when she's not shedding (sometimes less but I use a UTH so it doesn't dissipate as much.)

When she's in shed I'll usually mist her every morning to made sure the humidity is good enough to help her shed. I don't soak the tank but enough to create a bit of "dew" on the glass.

Spending time buried is normal, mine does this all the time even when I had a hide in there she never used it.

Hope this helps.