Could stimulating your vagus nerve be the secret to better health, more sleep and less anxiety?

Aug 10, 2024

Search for ‘vagus nerve hacks’ on social media and you’ll be rewarded with reams of ideas. From dunking your face into icy water to chanting mantras and massaging your ears; tips for stimulating this remarkable internal signalling system are everywhere.

At the same time, scientists are busy researching the effects of activating the vagus nerve – with studies showing it could prove to be a transformational treatment for everything from anxiety to Alzheimer’s, depression, Crohn's disease and Long-Covid. And innovative, wearable devices, like the Nurosym – which “rewires your nervous system by delivering small, targeted electrical impulses to the brain via the vagus nerve” – are being used by more and more people with impressive results.

But what exactly is the vagus nerve? Why is everyone so excited about it? And do any of these ‘hacks’ and tools to stimulate it actually work?

What is the vagus nerve?

“The vagus nerve is the longest cranial nerve in the body,” explains neuroscientist Mara Mather.[1]

“It connects the brain to our internal organs. All of these parts of our body are sending signals to the brain, and in response the brain sends signals back to these organs via the vagus nerve.”

Like a biological phone line that runs all the way from your brain to your bowels (stopping to chat to your heart, lungs and almost all the other major organs on the way), the vagus nerve is a main communication channel for your parasympathetic nervous system.

Referred to as an ‘information superhighway’, the thousands of fibres that make up the vagus nerve meander around the body, picking up and transmitting vital messages. Even its name, ‘vagus’, means ‘wandering’ in Latin.

How does the vagus nerve influence health?

From breathing to heart rate, digestion and immune responses, the vagus nerve helps to control many of the involuntary but critically important processes going on in your body right now. But it also plays a key role in mood and mental wellbeing.

That’s because the vagus nerve is the primary communication channel of your parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for your body’s stress response and ability to relax.

What do we know about how stimulating the vagus nerve can help with anxiety?

Scientists stumbled upon the connection between vagal tone and mental state by accident, when, in the late 1800s, they realised that activating the vagus nerve in epilepsy patients had the added bonus of improving their mood.[2]

Almost a century later, scientists implanting electrical vagus nerve stimulators in epilepsy sufferers noticed the same thing – prompting a wave of studies into whether vagus nerve stimulation could help treat depression and anxiety, with positive results.

What other conditions could stimulating the vagus nerve help with?

In recent years, interest in the vagus nerve has exploded, with scientists investigating the potentially transformational effects of stimulating this wonder nerve – ranging from improving sleep and concentration to curbing inflammation and calming digestive issues.

Studies abound exploring vagus nerve activation as a possible treatment for everything from Alzheimer’s[3] to arthritis,[4] Crohn's disease,[5] stroke rehabilitation,[6] diabetes[7] and even Long Covid.[8]

What can you do to stimulate your vagus nerve?

Many health experts believe there are things we can do to activate the vagus nerve – and boost our wellbeing in the process – without spending a penny (although to really tap into the healing power of the vagus nerve, we recommend trying a research-backed wearable device like the Nurosym – but more on that below)...

Humming

“Specialist biohacking technology has its place in ‘hacking’ the vagus nerve,” says Conscious Spaces founder, Tara Williams, “but it’s so easy to forget that the best biological technology is already within you and you have it on hand 24hrs a day: humming. It's quick, it's easy, and it's free!”

“Humming stimulates the vagus nerve which in turn dials down our sympathetic nervous system and inflammation responses – and it can also boost dopamine and oxytocin,” explains Tara. “To hum is to use your breath, your voice, your note. Just try humming a beautiful tune and tell me it doesn't make you smile?!”

Here’s a tune to get you started: aylanereo.bandcamp.com/track/hum

All together now: hummmmmmm…

Deep breathing

Something as simple as taking deep breaths could help reduce anxiety, improve mood,[9] lower blood pressure and even reduce your Alzheimer’s risk[10] – all by stimulating your vagus nerve.

Speaking on Dr Michael Mosley’s podcast, neuroscientist Mara Mather explained how “as you slow your breathing down, you take in more air and your lungs stretch more, and there are stretch receptors in your lungs that send signals via the vagus nerve. So every time you take longer, bigger breaths, those signals are going to be stronger than if you're breathing quickly and shallowly.

“The vagus nerve transmits acetylcholine,” she explains. “That’s the neurotransmitter it uses to communicate with organs in the body. And if we slow down our breathing, acetylcholine transmitted via the vagus nerve sends a message to the heart to slow down the rate of beating.”

Think about slow breathing as a workout for your vagus nerve, says Mather.

In a technique called ‘Coherent Breathing’, you take deep, slow, vagus nerve-stimulating breaths at a rate of about 5 per minute. Read more about the Coherent Breathing technique and how to do it here.

Cold water immersion

Research shows[11] that cold exposure lowers ‘fight or flight’ sympathetic nervous system activity and increases ‘rest and digest’ parasympathetic activity – which we know is controlled by the vagus nerve.

One compelling case study[12] found that a weekly programme of cold water swimming resulted in “an immediate improvement in mood after each swim and a sustained and gradual reduction in symptoms of depression, and consequently a reduction in, and then cessation of, medication.”

The scientists behind the report attributed this reaction to the way cold-water immersion trains your body to deal with shock and works to diminish your stress response over time. “Having a better rein on your stress response means you’re able to cope better when faced with any stress that life throws at you,” said the researchers.

Read more about the brrrrrrilliant health benefits of cold-water swimming – and how to do it safely – in this article.

Surgically implanted vagus nerve stimulators

Some people (usually those with epilepsy, severe depression or in rehabilitation after a stroke) have a vagus nerve stimulator device surgically implanted under the skin of their chest.

These devices stimulate the vagus nerve with electrical impulses, which travel to the brain and alter brain activity to help treat symptoms like low mood or seizures, for example. This type of surgically implanted vagus nerve stimulator is sometimes called a “pacemaker for the brain.”[13]

Wearable devices: introducing Nurosym

From reducing anxiety to lifting depression and alleviating chronic fatigue, real people are reporting real benefits from using a medically certified vagus nerve-stimulating device that doesn’t require surgery. It’s called the Nurosym.

This “clinically validated, wearable neurotech”, which fits “in the palm of your hand” and attaches to the fleshy cartilage in front of your ear (your ‘tragus’) harnesses advanced neuromodulation technology in a sleek and simple-to-use device.

Nurosym works by sending patented electrical signals to the brain through the skin and via the vagus nerve, “activating specific therapeutic mechanisms that can counter dysregulation in the nervous system and significantly improve health outcomes.”

Even better, it’s backed up by the world’s leading labs and most reputable research institutions – think UCL, Harvard and Imperial College London – in randomised placebo controlled clinical trials. Though it may seem futuristic, this is far from baseless woo-woo. In fact, it’s the most studied non-invasive vagal neuromodulation system in the world.[14]

And while this medical device can help patients with chronic conditions, otherwise healthy people can also use it to improve sleep, boost cognitive function and short term memory, promote relaxation and reduce stress.

Intrigued? Learn more and see if Nurosym could transform your wellbeing here.