With the recent extra hour from Daylight Savings, it’s a great time to talk about healthy — and not-so-healthy — sleep.
Healthy sleep isn’t just about getting the recommended 7 to 9 hours for adults; it’s also about uninterrupted sleep on a regular basis. [1] Moving through all stages of sleep, from light to deep and eventually to REM — the dream stage — is essential for quality rest.
When we think about healthy sleep (or the lack of it), we focus on the benefits: feeling good, looking good, clear thinking, and being ready for the day. Many of these perks overlap with those linked to a healthy vagus nerve, which plays a critical role in relaxation by lowering our heart rate, constricting pupils, and allowing our lungs to relax. [2] In other words, it supports that “rest and digest” state.
But healthy sleep doesn’t always come easy. Stress is a frequent roadblock; in a study by Talker Research for Traditional Medicinals, 42% of Americans report stress-related sleep trouble, 37% mention irritability, and 34% cite fatigue as major impacts of stress. [3]
Other factors that can get in the way of healthy sleep include a sedentary lifestyle, late meals or nightcaps, excessive screen time, and an environment not conducive to sleep.
How the Vagus Nerve Promotes Healthy Sleep
We’ve talked before about how the vagus nerve help reduce stress and induce relaxation. This relaxed state is aptly known as your body’s “rest-and-digest” phase. And as such, experts believe it can help lay the groundwork for healthy sleep. But there’s more to it than that. [4]
In regulating your body’s autonomic nervous system and critical involuntary functions, the vagus nerve counterbalances your body’s innate fight-or-flight response. You’ve undoubtedly heard of and experienced your body’s all-hands-on-deck physiological reaction to acute stress. And you can imagine that trying to sleep during a state of such hyper-alertness could be challenging. The vagus nerve is there to de-escalate the response.
But for this to occur according to your body’s plan, the vagus nerve needs to be “activated,” or stimulated, to return the body to its status quo state. When this doesn’t happen naturally, there are proven ways to activate the vagus nerve to help it do its job.
Activating Your Vagus Nerve for Healthy Sleep
To promote healthy sleep, it’s essential to keep your vagus nerve active and functioning well, often referred to as having high vagal tone.
So if your bedtime routine is winding down, but your thoughts and heart are still racing, here are some tips and techniques that can easily fit into your rejuvenated healthy sleep checklist: [5]
- Deep breathing exercises: We’re not talking about just sucking wind, but rather slow, deep breathing when you draw air into your belly area. Dim the lights, get comfy under the covers, and drown out the rest of the world.
- Cold exposure: There’s nothing like a warm, soothing shower or bath to help your body relax before flipping off the lights, right? Well, sure. But dialing the faucet’s temperature from the red to blue dot — activating your vagus nerve — can be a jolting yet effective grand finale. And you don’t even need to step into the shower or tub to reap the rewards of cold exposure. Sipping ice water and even applying a cold compress to your neck can create the same desired effect.
- Gargling: Remember, our goal is healthy sleep. So, we’re intentionally selecting vagus nerve activation exercises that fit neatly and tidily into your nighttime routine. And gargling fits the bill. Like singing or humming, gargling focuses on an area in your throat right beside where your vagus nerve passes by. The longer and louder you can sustain your gargling with water or mouthwash, the better. But be sure not to wake the neighbors.
- Truvaga: For an easy, reliable way to stimulate the vagus nerve, consider Truvaga’s handheld device. Both the Truvaga 350 and Truvaga Plus are designed to reduce stress, improve sleep, boost clarity, and restore calm. In fact, in a recent 30-day independent study, 74% of participants reported sleeping better after Truvaga use. Another 82% reported feeling calmer, while 77% said they were more relaxed.[6] Because Truvaga only requires a simple 2-minute session morning and night, it’s easy to envision it on your bedside table or bathroom vanity, fitting seamlessly into your bedtime routine.
Learn more about these methods for activating your vagus nerve and other exercises.
How Should You Position Your Body for Healthy Sleep?
Beyond bedtime routines and vagus nerve activation exercises, your sleep position itself can also play a role in promoting vagus nerve health and, ultimately, healthier sleep.
Are you a side sleeper? Back sleeper? Stomach sleeper?
And better yet, does it matter?
Experts say that your preferred sleeping position can play a starring role in vagus nerve activation, thus achieving healthy sleep.
The science says that if you’re a side sleeper — specifically if you sleep on your right side — you are most likely to activate the vagus nerve. [8] On the other hand, sleeping on your back has proven to decrease vagus nerve stimulation. With that knowledge, pick out and fluff up the best pillow for your new or improved right-side sleeping position.
Creating a Healthy Sleep Routine
While you may have tunnel vision when creating smart to-dos before you crawl into bed, be sure to take time to create a healthy wake-up routine, too – one that enables you to spring off the mattress, not crawl off. After all, bookending your slumber with healthy activities is what turns a habit into your new natural rhythm.
Some of the tips and advice applicable here are already well-circulated: making your bed first thing, making time for exercise, and making sure to hydrate with water — try a splash of lemon for a kick of Vitamin C — before brewing your morning joe. Here are some other morning routine tips for consideration:
- Rethink the morning alarm: [9] The alarm doesn’t have to be our frenemy, tempting us with the siren song of the snooze button. Try setting your morning alarm 10 minutes earlier than usual, and use that chunk of time to wake up and rise vs. immediately rushing for the shower. Also, if you’re still using an alarm clock from the ‘80s, it’s time to upgrade. Alexa and a smart bulb can gently ramp up lighting to simulate the sunrise. Smartwatches and other wearable tech can provide powerful data to baseline your healthy sleep so you can fine-tune your routines accordingly.
- Express gratitude: The science is out there, and there’s no denying that showing gratitude has a powerful impact on our well-being. Using a slice of the morning to jot down notes in a gratitude journal can go a long way to connecting you with the world around you. Not sure what to write? Don’t worry, we wrote about it. [note: will link to the “gratitude” post once it’s live]
- Remember your vagus nerve: Your vagus nerve is working 24/7 to regulate critical systems and functions throughout your body. So, give it a little love in the morning, whether you’re repurposing our nighttime tips such as cold exposure, jump-starting your day with morning meditation, or just 5 minutes of Tai Chi. If you’re a Truvaga user or thinking about becoming one, your quick, 2-minute morning session sets the stage for your daily well-being — reducing stress, restoring calm, and defogging your mind.
Healthy sleep doesn’t just happen overnight. But with a bit of discipline, some attention to your vagus nerve, and embracing new practices, you’re on your way to regularly awakening as the best you. Good morning, good night, and good luck!
Sources:
[1] Sleep Foundation, What Is Healthy Sleep?, https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-hygiene/what-is-healthy-sleep
[2] Sleep.com, Is Icing Your Vagus Nerve the Secret to Better Sleep?, https://www.sleep.com/sleep-health/vagus-nerve
[3] Study Finds, American breaking point: 41% say they’re at ‘peak stress’ right now, https://studyfinds.org/americans-at-peak-stress-now/
[4] Sleep.com, Is Icing Your Vagus Nerve the Secret to Better Sleep?, https://www.sleep.com/sleep-health/vagus-nerve
[5] Truvaga, Top Exercises for Vagus Nerve Health: DIY Edition, https://www.truvaga.com/blog/top-exercises-for-vagus-nerve-health-diy-edition/
[6] electroCore.com, Truvaga™ Plus Demonstrates Health Benefits in Latest Consumer Study, Paving the Way for Market Expansion, https://investor.electrocore.com/news-releases/news-release-details/truvagatm-plus-demonstrates-health-benefits-latest-consumer
[7] Cleveland Clinic, Vagus Nerve, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/22279-vagus-nerve
[8] Mindd Foundation,Vagus Nerve Stimulation and it’s Many Benefits, https://mindd.org/article/vagus-nerve-stimulation-many-benefits20sleeping
[8] National Library of Medicine, Comparison of effect of 5 recumbent positions on autonomic nervous modulation in patients with coronary artery disease
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18503214/
[9] WebMD, Tips for a Healthy Morning Routine, https://www.webmd.com/balance/ss/morning-hacks-ease-stress
