The Vagus Nerve: How Your Body Regulates Stress, Recovery and Chronic Symptoms

How to Calm Your Nervous System: Vagal Nerve Stimulation

Can’t relax even when you’re exhausted? Struggling with poor sleep, brain fog, digestive issues, anxiety, or feeling constantly stuck in “fight or flight”?

In this video, Dr. Gary Kaplan explains the vagus nerve and its role in nervous system regulation, including how the brain, nervous system, immune system, heart, and gut communicate with one another.

In this video:

00:00  Intro
01:34   What is the vagus nerve and why it matters
2:58     The autonomic nervous system
4:20     What “vagal tone” means and how HRV relates to it
05:59   Causes for the vagus nerve or autonomic nervous system to become dysregulated (how chronic stress, poor sleep, illness, inflammation, and other physiological stressors can contribute to autonomic dysregulation)
7:58     The vagus nerve and inflammation
8:52     Resetting your vagus nerve and why it can sometimes be misleading
9:28     Natural ways to regulate your vagus nerve, including slow breathing, humming, singing, meditation, movement, sleep, social connection, and cold exposure
15:42    What is vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), how noninvasive VNS works and when to consider it
16:21    How ear-based stimulation, or transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS), may influence neural signaling
17:37    How Nuropod is used at the Kaplan Center as part of a personalized treatment approach
19:23    How Nuropod compares with other noninvasive VNS devices, including neck-based devices
21:19    How to track changes over time using symptoms and measures such as heart rate variability (HRV)
22:18    Do you need a VNS device? Why VNS should be used as a tool and not a replacement for identifying and treating underlying causes
24:02   Vagus nerve regulation key takeaways

The goal isn’t to “hack” or permanently “reset” your vagus nerve. It’s to help your nervous system develop greater flexibility—the ability to respond when needed and return to a state of recovery afterward.

Important: Vagus nerve stimulation is an evolving area of medicine. Research and evidence vary depending on the specific device, stimulation method, and condition being treated. Individual responses also vary. Talk with a qualified healthcare professional to determine whether VNS or other approaches are appropriate for you.