After using vagus nerve stimulators for more than a month, we feel ready to make a case for these pricey devices.
We had to know: could these wearable and handheld gadgets, delivering itty-bitty electrical pulses to the neck, deliver on the lofty promises to improve sleep, stress, and anxiety?
Two Healthliners tested two popular devices (myself included) to find out.
After over a month of using them daily, perhaps the best way to describe the experience — it’s like an emotional massage. The after effect feels a little like you just screamed into a pillow, without having to actually do so.
The vagus nerve is like… the nerve of all your nerves. It mediates nerve signals for a wide range of sensory and motor functions.
While more research is needed, vagus nerve stimulation has been linked to improvements in migraine, mental health, sleep, and even gut health. But previously, it required invasive surgery to implant a device in the chest. It was only recommended for certain cases of depression and epilepsy, and it came with risks.
Now that these noninvasive vagus nerve stimulators have become available for home use, they’re talking a big game, claiming to help you regulate your nervous system so you respond better to stress and anxiety and sleep a bit sounder.
So far, in our experience, they deliver. But they come with some dollar signs (perhaps our only big gripe).
How we tested
For this test, we tried two devices: the wearable Pulsetto and the handheld Truvaga.
I used the Pulsetto every day for 35 days and counting, at least once a day. I always used it for 10 to 20 minutes during my bedtime routine and sometimes for 5 to 10 minutes in the afternoons when I know I’m prone to feeling overwhelmed.
Fellow Healthliner Tim Mojica used the Truvaga device twice daily for 20 days and counting, for a total of 4 minutes per day (2 minutes per session).
We’re both still using the devices regularly as of May 2026, since publishing this article.
According to Dr. Nancy Hammond, MD, the exact parameters have not been extensively studied, but she says these devices work best when used 1 or 2 times a day, for a few minutes to up to 45 minutes.
More than 8 hours daily can damage the vagus nerve, so it’s definitely not an all-day endeavor.
They helped facilitate a calmer response to our stress, anxiety, panic, and that sensation that you can’t chill out — but know you should.
An overstimulated parent’s dream
I brought some baggage into this test. I’m a full-time mom with a full-time job under the same roof — and most days, it’s stressing me out. After using the Pulsetto daily for over a month, I’m convinced a vagus nerve stimulator device should be covered by insurance for parents.
When your sweet little baby becomes a slightly unhinged toddler, it just feels impossible for a parent to survive this phase of life without some tools. And one of those tools should send tiny electrical shocks to your vagus nerve so you can remain calm when your kids are losing their ever-loving minds.
I’ve been able to tackle the whole “firm but kind” approach to these beserk moments much more consistently. I feel less reactive to (and beaten down by) my toddler’s emotional volatility.
Even if you’re not a parent, you are likely familiar with the feeling that comes at the tipping point of anger, frustration, and burnout — when 47 things are happening in the same millisecond, and your nervous system is at maximum capacity.
In my experience, using a vagus nerve stimulator has helped temper anxiety and remind myself that the world is not ending in those stressful moments.
Not a cure-all for muscle tension (but may be helpful)
Instagram is full of posts from people claiming a vagus nerve reset finally got rid of their chronic pains.
I secretly hoped this would be the cure to all my seemingly incurable neck and shoulder knots.
According to Dr. Nancy Hammond, MD, whom I spoke to about these hopeful devices, probably not. “The vagus nerve does not have direct effects on the muscles in the neck and shoulder,” she says.
And so far, I’m still waking up with my same ol’, same ol’ neck and shoulder pain. However, the claim is not totallyoff base.
Dr. Hammond explains that because chronic muscle tension can be a physical manifestation of stress, activating the parasympathetic nervous system through the vagus nerve may indirectly help reduce muscle tension by helping you better manage stress.
But it’s not likely to make muscle pain go poof in the night.
Noticable improvements to anxiety and sleep
This is one area in which Dr. Hammond feels more confident. While the research is still new, she says nonsurgical vagus nerve stimulation has shown promise for the treatment of chronic stress, anxiety, and sleep problems.
We anecdotally experienced improvements in these areas. “I feel less stressed, I’ve been sleeping more consistently through the night without waking up in a panic attack, and I feel better equipped to manage my anxiety,” said my fellow Healthliner, Tim Mojica.
He acknowledged that he made other changes to his diet and workout habits prior to testing, which likely also contributed to his overall improvements. But he feels the Tuvaga vagus nerve device played a strong supporting role.
I re-established my exercise routine at the start of this year and started taking magnesium before bed — both of which had already helped me get deeper rest.
But since using the Pulsetto, I received my first sleep score in the 90s, which hasn’t happened since before I had kids. This is likely a culmination of several habits.
That said, because I’m exercising at night (typically a sleep hygiene no-no), I like to think the parasympathetic activation helps my body wind down despite the evening cardio burst.
My sleep duration is shorter, I’m going to bed later, but somehow it’s more consistently restorative and restful than it has been in several years.
It was intimidating on the first use — but it all started to feel very manageable. I found I could increase the intensity level with continued use.
You’ll feel a vibration that creates a tingling sensation. You might feel facial tension or a tickle near the ear. For Tim, this resulted in his lip drooping on the stimulated side.
“The experience is out of this world,” says Tim. He felt relaxed either immediately or within a few minutes to hours. “While the sensation can feel unusual at first, I found it satisfying and came to enjoy the ritual of using it.”
Safety warning
Always discuss using a vagus nerve device with your trusted healthcare professional first. While these devices are generally safe for use, some people should avoid them.
People with cardiovascular concerns, neurological conditions, implanted devices, diabetes, ulcers, asthma, sleep apnea, or other breathing-related health issues should especially discuss with their doctor first.
We recommend these if your budget allows — it’s a really solid investment in your self-care. Both devices we tested are FSA and HSA-eligible, which could make the investment a little more feasible. Our only other complaint is that you have to use an app on your phone to activate the device and adjust intensity.
But whether it’s kids or other stressors that have you facing bouts of heightened stress and anxiety, this is a really solid tool to temper it all.
If you’re an overstimulated parent like me, a tiny human is constantly grabbing at either your clothes or your breaking point. That is where vagus nerve stimulation has helped me most — moving the breaking point farther and farther away.