As I write this, two builders are replacing the windows at the front of my house. There is an Arctic draught, a lot of banging and drilling, and my two spaniels are barking with excitement.
But I am as peaceful as a spring meadow. The reason? I am trialling a new vagus nerve-stimulating earpiece to soothe my nervous system. A gadget called Sona appears to have given me a calmer outlook. When I think about it, I’ve been chronically stressed for a decade, and I finally feel recharged and relaxed.
It’s thought that around three-quarters of us feel stressed and overwhelmed. Jane Ollis, one of the founders of Sona, has a background in biochemistry and has worked for the NHS for three decades, at Nasa and at Oxford University. She has seen the negative effects of chronic stress on health.
‘Stress affects the brain and therefore its networks,’ she says. ‘It increases the risk of chronic conditions or makes existing ones worse. It weakens the immune system, disrupts sleep and affects brain function.’
There is a substantial amount of evidence that vagus nerve stimulation improves stress management.
What’s known as the autonomic nervous system regulates involuntary responses such as heart rate, blood pressure, digestion and sweating. Within this is the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the fight-or-flight response, and the calming (‘rest and digest’) parasympathetic nervous system. The vagus nerve runs all the way from the brainstem down to the stomach and is a key component of the parasympathetic nervous system.
Alice Smellie with her Sona – a vagus nerve-stimulating earpiece – which she believes has given her a calmer outlook
The Sona is a discreet device like a wireless headset which you slot on to the ear. From here, you choose your programme via an app and an intensity level between one and 20
There’s no question that daily stresses leave us permanently stuck in fight or flight mode. Vagus nerve stimulation uses gentle electrical pulses to tone the nerve and improve parasympathetic function, restoring equilibrium.
So why the ear? ‘One branch of the vagus nerve can be accessed externally via the ear,’ says Jane. ‘It’s like a one-way cable into the brain!’ This spot is situated in the small bowl-shaped area above the ear canal.
The Sona is a discreet device like a wireless headset. Press down to turn on, apply a conductive gel to two small metal electrodes via a neat pen applicator and slot on to the ear.
From here, you choose your programme via an app and an intensity level between one and 20. I feel little more than a slight fizzing on my ear even at the highest intensity.
Over the last few years I have been intensely stressed with work, illness and family and have caught every bug going. Sona makes no medical claims, beyond improving stress and sleep, but I do wonder whether a body in balance is a body less likely to get a steaming cold every other week.
The big advantage is how unobtrusive it is. You can follow the guided meditations, listening to either a gentle or a stimulating soundtrack.
During each session, heart rate and breathing are monitored and the stimulation adjusts, depending on how stressed or receptive your nervous system is.
Jane Ollis, one of the founders of Sona, worked for the NHS for three decades, at Nasa and at Oxford University
After a few weeks of using the Sona, Alice was getting more deep sleep, stopped clenching her jaw at night, has avoided getting ill and no longer suffers with restless legs
Over the past few weeks, my day has started by flicking through emails, Sona clipped on. I then do a session, which can run from ten to 25 minutes depending on preference. Then I carry on as normal, except my mind feels clearer and my energy steadier. In the evening, I follow one of the dusk programmes – breathing along and listening to the soothing soundtrack.
After a few weeks, my Apple Watch suggests that I am getting around 20 minutes more deep sleep.
I start to feel far less harassed by life’s demands, and my focus is better. When I see my dentist at the beginning of January he comments with surprise that I’ve stopped clenching my jaw at night. I have an annoying but necessary IV treatment (post-cancer) every six months that usually wipes me out with aching bones. This time I have no side effects at all.
Over Christmas my kids brought various unpleasant bugs home, but I haven’t picked up so much as a sniffle. Even my tension headaches seem to have vanished. And the restless legs that have plagued me for the last year have calmed down. There might be other elements at play. I have paid more attention to my lifestyle, drinking less, and trying to eat more healthily.
But there are measurable changes too.
Sona also increases what’s known as HRV, or heart rate variability. This is a biomarker that’s a good indication of general health. It is measured in ms – millisecond range. According to my Apple Watch, mine is around 40ms, the lower end of acceptable.
Using the Sona, my HRV has gradually risen throughout each session.
Stimulating the vagus nerve may also enhance neuroplasticity – the brain’s ability to learn and adapt. Studies are underway into its application post-stroke.
There is undoubtedly huge relief that my body is no longer reacting as if it’s constantly under threat. Unlike most habits started (or stopped) in January, this is one I fully intend to continue.
£695, sona.help
