Scientists Develop Device To Reduce Stress—But Doctors Warn There's a Catch
Summary
SONA is a wearable ear device that uses heart-rate variability and breathing measurements to adjust gentle stimulation of an ear branch of the vagus nerve. Doctors described the approach as biologically plausible and potentially more tailored than fixed-setting wearables, but the provided details do not establish whether it improves sleep or stress in everyday use.Key Facts
- SONA is designed to deliver personalized stimulation through a branch of the vagus nerve in the ear.
- The device measures heart-rate variability and breathing, then adjusts stimulation based on the readings, according to its founder.
- Sessions include guided breathing and soundscapes and last 10 to 20 minutes.
- Heart-rate variability measures small differences in the time between heartbeats.
- A doctor said heart-rate variability and breathing can offer clues about how the nervous system responds to stress.
- CDC figures cited for 2024 show that 30.5 percent of U.S. adults had short sleep duration.
- The CDC figures also show that 15.4 percent of adults had trouble falling asleep and 18.1 percent had trouble staying asleep.
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