Here are 5 vagus nerve stimulation activities to support your neurodivergent nervous system. In general, neurodivergent children and adults have lower vagal tone and may benefit from vagus nerve-stimulating exercises.
What is the Vagus Nerve?
The vagus nerve is the longest of 12 cranial nerves in the body. These cranial nerves connect the brain to the head, neck, and trunk. The vagus nerve is the main part of the parasympathetic nervous system and controls a multitude of bodily functions, including:
- Emotional regulation,
- Mood,
- Immune response,
- Digestion,
- Sleep,
- Heart rate,
- Blood pressure
Strengthening your vagal tone can improve your family’s well-being because the vagus nerve supports greater resilience to outside and internal stressors.
Dr. Stephen Porges developed the Polyvagal Theory which centers on the vagus nerve. His theory is trauma-informed and offers great support for neurodivergent children and adults.
1. Sleep
Prioritizing sleep is one of the best things you can do to support your physical, mental, and emotional health. Quality sleep has many neuroprotective (brain-protective) benefits including:
- Improve memory,
- Supports integration of learning,
- Increases brain energy,
- (Reduce brain fog and distractibility)
- Regulates metabolism
Unfortunately, many neurodivergent people struggle with sleep due to dysregulation of the nervous system. This results in a highly-activated sympathetic nervous system (fight-or-flight) and the parasympathetic (rest and digest) taking a backseat.
This is why focusing on sleep habits and practices is so important. Quality sleep supports increased vagal tone (parasympathetic state). And on the other hand, stimulating your vagus nerve can enhance sleep quality.
2. Massage
If you have an autistic or ADHD child in occupational therapy, you’re likely familiar with the term proprioception. Proprioception is a form of sensory awareness that relates to deep pressure on the body.
This is why neurodivergent children often bang into walls, slam doors, and love big hugs. Deep pressure releases calming neurotransmitters by stimulating the vagus nerve and parasympathetic nervous system.
The next time you or your neurodivergent loved one is feeling stressed, anxious, or dysregulated, try massage. A simple hand or foot rub can make all the difference.
3. Deep Breathing
During stressful situations, people tend to hold their breath. This stimulates the fight-or-flight response and restricts vagus nerve activity.
Activate your vagus nerve through slow and deep belly breathing. Further, focusing your attention on your breath shifts your attention away from stressful thoughts and toward the rhythm of the breath.
Box Breathing
Box Breathing is a simple calming strategy that helps to stimulate the vagus nerve.
- Breathe in for a count of four.
- Hold your breath for a count of four.
- Exhale for a count of 4 and continue while tracing around an imaginary box.
Here are more ways to breathe deeply to support the parasympathetic nervous system.
4. Exercise
We all know exercise supports cardiovascular activity. Research also suggests that endurance training increases parasympathetic activity (supporting greater vagal tone). It also decreases sympathetic activity in the human heart when at rest.
For those who struggle with the bodily and emotional symptoms of anxiety, this information should be encouraging. Adding cardiovascular exercise to your routine can make a huge difference in your mental and physical health.
If you don’t already have an exercise practice, start with a short daily walk and work your way up as your capacity increases.
Dysautonomia, Autism, and Exercise
Many autistic ladies struggle with dysautonomia (autonomic dysfunction) such as POTS, Mast Cell Activation, or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. This can make traditional exercise very challenging.
Exercising outdoors requires the body to navigate the heat can cause an increase in challenging symptoms. In our home, my autistic teenager does short exercise videos as part of her homeschool routine.
5. Humming or Chanting
According to research,
A regular daily humming routine can help enhance the parasympathetic nervous system and slow down sympathetic activation.
Trivedi, et. al, 2023, Humming… as a Stress Buster
Humming and chanting support an increase in vagus nerve functioning and thus, support the parasympathetic nervous system. Specific benefits of chanting or humming include:
- Decrease in heart rate,
- Support sleep quality,
- Increase attention
This is why you’ll often hear people humming. They’re often doing so to regulate their nervous systems to find calm. The next time your child is humming or singing, remember, that they’re regulating their nervous system by doing so.
Recap: Vagus Nerve Stimulating Activities
Neurodivergent children and adults often struggle with dysregulated nervous systems. This leads to higher levels of stress, anxiety, digestive issues, mood challenges, and difficulties with sleep.
Activities stimulating the vagus nerve are a great option to support calm and nervous system regulation.
For practical tools related to the vagus nerve and your family’s mental health, grab these polyvagal ladder worksheets for stressed families.
Up Next:
Polyvagal Ladder Worksheets for Stressed Families
How to Get an Autistic Child to Sleep: 9 Tips That Work
ADHD vs Autism: Overlap, Differences & Perspective
How Can Chiropractic Care Help My Family’s Anxiety?
47 Emotional Regulation Activities for Kids Every Mom Needs!
About the Author:
Lindsay is a trauma-informed educator with a Master’s Degree in Teaching. Her mission is to support moms to equip neurodivergent kids (ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, Anxiety) to thrive as exactly who they’ve been created to be. Wait until you hear the story that led to it all…