How to Activate Your Vagus Nerve for Better Sleep, Stress Recovery, and Mental Health
As a psychotherapist with advanced training in neuroscience and mind-body medicine, I often hear from my New York City clients that they’re struggling with chronic stress, anxiety, depression, or insomnia. Many of them have already tried everything—from melatonin and prescription medications to meditation apps—but continue to feel stuck in the same frustrating cycle: they can’t sleep, they can’t relax, and they feel chronically depleted.
The long-term impact of disrupted sleep and chronic stress is well documented in both neuroscience and mental health research. And what many of my clients don’t realize is this: the nervous system itself holds the key to deep restoration—and it starts with something as simple and profound as your breath.
What Is Psychophysiologic Insomnia?
You might be surprised to learn that many people suffer from what's called psychophysiologic insomnia, also known as "learned insomnia." This type of sleep disruption often begins with a few stressful nights but soon becomes a habitual pattern where the body starts to anticipate stress at bedtime. The result? Heightened arousal, anxiety, and conditioned sleeplessness.
Many clients turn to medication, and while this can help in the short term, it’s often not a sustainable long-term strategy. In therapy, I focus on evidence-based lifestyle changes to regulate your nervous system and restore the brain’s natural sleep cycles—without dependence on medication.
How I Help My Clients Prepare the Mind and Body for Sleep
Before I introduce nervous system regulation techniques such as vagus nerve activation or deep breathing, I guide clients through creating an optimal sleep environment. This means:
Dimming the lights at least 2 hours before bed
Eliminating screen time and social media scrolling
Reducing noise and stimulation
Creating a consistent sleep-wake schedule
Additional relaxation techniques I recommend include:
Guided imagery and visualization
Meditation or mantra repetition
Restorative yoga or gentle stretching
Progressive muscle relaxation
Warm herbal teas (like chamomile or valerian)
A warm bath with magnesium salts or essential oils
Calming bedtime rituals that signal safety to the nervous system
The Neuroscience of Breathing and the Vagus Nerve
Here’s the part I love most—because neuroscience meets real-life healing.
Your autonomic nervous system has two primary branches:
The sympathetic nervous system (SNS), responsible for alertness, activity, and stress responses
The parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), which calms the body, slows the heart rate, and initiates deep rest and digestion
The vagus nerve is a key part of the PNS. It runs from the brainstem through the body, touching nearly every organ, and plays a vital role in regulating inflammation, mood, digestion, and sleep.
Through breathwork, particularly extending your exhale, you can activate the vagus nerve and induce what Harvard researchers call the Relaxation Response—your body’s natural counter to stress.
Try This Vagus Nerve Breathing Technique Tonight
Find a comfortable position in bed, free from light and distraction. Place one hand on your belly and one on your chest.
Begin by breathing in slowly for 4–7 seconds. Feel your belly rise.
Exhale even more slowly, for 6–10 seconds. Let your belly fall.
Repeat this for 5–10 minutes, gently observing any thoughts that arise without judgment.
Bring your attention back to your breath whenever the mind wanders.
Longer inhales energize. Longer exhales calm. This is a neurological truth rooted in brain science and the body’s autonomic regulation.
Why Breathing Alone Can Be a Game Changer
By shifting your breath rhythm, you’re essentially rewiring your nervous system. This breath-based vagus nerve activation is supported by decades of research in neuroscience, psychophysiology, and trauma healing. It’s free, accessible, and profoundly effective.
Whether you're struggling with:
Anxiety or panic attacks
Insomnia or restless sleep
Depression and emotional burnout
Post-traumatic stress
Chronic stress or nervous system dysregulation
…mindful breathwork is one of the most powerful, drug-free ways to reclaim inner calm.
My Integrative Therapy Approach
In my work with high-achieving professionals, creatives, and individuals navigating burnout or trauma, I integrate neuroscience-informed psychotherapy, EMDR, somatic practices, and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. For those struggling with anxiety, insomnia, or emotional dysregulation, I incorporate targeted nervous system work—including breath training and vagal toning—to support lasting healing.
Final Thoughts
Sleep is not just a luxury—it is the foundation of mental clarity, emotional resilience, and physical healing. Your brain wants to heal. Your nervous system is wired for restoration. You simply need the right tools and support.
If you're looking for holistic, neuroscience-informed therapy that bridges the best of mind-body medicine and evidence-based care, I’d be honored to work with you.
About Holistic Psychotherapy & Wellness Manhattan
Kimberly Seelbrede, LCSW is a New York State licensed Psychotherapist, EMDR Practitioner and Couple Therapist with a private practice in New York City, Montana and virtually. As a wellness psychotherapist and holistic consultant, she has receive advanced, extensive training in Trauma Therapy, Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Somatic Experiencing (SE), and Nutrition & Integrative Medicine For Mental Health. She is passionate about honoring the exquisite interplay of the mind-body connection. Kimberly Seelbrede specializes in anxiety & mood disorders, trauma and women’s mental health. She brings over 20 years of counseling, coaching, and healing experience to her holistic practice and transformational work.
In addition to online therapy for anxiety, depression, trauma and relationship struggles, Holistic Psychotherapy & Wellness offers a wide variety of online services to fit the needs of busy professionals. New Yorkers often lead fast-paced and complex lives, which makes work-life balance and managing career, family and social obligations a challenge. Psychotherapy and wellness practices provide the support to help clients cultivate resources, resilience and enhanced emotional health, as well as uncover conflicts and obstacles that may interfere with having the life they desire.