I've been in a serious relationship with my vagus nerve stimulator for 30 days to see if it would decrease my stress — here's why I'm breaking up with it already

I've been using a vagus nerve stimulator for 30 days, hoping it would lessen my stress, but I've decided to end our relationship already. Vagus nerve stimulators, like the NuroPod, work by sending electrical signals to the vagus nerve, which is connected to the brain and helps regulate the nervous system. I tried the NuroPod, a device that fits over the tragus of my left ear, for 30 minutes each day, adjusting the intensity until I could feel a tingling sensation.

While using the device, I found that sitting quietly and not engaging in distracting activities helped me relax. However, I didn't notice any significant improvements in my sleep or stress levels, and the device was quite expensive at $900 (or £599 in the UK). My sleep and stress levels were mostly influenced by factors like alcohol consumption and late meals, not the device.

The NuroPod is not recommended for pregnant women, those with sleep apnea, or those with implanted electrical devices. I wouldn't recommend the device unless you're conducting a strictly controlled study, as it's difficult to determine the cause of sleep, stress, or overall well-being changes.