Author’s Note: Last week,
I wrote a letter about morphe to a fellow insomniac.
A (mostly) non-digital device that is supposed to help people fall asleep more easily. This week we review another device that brings zzz to life: the Sensate.
In my previous life as a cat owner, I could fall asleep whenever a cat curled up on top of me and started purring.
Indeed, Sebastian weighed 17 pounds. This may have collapsed the more fragile female bird-like sternum.
But I have plump German bones, so Sebastian’s sleep always felt warm and tucked under a weighted blanket that gently gurgled.
Luckily, there is now a device called Sensate that uses the same gurgling principle to help you relax and fall asleep.
The Sensate is a small black device about the size of a computer mouse that attaches to your sternum. Then sync it with the companion app. The app plays a calming, multi-layered mashup of everything from chirping birds and babbling streams to meditative hums and hypnotic chants.
Contribution / BioSelf
During that time, the device itself will hum or vibrate, often in a completely different rhythm than the music playing through your headphones.
In the process, Sensate’s creators claim it can help reduce stress and anxiety while also contributing to better, more restful sleep.
When I tried it for the first time, I was amazed at how quickly I fell into hypnosis. The vibrations from the device echoed through my sternum, creating a sense of relaxation and mindfulness with amazing efficiency.
The second time I tried Sensate, I chose the 10 minute “Avian” track and fell asleep within minutes.
I especially appreciated that I didn’t have to try too hard to free my brain. I’m here.
Sometimes the art of staying in the moment seems like an impossible task. It is a luxury for the very young and those who have spent decades meditating and practicing the Just Be method.
But Sensate felt like Cliff’s Notes to mindfulness. I fell in love with the gentle vibrations and soothing soundtrack, but somehow it didn’t sound like Enya trapped on an island with an army of pan flutes.
If your experience with Sensate seems too New Age and annoying, it might help to know that there is real science behind the development of this gizmo.
of
Exciting
It is a very influential nerve that has come to be known as the “second brain”. The vagus nerve is thought to be involved in everything from inflammatory responses to hunger.
Studies have shown that the vagus nerve boosts the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). This is a system that encourages you to “rest or digest” instead of a “fight or flight” response. This creates promising possibilities for people with post-traumatic stress disorder, whose bodies may be stuck in a constant “fight or flight” state.
Our “vagus tone” indicates how well the vagus nerve is working. Healthy vagal tone helps increase heart rate variability, an important health indicator. Higher HRV means your body is more adaptable to change, and you tend to be happier and less stressed.
Long before we understood how the vagus nerve worked, humans were instinctively drawn to activities that help stimulate it. Chant “OM” or
Helps activate the calming response.
Doctors are now harnessing the power of the vagus nerve for everything from migraines to depression, using a variety of treatments, from electrodes to other vibrating devices.
Unlike some of these more sophisticated instruments, Sensate does not claim to be a medical device. BioSelf, the company that manufactures the device, has made no claims requiring FDA approval. However, BioSelf has conducted some small studies that show its effectiveness. There is also a report that heart rate variability improved in 86% of patients after using Sensate for his 20 minutes.
Sensate has some drawbacks.
One is the price. At $249, it’s expensive. Insomniacs are chronically exhausted, so they have little resistance to selling, but this is quite a change for this little gizmo. They buy a $5,000 bed if they think they can sleep all night. I guess.
Another downside is that you have to download the app to use it. So, downloading the Sensate app meant having to forgo the ultra-practical “be a virtual foot doctor!” As such, I was able to add to the virtual clinic so I lost my excuse to postpone the real house cleaning because I was too busy treating virtual bunions for virtual money.
The Sensate app also includes a “paid” option. With this option, you can get all the really good stuff by gulping down more cheddar cheese per month.
But honestly, I don’t think an upgrade is necessary. Because the “basic cable” package seemed to do the trick.
Oh, the company says ”
policy, if it helps.
My little advice is to familiarize yourself with Sensate. It was so much fun that I tried it several times a day, but I think it actually made me more anxious.
When it comes to Sensate, keep your cool. Trust that in the end it will work as designed.
Tammy has spent most of her life as a storyteller. Before she learned the alphabet, she would draw pictures, tell her stories, and dictate her stories to her patient mother. A graduate of North Dakota State University, she is a Bureau Writer for Dickinson Conservation, Bismarck She is a Tribune Feature Writer/Columnist, Forum Feature Writer, Columnist and Editor, NDSU Publishing Services Writer, Marketing/Social. I have worked as a media specialist. She is an educator for public broadcasting and a communications specialist for non-profit organizations.
