7 Ways to Support the Vagus Nerve and Improve Heart Rate Variability (HRV)

soothing vagus nerve

The vagus nerve is a cranial nerve that activates the parasympathetic nervous system and increases levels of oxytocin and the calming neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Supporting the vagus nerve and thereby improving parasympathetic tone promotes relaxation, sleep, digestion, and healing.

Activating the parasympathetic nervous system dials down the sympathetic nervous system or fight-or-flight response. In that way, the vagus nerve acts as a built-in “stress-reset button.”

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Help for Hormonal Sleep Problems

Hormonal sleep problems.

Can’t sleep? It could be your hormones.

Sleep disturbance is common during the premenstrual phase of the menstrual cycle and is usually the result of dropping progesterone or a histamine or mast cell reaction.

Sleep disturbance can also occur during perimenopause and menopause. 

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The Curious Link Between Estrogen, Mast Cells, and Histamine

The role of mast cells and histamine in estrogen dominanceHeadaches. Anxiety. Insomnia. Brain fog. Hives. Nasal congestion. These are just a few of the symptoms of mast cell activation or high histamine.

Histamine symptoms are more common in women and often track with the menstrual cycle, occurring when estrogen is high at ovulation and then again just before the period. 

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How Vitamin B6 Relieves Premenstrual Mood Symptoms

PMS cure

Thank you to my nutrition professor, who first taught me about vitamin B6 (pyridoxine or pyridoxal-5-phosphate) for PMS. It is an effective, reliable treatment for premenstrual mood problems, including PMDD.

Back then (30 years ago), vitamin B6 relieved my own premenstrual symptoms so dramatically that it became my eureka moment in natural health and menstrual health. I realized that although premenstrual mood symptoms are common, they’re not normal. And going forward, I had much higher expectations of what a period should be like. 

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