The vagus nerve is the main communication line between your brain and many of your internal systems, including digestion, heart rate, immune signaling, and stress response. It helps your body shift out of fight-or-flight and into rest, recovery, and regulation.
Vagal tone describes how well that communication system is working. When vagal tone is supported, the nervous system tends to recover from stress more easily and bodily systems stay better coordinated. When it’s not, symptoms like digestive discomfort, poor stress tolerance, disrupted sleep, or feeling constantly “on edge” may show up.
This guide explains what vagal tone actually is, how it’s estimated using heart rate variability, and which strategies have meaningful evidence behind them.
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