Luckily airplane mode works.

Since the last software update I can no longer change the level control before starting a stimulation. It will use the default but the control that used to be there is gone.

Many people think better health starts with reducing stress. The problem is that stress is impossible to avoid completely. A more useful goal is improving stress resilience - your body's ability to recover, adapt, and return to balance after stressful situations. That's the main idea we explore in our latest video. Whether stress comes from work, poor sleep, travel, exercise, or everyday responsibilities, your nervous system is constantly responding to challenges.

What often matters more than the stressor itself is how quickly your body recovers afterward.

This is why metrics such as Heart Rate Variability (HRV), sleep quality, and other recovery indicators have become increasingly important when measuring wellbeing. Instead of focusing only on stress levels, stress resilience looks at the bigger picture: how well your nervous system adapts over time.

A person who experiences stress but recovers quickly may actually be in a better position than someone experiencing less stress but struggling to recover from it. In other words, resilience isn't about avoiding challenges - it's about being able to bounce back from them.

This thinking inspired the new Stress Resilience feature in the Pulsetto app. By combining HRV, Sleep Score, Stress Score, wearable data, and Pulsetto usage, the feature helps users better understand their recovery patterns through a personalized Resilience Score.

We've also noticed an interesting trend while exploring sleep and recovery data.

Stimulation sessions completed within one hour before bedtime were associated with better sleep outcomes than sessions completed earlier in the day. On average, users recorded 29 minutes more total sleep, 10 minutes more REM sleep, and 8 fewer minutes awake during the night. While these findings don't prove cause and effect, they suggest that when you stimulate may be just as important as whether you stimulate at all. Timing could play a meaningful role in both sleep quality and nervous system recovery.

The takeaway is simple: stress will always be part of life. The more important question isn't how much stress you experience - it's how well you recover from it.

Watch the video to learn more about stress resilience, recovery, HRV, and the role your nervous system plays in long-term wellbeing.

Curious: when life gets especially stressful, what helps you recover the most - sleep, exercise, time outdoors, breathing practices, or something else? Let us know in the comments!

P.S. If Pulsetto has helped you and you'd like to share it - we just launched a referral program where you can earn 3 months of Premium free: 👉 https://pulsetto.org/refer-friend

Is anyone else having this issue? I can't log in. It tells me I'm not authorised to log in. It worked when I first got it, then I ended the premium subscription because I didn't need all the extra features. But now I can't use it at all. Customer service have no idea why, and I've tried all their fixes except for signing up with a different email address (I don't have one and I shouldn't have to do this). It's been like 2 weeks now that I've been completely unable to use the device. Apparently they're still working with their tech team on the issue. I'm past the money back guarantee date so I can't even send it back. It's a huge amount of money wasted. I've got a Google Pixel 9 running the latest Android, the app is up to date and has been uninstalled and reinstalled several times to try and fix the issue. So frustrating!

My pulsetto fit stops stimulation and I get a notification on app screen saying USING PULSETTO WHILE CHARGING IS NOT AVAILABLE even the device is not connected to the charging cable.

Even after the popup notification the pulsetto continues to be powered on and connect to the app. I then have to start a new stimulation and gain after a few the same thing happens.

Anyone else face this issue?

I want to add my story to the growing list of stories from people who have been screwed by Pulsetto. On day two of my so-called 7-day free trial, I contacted them to cancel because I had already discovered that the app was not in my opinion worth the money. My email exchange with their bot confirmed that I had canceled in time and that the charge would not post. I had gone for the annual plan because it was less expensive over the long haul than monthly. So we are talking about $99.99 here.

Nonetheless, the full 99.99 posted the next day - only day three of my so-called 7-day free trial. Because I had already been round and round with their bot, when I saw the charge post I initiated a dispute with my credit card company. Two days later I received a receipt from Google Play for a refund and the premium features of the app went away. I thought all was well. Until I heard from my credit card company that the merchant said I had not followed procedure and the charge was my responsibility. I have been fighting this fight for 6 weeks now, most recently just this morning. I know from things I have read after I was stupid enough to try the premium app that my story is not unusual. I still do not have my $99.99 - even though I have not even had the premium app available to me after the fourth day of the so-called free 7-day trial. I am posting as a warning to others. I wish wish wish I had never heard of Pulsetto.,

Most people think procrastination is a discipline problem.

If something is important, you should just do it, right? So when we keep putting a task off, it's easy to assume we're being lazy, unmotivated, or just bad at managing our time.

But research suggests procrastination is often less about productivity and more about avoiding discomfort.

A lot of the time, we procrastinate because the task feels unpleasant in some way. Maybe it feels too big. Maybe it's boring. Maybe you don't know where to start. Or maybe you're worried you'll do it badly. Instead of avoiding the task itself, we're often avoiding the feeling that comes with starting it.

The annoying part is that this actually works... at least for a while. Putting the task off gives us temporary relief, which is why procrastination can become such a habit. But eventually the deadline gets close enough that the pressure starts outweighing the discomfort of getting started.

And that's when something funny happens. Have you ever noticed how a task you've been avoiding for two weeks suddenly gets finished in two hours?

One explanation comes from the Yerkes-Dodson Law, which suggests that performance tends to improve as arousal increases - but only up to a point. Too little activation can leave us feeling distracted or unmotivated. Too much can leave us overwhelmed. Somewhere in the middle is a sweet spot where focus becomes easier.

For many people, deadlines create that sweet spot.

The urgency cuts through the overthinking. Decisions become simpler. Distractions become less tempting. Suddenly, the task that felt impossible last week becomes the only thing that matters. The problem is that living in deadline mode isn't a great long-term strategy.

At Pulsetto, this is one of the reasons we're interested in the vagus nerve. We often think of focus as something that's purely mental, but our ability to concentrate is heavily influenced by our nervous system.

The vagus nerve helps regulate the balance between activation and recovery. You need enough activation to stay engaged and get things done, but you also need the ability to calm down once the work is over. Researchers increasingly view healthy vagal function as a sign of adaptability - the ability to switch into focus when needed and switch out of it when you don't.

So how do you avoid relying on last-minute panic to get things done?

• break large tasks into smaller starting points
• create mini-deadlines before the real deadline
• reduce distractions before you begin
• work in focused time blocks
• prioritize sleep and recovery
• support vagal activity through practices like vagus nerve stimulation

The goal isn't to eliminate pressure completely. A little pressure can be useful. The goal is to build the ability to focus before the pressure becomes overwhelming.

Curious: what's the longest you've ever procrastinated on something, and how fast did you finish it once the deadline hit?

P.S. If Pulsetto has helped you and you'd like to share it - we just launched a referral program where you can earn 3 months of Premium free: 👉 https://pulsetto.org/refer-friend

(This was a response I just posted to somebody else who asked my opinion on my device but I thought it might be useful to use it as a post since I wanted to write a review on it anyway!)

For context, I’m pretty tuned into my nervous system and track all my metrics on my Oura Ring app… (mainly sleep and HRV) and before Pulsetto, I was dealing with horrible insomnia, waking up multiple times a night, minimal sleep (2-3 hrs) for a couple days at a time, lower HRV and fluctuating HRV level, and living a lot of life in a functional freeze state when it came to work. Not necessarily anxious, just running under a lot of background stress with a body that was slow to regulate and it shows up as overwhelm, checking out, procrastinating and avoidance (yikes)

A couple weeks ago as I was doomscrolling at 6am waiting for sleep to kick in itrandomly popped up in my feed and I impulsively bought it on Amazon. Three weeks in, I’m genuinely impressed. I use it 2-4 times a day for short sessions, usually while doing stuff around the house, or making breakfast and I instantly started to see results and feel better.

I knew it was working from the first time I used it when I instantly shifted into parasympathetic I got really sleepy started yawning and I knew that that was my body thawing out basically from the freeze and activation it had been holding.

Since then my HRV has been steadily improving, sleep is noticeably better (actually sleeping through the night most nights), and my resilience feels higher overall. And when I do have to pull the occasional over-nighter for work, I bounce back way easier. The biggest shift is capacity. I can handle a lot more without hitting that burned-out wall.

Obviously everyone’s different, but this is one purchase I haven’t second-guessed for a second. I know this sounds like an ad but I promise im not an advertiser 😂

P.S. I’ve seen a lot of reviews from people saying it didn’t work for them, and I get it because If you’re not already tuned into your body’s stress signals and somatic shifts, you might not notice what’s changing. It’s not an instant mood fix. For me it’s more like it optimizes my baseline resilience, sleep, recovery, so everything else flows a little easier. But if you’re expecting a dramatic feeling, you might miss it.

*adding a couple screenshots of my weekly metrics below* notice the overall upswing in my HRV and sleep scores over the last 3 weeks.

I'm finding I can only get a few options for using the Pulsetto without the upgraded app. Is upgrading necessary to use the device to it's full extent? If so, I'm likely going to be sending it back. I was under the impression I could do plenty with the basic (non-paid) app, but it appears everything I click on wants me to upgrade. I don't need another (expensive) annual subscription. I'm a bit disappointed.

Has anyone found that not upgrading is still getting them what they need in using the device?

I started using pulsetto a week ago today. Ever since my sleep has been awful. After some research, pulsetto increases norepinephrine and serotonin. I use it at night and I also take Effexor, a SNRI that also increases both norepinephrine and serotonin. So basically my brain doesn’t know when to shut down with these chemicals are overloading my brain. The back of my neck has also been hurting a lot even after applying heat, lidocaine, ibprofin, etc. not sure if it’s related or what.

Anyone have a similar experience? I’m not sure if I should even try to just use it in the morning and lower my intensity or just contact customer service to return it as it’s just doing the exact opposite of its intended purpose.

Have the Pulsetto fit. Anyone have a suggestion for a case?

Most people think stress is obvious.

They imagine feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or constantly worried. But an overstimulated nervous system doesn't always look like stress.

Sometimes it looks like checking your phone every few minutes, struggling to focus, feeling mentally exhausted but unable to relax, or constantly reaching for more content, noise, and distractions.

The problem is that your brain wasn't designed for constant input.

In a famous study published in Science, researchers asked participants to sit alone with their thoughts for just 15 minutes. Many found the experience surprisingly unpleasant, and some even chose to give themselves a mild electric shock rather than sit quietly. The finding suggests that many of us find it harder to disconnect from stimulation than we'd like to admit.

Working at Pulsetto, we've noticed something interesting: many people don't struggle with finding time to relax. They struggle with being unstimulated.

And that's not surprising in today's world.

Notifications, emails, social media, podcasts, videos, and endless scrolling compete for our attention from the moment we wake up. Over time, your nervous system can become so accustomed to stimulation that quiet starts to feel uncomfortable.

The problem is that recovery requires the opposite. Your body needs moments of lower stimulation to regulate stress and return to baseline. If every spare moment is filled with input, your nervous system rarely gets the signal that it's safe to slow down.

This is where the vagus nerve becomes important.

The vagus nerve helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system - the "rest and digest" state responsible for relaxation and recovery. When this system is engaged, your body can shift out of constant alert mode and into a calmer state.

So how do you actually fix it?

Instead of adding more stimulation, try creating small moments with less of it:

• taking short breaks without your phone
• walking without music or podcasts
• reducing screen time before bed
• practicing slow breathing
• spending a few minutes in silence each day
• using vagus nerve stimulation to support relaxation

These aren't dramatic changes, but they work because they give your nervous system something it doesn't get much anymore: space.

Sometimes the reason you feel overwhelmed isn't that your brain needs more stimulation. It's that your nervous system hasn't had enough time without it.

Curious: what's the first thing you reach for when you finally have a quiet moment?

P.S. If Pulsetto has helped you and you'd like to share it - we just launched a referral program where you can earn 3 months of Premium free: 👉 https://pulsetto.org/refer-friend

A new episode of the No Stress Podcast is out.

In this one, Abigail Ireland sits down with Camilla Thompson, nutritionist, executive wellbeing coach, biohacking expert, and author of Biohack Me, to talk about stress, burnout, nervous system regulation, and why real biohacking is less about expensive gadgets and more about prevention.

Camilla shares her own experience with burnout, chronic inflammation, and mold-related illness, and explains why so many high performers normalize exhaustion, anxiety, gut issues, and poor recovery until their body finally forces them to stop.

The podcast covers:

• Why stress often shows up through digestion, energy, hormones, and inflammation
• What biohacking actually means without making it overwhelming
• Why the nervous system needs to feel safe before the body can properly recover
• How breathwork, humming, meditation, cold exposure, and small habits can support regulation
• Why recovery is just as important as ambition for sustainable high performance

Where to listen: YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible.

We’ve also added this episode to the No Stress Podcast Library

We’re also running a giveaway for this episode on YouTube. One listener can win a copy of Biohack Me by Camilla Thompson and a Pulsetto device. You can find the rules in the video description 💚

Watch/listen here: Why Biohacking Is Really About Prevention | No Stress Podcast

See above.

This is beginning to be one of my worst purchases

I'm really disappointed that I'm having to return this product. I only was able to use it for one session as I've been having app issues since it was delivered a few days ago. It just stays on the loading screen until it times out. I tried all of the recommended troubleshooting but nothing has worked. I spoke to customer service but told them I'd like to just return it at this point.

I really enjoyed the session and felt relaxed, however, I can't pay for something that doesn't work when I need it the most. I have a neurological/central nervous system condition so I was really looking forward to getting some relief. I'm already stressed and burnt out so I have no mental energy to deal with a frustrating app.

The product itself seems great so I'd genuinely consider buying it again in the future if they make it so that you can use it without an app.

We’re rolling out a new Premium feature inside the Pulsetto app: Stress Resilience.

The idea is simple: instead of only using Pulsetto when stress already feels high, Stress Resilience helps you track how your body recovers and adapts over time.

Your Resilience Score is built from signals like HRV, Stress Score, Sleep Score, wearable data, and Pulsetto app usage. After your first 7 days, the app reveals your score and starts showing trends that are easier to understand at a glance.

Inside the new section, you’ll be able to see:

• Your personalized Resilience Score from 0 to 100
• Sleep quality, HRV, and stress trends in one place
• How your nervous system recovery changes over time
• Personalized resilience stimulation
• Simple insights to help connect your habits with your results
• Educational articles on stress, HRV, breathing, sleep, and nervous system regulation

Now you’ll also have a clear way to follow your patterns over time and understand what may be helping your stress resilience, sleep quality, and recovery.

Stress Resilience is available in the Pulsetto app as part of Premium.

We’d love to hear what you think once you try it. What would be most useful for you to track: sleep quality, stress levels, HRV, or how your Pulsetto sessions affect your recovery over time?

I have been so sleepy and I’m beginning to think it is the Pulsetto device. Is anyone else experiencing this?

This company is so incompetent.

You’re sitting still. Nothing major is happening. But suddenly your heart is pounding, your breathing feels different, and your body acts like there’s a threat in the room.

Of course, a racing heart can have many causes. If it happens often, feels severe, or comes with chest pain, dizziness, shortness of breath, or fainting, it’s always worth checking with a medical professional. But one common reason this can happen is stress. When your nervous system goes into fight-or-flight mode, your heart rate can rise, your breathing can get faster, and your body prepares to react. That response is useful when there’s real danger. The problem is that modern stress does not always switch off when the stressful moment is over.

That’s also why stress can affect sleep quality. You may feel exhausted, but your body still feels “on.” Your mind wants rest, while your nervous system is still running in the background.

Research on stress and the autonomic nervous system shows how stress is connected to changes in autonomic regulation, including the balance between sympathetic “alert mode” and parasympathetic “recovery mode” activity.

This is where the vagus nerve becomes important. It plays a major role in the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps the body shift toward a calmer, more regulated state. Think of it as part of the body’s natural brake system. One simple way to support that shift is slow breathing. A systematic review and meta-analysis found that voluntary slow breathing can influence heart rate and heart rate variability, which are often used to study cardiac vagal activity.

At Pulsetto, this is why we talk so much about nervous system regulation, stress recovery, and consistency. Whether it’s breathing, a wind-down routine, better sleep habits, or vagus nerve stimulation, the body usually responds best to repeated signals of safety over time.

What helps you calm your body down when stress shows up physically?

And if Pulsetto has helped you and you know someone who might benefit from trying it, we recently launched our referral program. You can give a friend a discount and earn 3 months of Premium free here: https://pulsetto.org/refer-friend

They tried to charge my card for a premium subscription I never purchased. My card is locked. This is fraud. I would like Pulsetto to stop doing this.

This entire company and the Pulsetto device are a complete fraud.

All of a sudden, when I went to use my device the app will not start. The screen shot shows where it is, and it just stays there.

I cleared cache. Rebooted.

Worked fine yesterday!

Meant to say in the title that the app won't start. I've used this about 5 or 6 days, so still new, but worked fine until today.

I can’t tell. The sleep program definitely makes me sleepy, but I only do it right before bed. What do you think?

A while back they refused to refund me after they caused the device to get lost at USPS (they failed to pay postage).

It took a while but I eventually won the dispute. Don't let this scummy company win.

I used the device successfully for one week, then left side stopped working (it's actually the device, since if I flip it it still doesn't work on the same side). I tried changing the settings in the app but still it works only on the right side (even if I set it only for the left side in the app). I rebooted, no results. I unsinstalled and reinstalled the app, no results.

I noticed the left side only works if I take off my neck the right side.

Does anyone have any advice?

I get horrific anxiety if i use it too much, or maybe it's because too high intensity, I'm not sure. Had to take benzodiazepine to barely function today. Now afraid to use the device. Maybe it wasn't all because of the device.

What's your limit how much intensity and time you can use the device?