One of the most important things that I have learned is that our nervous system is flexible and it can be influenced.
You.
Me.
We are not static.
We can change and we don’t have to move mountains to do it.
We can use different inputs to get different outputs. One such input that can influence our bodies is vibration.
Discovering Apollo Neuro
Last August, in preparation for my children’s virtual school I purchased the Apollo Neuro wearable device.* After hearing about the tech on a podcast I became intrigued by the science behind it and its effects on attention, meditation, and sleep. According to the company, “Apollo works by activating the same neural pathways as breathing, meditation, and soothing touch.”
You can read more about the science here, but in a nutshell, the company states:
“Apollo uses waves of vibration that are demonstrated in both the lab and the real world to change the balance of our nervous systems through our sense of touch.”
I’ll be honest, my primary motivation at the time was to help my children focus at home during virtual school. I did not want to have a repeat of the chaos that was Spring 2020. I wasn’t sure if it would work, but the research coupled with the 30-day money-back guarantee helped me make my decision to purchase the device.
Special Delivery
After we received the Apollo Neuro, not only did one of my children repeatedly ask for the device, I also unexpectedly fell in love. At that point, it was a matter of who would get it when. Because my original intention was to use it for school, I prioritized my child’s focus but found myself experimenting with the device whenever it was “available.”
To my surprise, the wearable, which was designed by a psychiatrist and neuroscientist, was able to influence my state faster than I expected. The 30-days came and went and I had no plan to return it. I wanted to see if the tech that the company describes as a “wearable hug” could have a cumulative effect.
Science of Stress
To understand the science behind the Apollo Neuro device, you first need to understand the science of stress. Stress is something that we all experienced in many forms. When you are stressed your body and brain receive a high alert signal that you are in danger and a cascade of hormones meant to protect you is triggered.
Unfortunately, today’s world can often keep us in a high alert state and our bodies prioritize survival over things like sleep, focus, relationships, etc. When we are stressed our pre-frontal cortex or “thinking” brain goes offline and our survival brain takes over. If our signal is stuck “on’ all the time it can not only affect us physically but our mental and emotional states suffer too.
Heart Rate Variability
A key indicator of how well you recover from stress is your Heart Rate Variability or HRV. Contrary to popular belief your heart does not beat at a steady rhythm. There are actually tiny variations in the time from beat to beat. How much your heartbeat varies - high HRV is the goal - is a good indicator of your physical, mental and emotional state.
My family first experimented with HRV training using the HeartMath Inner Balance Sensor in 2018 to track and measure the variations between heartbeats. It’s a simple device that you clip onto your ear then connect to an app on your phone. It gives you immediate feedback on your HRV, which you can influence in real-time by changing how you breathe and what type of thoughts you think.
While I think it’s important to understand how to influence your HRV, I really like that Apollo Neuro uses certain frequencies of vibration as a passive input to positively influence your HRV and help restore the body.
Twice Per Day for a Month
After 7+ months and more than 18,000 minutes of using the Apollo Neuro in a variety of situations - from getting my children back to sleep after a bad dream to preparing for and wearing it during live speaking and meetings, Zoom and in-person - I decided it was time to double-down on my use. I chose May, which National Mental Health Month and National Meditation Month, as my “Apollo Neuro Every Day” month.
I committed to and completed using the device at least twice per day for the 31 days. On some days I would complete up to five programs or modes per day. I selected modes based on what I was doing or how I was feeling.
The Modes
Apollo Neuro touts seven distinct modes described below:
Energy and Wake Up
Recommended for whenever you need a burst of energy.
Social and Open
Recommended the help you feel engaged and at ease.
Clear and Focused
Recommended to improve focus during cognitive and athletic performance and during creative work.
Rebuild and Recover
Recommended for improved recovery from exercise, mental or emotional stress, or when you are not feeling well.
Meditation and Mindfulness
Recommended for deeper meditation states. Also helps you get into meditation faster.
Relax and Unwind
Recommended when you need to unwind or before bed.
Sleep and Renew
Recommended to fall asleep more easily, especially when stressed.
The Results
More Focus - The Clear and Focused mode has been one of my go-to’s during this month-long experiment. I have noticed that even after the program finishes after 30-60 minutes, depending on what I am doing, I still feel a sense of clarity. Now that my children are back in school, my child that regularly asks for the Apollo, likes to use the Energy and Wake Up mode before heading out the door. He says it wakes him up and helps him focus.
More Calm - The Social and Open mode is the program I run prior to school pick-up, I find that it puts me in the right state of mind to receive my full of energy children. Recently, after breaking a rule, I had one of my children say, “Mom, why are you so positive about this, I thought you would be mad,” as I reprimanded him. I deemed that a parent win.
The same child also says, “I like how the Apollo can calm you down when you’re frustrated.”
I also have deepened my daily meditation with the Meditation and Mindfulness mode. This has been especially helpful on days when my mind feels extra busy.
Better Sleep - I track my sleep daily with both the OURA ring and the IOS-based Sleep Cycle app. I have seen noticeable improvements in my data, including HRV, on both trackers during my time consistently using the Apollo. Using the Relax and Unwind and Sleep and Renew modes back-to-back has been the catalyst for the change.
Overall, I am very pleased with the Apollo Neuro and feel as though it delivers on its promise to actively improve your health. If I had one criticism, I would like the battery to last a bit longer so I don’t have to charge it so often. However, overall I like how I feel when I use it, the results I have been having and I feel as though it’s having a cumulative effect on my nervous system.
Have you tried the Apollo Neuro? I would love to hear about your experience!
If you’d like to purchase the device and experiment yourself, you can save 10% here.
*We like the Apollo Neuro device so much that I am now a proud affiliate for the wearable tech, meaning if you click the links above and make a purchase, I earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
My recommendation is based on my experience and knowledge of this device and I recommend it because it has been helpful in influencing my and my family’s lives and nervous systems not because of the small commission I may receive.
