30 days with Sensate Pebble II (2020) Review of Vagus Nerve Stimulation Device
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- Опубліковано 30 тра 2024
- Product link: www.getsensate.com//HatsonCoach
Have you been reading reviews of the new SENSATE Pebble 2 and are wondering whether it can really help you in the long term? Well after using SENSATE for 30 days I'm ready to give you my in-depth opinon.
SENSATE is a wearable device that stimulates your vagus nerve through chest vibrations. This is the second iteration of their pebble device, with a new rubberised coating, funky edge lighting and a large suite of different soundscapes and vibration patterns designed to activate your nervous system's foot brake to calm you down, relieve anxiety and help you sleep better.
So how does Sensate work? The vibrations on your chest are designed to stimulate your Vagus Nerve. This nerve links your brain to your vital organs and is essential in regulating how you respond to, and how you recover from stressful situations. If you want to know more about the Vagus Nerve then please check out the link to my Vagus Nerve video • The Vagus Nerve Explai...
To use Sensate, you place the device on your chest, either by lying down or by using the lanyard to hang it from your neck, so that it settles on your chest. You switch it on and open the app on your phone. The app gives you a selection of different tracks to choose from, and each one provides a relaxing soundscape, similar to something that you would hear in a spa.... ambient music with nature sounds, that run for between ten and 30 minutes. So you pop your headphones in, and the Sensate Pebble will begin to vibrate in time with the music.
The app is easy to use, reliable and complements the device well with its styling. I've rarely had any issues connecting to the pebble, and the only area for improvement that I can see in the app is that it would help if it told you how much battery is left. I know that the lighting on the pebble tells you this, but personally I'd rather find this out in the app.
The sensation of the vibration on your chest is calming and actually comforting. The comfort aspect is really interesting because one aspect of the Vagus Nerve is the role that it has in promoting a feeling of safety. And when you've got the Sensate Pebble doing its thing, you really do get that feeling of being safe. Even when using it on a crowded train. So I can really see this device helping people with anxiety or some past trauma where feeling safe is a real problem for them.
I’ve been using the Sensate daily for a week now, testing it in a couple of ways. Firstly, just having it round my neck whilst I’m working. I’ve used it whilst on calls with the music off and also just as I’m doing some work, listening to the music whilst I’m concentrating.
Battery life is ok, it lasts for about an hour or so of use, something like that, and this is one area where I'd like a prompt after the session to put it on charge, because I've regularly gone to use it before bed and realised that it's out of battery. So I've taken to keeping it on charge so that it's always ready to go. I don't know what that will do to the battery in the longer term, but I'd rather have it ready to go when I want to use it.
One of the reasons for doing a 30 day test is that anything that claims to provide health and wellbeing improvement needs time to affect you physically. So in the 30 days I've been using the Sensate Pebble every day for at least 10 minutes, I've been measuring my Heart Rate Variability, or HRV for short. Now HRV is closely linked to the health of your vagus nerve, so that anything that claims to stimulate your vagus nerve should, over time, deliver a measurable difference in HRV. And in regard of the Sensate Pebble, I'm pleased to say that I've seen a 10% improvement in HRV over the 30 days. And although it's only me testing myself, I am happy that this is significant enough an improvement to recommend the Sensate Pebble for anyone looking to reduce stress levels or help them deal with anxiety better. It's simple to use, the feeling is very pleasant, in fact much more pleasant than, say the Neuvana Xen which also stimulates the vagus.
My personal preference for using the device is just before going to slee. It's so effective that I’ve fallen asleep with it still in my chest a number of times. It’s actually a great way to shut down after a busy day. As the weather has improved I've been using it in the garden whilst relaxing in the sun.
The only downside is the price. £300 is a lot of money, and the price is something I've been thinking about a lot. Personally I buy a lot of tech to review because I want to have a suite of devices and approaches that I can recommend to my clients. But I have to say that after 30 days testing this device, I feel that the Sensate Pebble is worth the money at this price. Use it every day and you will get value for money from it in the general improvements in wellbeing that you will get from it.
#sensate #vagusnervestimulation #heartratevariability
Hi, I bought a Sensate based very much on your recommendation, so I thought I'd come back here to share my review of it. I really wanted to like this product, and while it's relatively pleasant to use, I am actually sending it back. I don't think it lives up to it's claims. How I know that is that I bought a Lief HRV wearable as well, which tracks HRV in real time using highly accurate ECG technology. Since Sensate claims to stimulate the vagus nerve and increase HRV passively, I expected to at least see somewhat of an increase while using it. Instead I saw it stay pretty much exactly the same during the sessions, or even dipping down lower for a while. In contrast, when I do the Lief guided breathing, it jumps up 40 points or more. That is just not in any way good enough for me to justify the high price of the Sensate. I would expect at least some results. I am happy for others who like theirs but I will be sticking to my Lief!! I may also try a Neuvana Xen at some point, when they start shipping to my country. Anyway thank you for your reviews!
Hi Lynx thank you for your feedback! I like your approach of measuring efficacy. I tend not to measure HRV improvements in real time because of the observer effect - watching scores can cause an anxious reaction, lowering HRV. So I baseline before and after a test period - usually 30 days. And in the case of Sensate I did see an improvement though not as big as Neuvana. Having said that, if you’re getting better return from Lief then you’ve made the right choice! I’m curious though, what made you choose Lief over Heartmath?
@@matthatson Hi Matthew, thank you for the reply. I suppose that could be the case, but I was laying there listening to the music and would check my HRV every now and then and it did not go up besides perhaps a few points here and there and going back down again. Maybe that's something to do with me, but that's just the results I got. I also feel that if it were vagus nerve stimulation, that my HRV should go up regardless of observer effect? Again, could just be me, I hope others get better results.
The reasons I bought a Lief are that I feel personally that it is potentially more useful/effective than Heartmath for two reasons. One is that you wear it all day long (and all night if you would like) and it kicks in whenever your HRV is low (unless you mute it) meaning you're improving your HRV all day long... including while engaged in other tasks, not just in a short session here and there when you remember to use the device. I feel that also gives one a better awareness of our own state, especially when you add in the ability to look at the app and see what parts of the day your HRV was low or high based on what you were doing. For example I've heard of some users quitting coffee or interacting with certain people after seeing that it always brought their HRV down. The other reason is that I have tried the earclip sensors and I found it quite uncomfortable and inconvenient to use because I wear earrings and have a tiny earlobe (it also didn't last long, but it was a cheaply made one), while I don't even notice that the Lief is there and the ECG sensors are very highly accurate!
I am in no way affiliated with Lief whatsoever, I'm just a new fan and I think it's a really great product. I hope this helps some people out there interested in raising their HRV :)
@@smttn1 you should definitely see an hrv increase.. When I was healthy my hrv was higher. Now that I've been sick for months my hrv plummeted and it's been hard to get it up :(
Very detailed and compressed review. professionally done! thank your for saving my time while serving all the details about this device! thumbs up
Thanks! Glad my video was useful and your feedback is much appreciated 🙏
This product calms and soothes you into a blissful state... I love it.
Great to hear Victor... thanks for the comment!!
Thanks for the informative, succinct review.
I’ve had a lot of breathing issues which have become significantly worse during lockdown. If this makes your chest feel looser then I’m sold as I’m willing to give anything a go to help improve my situation. Thanks for the review.
I find that the Sensate relaxes my chest
Good review Matthew, thanks!
You’re welcome Jason!
Really great review 👍👍
Thank you 🙏
Thanks! Just subscribed.
Great, thanks! New content and tech coming soon!
Thank you Matthew, great thorough review again. I have ordered my pebble (Neuvana not in the U.K. yet as we both know but would like to get it when it’s available).
Do you know the rough time it takes to charge the pebble from empty to full battery at all? Many thanks, Quintin
Hi Quintin that’s a great question. I haven’t timed it but it’s quick, less than an hour I’d say.
Matthew Hatson Thanks Matthew. If someone possibly had an inflamed vagus nerve from illness ( neuro toxins), would the pebble help this inflammation or possibly flare it up a little? Thanks again.
Hi Quintin. I'm not a doctor so I'm not qualified to comment medically and as always please consult with your medical practitioner on any proposed intervention.
I'm an engineer so my thoughts are this. When any closed loop system is stimulated, stress is introduced. There's a chance that there's some inflammation as part of the response to stress. A little stress helps the body strengthen. More stress than a system can handle will cause breakdown. So if you have a system that is somewhat compromised, then the amount of stress that the system can handle is reduced. So it would be best to go easy on the stimulation and take it bit by bit. Test and check. Use how you feel, and your HRV as a guide. Hope that helps.
Matthew Hatson Makes complete sense, thank you!
Matthew Hatson Hi Matthew. Do you have any news if the Neuvana will be coming to the U.K. anytime soon? Many thanks 😊
So.... I started using my bullet vibrator on the right side of my neck and chest for weeks....lol! I mean, it runs for about 20 minutes, has many different vibration settings, is rechargeable, and is about $20.00!!!
How is it working for you?
can you please do a review on the Apollo Neuroscience mate?
No plans to review Apollo yet, I can’t yet see how it could be more effective (or practical) than the Sensate. I’ll ask them for a review unit so stay tuned!
Matthew Hatson looking forward to it!
Thanks for the video.
Have you tried the HUSO?
Hi Adam, I’ve tried it once and wasn’t impressed, though I don’t have any plans to do a proper review at this time. Personally I’m not convinced by the wrist / ankle vibration technologies such as this or Alpha... I think that there are better technologies out there at a cheaper price.
@@matthatson Matthew I have a huso and it doesnt do anything for me
I do have the apollo...and I it works and I am highly doubtful it is placebo. I use it for rest and relaxtion and productivity.
@@boodiums i agree the Apollo Neuro looks interesting. My neighbours have it and really find it useful too. It is pricey though
Good review, well done.
Some stuff come in mind :
Can i use the Sensate without the app ? (i mean, the "sounds").
What your though on NuCalm (60$/months for 1 session a day) vs Sensate II (250$ once but for how long ?)
Thanks Yohane. You need the app to use Sensate but you can turn the volume down to zero. I do this often when I’m working. Personally I’m not convinced by the Nucalm approach, plus it’s expensive. My preferred approaches for Anxiety, are Heartmath Inner Balance, Sensate or Neuvana, in order of escalating cost. Hope that helps!
@@matthatson Thank you, will i be able to play an other music while turning it down ? BTW i could still connect to my tablet and use my earbuds on my phone.
Really enthousiast about trying HRV + Sensate.
So after 30 days with both the Pebble and the Xen, which is best?
Hi Brandon, I do cover this in my Xen vs Pebble video. Xen I feel is likely to give you greater increases in HRV, but Pebble is the most immediate “feel”. I use both devices, though if I was going to pick only one, I’d buy the Pebble just because of the feeling I get when using it.
Is the vibration intensity similar to a phone’s? If so then a phone can be programmed to do the same thing.
Interesting idea!? That’s a great concept for an app I will investigate!
The vibrations seem to vary--I can feel two separate sensationsOne smooth and quiet, the alternate one soft, yet sracato=like, lasting only a dew seconds. Why is that?
Part of the program, based on their research
I have the mark 1, but it doesn't work for me, and the battery life is short, so after 30 minutes it's about had it and needs a recharge. So I started using it with the power plugged in, but that only increases the run time by a bit. So, its now in the draw unused. I'm convinced it's a con.
It’s definitely not a con, though I can see how you might think that given your experience. Have you contacted Sensate?
Thank you for this review!
Why i can't use my smartphone with strongest vibrating and laying on my chest? There is a app which let my phone vibrating constantly and intensive, as i want. ^^
Hi there! Great question! Actually you can do and it might help.. give it a go and let me know how you feel. Part of the vibration is how it directs your attention to the present, so I’d be interested to know how it affects your state of mind.
@@matthatson Thank you. The problem is, i am suffering from extrem generalized anxiety and dissociative disorders. A therapist told my that it can take 6 week, till i will feel something by the Neuvana. So i don't think i will feel a lot with just the vibrations.. :( if you wanna try, the app is called "Vibrator Strong - Vibration App Message" - maybe you wanna test it out?!? :)
I have to say I don’t agree with that therapist. Your nervous system will respond to Neuvana straight away, even if you don’t feel it. Remember that many people who suffer from anxiety take longer to “feel” different because they have become somewhat desensitised to what’s going on in their nervous system. Neuvana is awesome and starts working from first use (in my experience).
@@matthatson The therapist is a neuropsychologist and works in research. - My illness is acute and really very serious. I also take medication. When I need the Neuvana Xen, I don't notice any change. (Sometimes I have the feeling that the pulse is actually increasing). But that can also be psychological. - I've been doing neurofeedback for 6 months. Did rTMS. Ketamine infusion, I am in trauma therapy and have had the Alpha-Stim for 8 months. Unfortunately nothing helped, except medication. So you might be right that this device takes some time to work. In any case, it can of course also be that it is already working for me, but I haven't noticed it yet. It is not clear to me that simply the symphaticus is too strong and the parasymphaticus too little active. I think it is more of a chaos. I am tense, always dizzy, etc. but I am also totally tired and listless. - I think with normal tension, etc. the Neuvana Xen can certainly help the first time. I use waveform A and ocean waves by the way. :) - I've read that tVNS even increases brain plasticity and also increases consentration. That would be great for me because my frontal brain waves are way too deep. (Low alpha). Sorry for the long answer and thank you very much for your answers and your estimated time!
Can you combine it with the Neuvana, I wonder what would happen lol
Great question... remember that you can overstimulate your parasympathetic nervous system! This can make you sleepy and listless in my experience!
My question is: is this a product that works on people for whom anything works anyway? because I'm in that category where meds have barely no effect unless you give me the strongest pills in category that no doctor will prescribe unless a very damn good fucking reason (because of how dangerous they are if prescribed loosely). I'm that type of people who need extra high quality stuff, no little infusion or meditation sesh, or relaxation sesh works, I need extreme levels because my brain is extremely, extremely, extremely active and fuckign strong at it, stopping it is hardcore, my days were 30-36h long minimum before I was prescribed a med u only use in mental hospital because of how strong they are (and it wasn't to get me sleep but it's a side effect), to finally find the ability to fucking sleep after 16h after I managed to find the right moment to take it during my day. For me the strongest sleeping pill in the game has as much effect as taking one single deep breath in the day: not enough. So yeah, am I going to waste my money on a sensate? feels like it.
I’d recommend Heartmath or Neuvana Xen. I like Sensate but in my experience those two would be a better choice.
Where can I actually buy: a Xen gadget and a Sensate?
Hi Mandi you can find Xen at neuvanalife.com and Sensate at get Sensate.com
Is there any scientific research showing that a low intensity external vibrator located outside the chest cavity ACTUALLY stimulates the vagus nerve in a clinically significnant manner?
Also, wouldn't it make sense for a professional reviewer to actually posssess professional expertise in the area concerning his reviews?
Hi Jack thanks for your comment. Research is going on all the time, I couldn’t find any at the time of writing but who knows if there is now. Remember that published scientific research is expensive to perform and as such there are many things that we know to be true or at least partially but are not fully backed up with published research.
I think your second question is more of a statement than a question, and as such thanks for your statement 🙂. I don’t claim to be a professional reviewer, please check out my website if you’d like to know more about my services 🙏
I didn't get an eye mask.
Don’t know if they still offer that? If it was part of your deal, please get in touch with them
You’re not reviewing it, you’re advertising it😭
Thanks for your thoughts JM. This video was not sponsored in any way, it's just a good device. Though not my favourite VNS device as I discuss in my videos.
@@matthatson what is your favourite device?
Neuvana Xen!
Neuvana Xen!