Vagus Nerve Dysfunction: The Silent Signal Behind Your Stress (And What To Do About It)

by Vital Wellness Center | Jul 22, 2025 | Health & Wellness

Because feeling like you’re constantly “on” shouldn’t be your baseline.

1. The Hidden Switch That Runs the Show

Ever feel like no matter how much sleep you get, your body still hums with tension? Or that your child’s meltdowns seem to come out of nowhere—again and again?

Behind the scenes of those moments is a nerve you may not have even heard of: the vagus nerve.

It runs from your brainstem down into your chest, lungs, heart, and gut. It’s responsible for helping your body go from fight-or-flight into rest-and-digest mode. In other words, it tells your body: You’re safe now. You can breathe. You can let go.

When the vagus nerve is stuck or underactive—your system doesn’t hear that message.
It stays revving. And so do you.

2. Why This Hits Moms Harder Than Anyone

You’re running point for the entire family.
Juggling the invisible load of appointments, tantrums, school drop-offs, meals, emotions—not just your own but your child’s too.

Even when the house is quiet, your mind races. Even when your body sits, it’s braced.

That’s a sign your nervous system isn’t shifting out of high alert. And here’s the kicker: neither is your child’s.

Our kids mirror us—and when you’re stuck in stress mode, they stay there too.

So when the vagus nerve isn’t functioning well, it’s not just a you problem—it’s a family-wide ripple effect.

3. What It Looks Like (Even If You’d Never Guess It)

Vagus nerve dysfunction doesn’t shout.
It whispers.

You wake up tired no matter how early you go to bed
Your digestion is off—bloated, crampy, sluggish
You get sick more often, and it lingers
You feel anxious for “no reason,” especially in stillness
Your child seems to be in a constant emotional rollercoaster
Sleep feels light and restless, or your child wakes up constantly

We call these symptoms, but they’re actually signals.
They’re trying to tell you something: your nervous system is overloaded, and it needs help finding its calm.

4. How the Vagus Nerve Loses Its Voice

There are a lot of ways this system breaks down—many of which feel “normal” in today’s fast-paced parenting culture:

Birth trauma (for you or baby)
High emotional or physical stress
Repetitive overstimulation (noise, screens, over-scheduling)
Poor posture or tension in the neck/jaw area
Digestive inflammation or food sensitivities
Not enough deep breathing, play, movement, or rest

Over time, the body becomes less responsive to the signals that say “you’re safe now.”
It forgets how to shut down the stress response.

And when that becomes chronic?
That’s vagus nerve dysfunction.

5. Where Healing Starts (and It’s Simpler Than You Think)

This is where things get hopeful.

The vagus nerve can be reawakened. It can come back online.
Your nervous system can relearn safety.
And it starts with consistent, small practices that reset your body’s internal rhythm.

🔹 Start With Your Breath

One of the most powerful (and free) tools is your own breathing.
Try inhaling for 4 seconds, and exhaling slowly for 8.
That longer exhale signals your vagus nerve that you’re okay.

🔹 Use Cold Water to Your Advantage

Splash your face with cold water in the morning.
Try ending your shower with 15 seconds of cool water.
This stimulates the vagus nerve and increases resilience.

🔹 Gentle Chiropractic Care

The vagus nerve originates at the top of the spine.
When there’s misalignment or tension in that area, the nerve can’t function properly.
Specific chiropractic adjustments can gently restore communication and function without medications or guesswork.

🔹 Create a Regulating Home Environment

Rhythms. Play. Slower mornings. Less multitasking. More face-to-face time.
These aren’t luxuries—they’re nervous system tools, especially for moms and babies.

6. It’s Not About “Fixing” Yourself

This isn’t a guilt trip.
If anything, it’s a call to compassion—for yourself.

You’ve likely been running on fumes, doing your best, and trying to be everything to everyone.
And in doing so, your nervous system has quietly slipped into a chronic state of survival.

You deserve better than survival mode.
Your child deserves a calm, present mom.
Your body is not broken—it’s just been stuck in protect mode for too long.

7. Let’s Get You Back

At Vital Wellness Center, we don’t just guess—we measure nervous system function with real scans and offer customized care that helps you and your child shift back into balance.

This isn’t about “doing more.”
It’s about doing less better—so that your nervous system finally gets to exhale.

Let’s find that calm again. Together.