The Science of Humming: A Simple Tool for Nervous System Regulation
An underrated practice for stress, anxiety, overall well-being.
Have you ever noticed yourself instinctively humming when you're stressed or overwhelmed? This simple habit may be more powerful than you think—humming can help engage the vagus nerve, shift your nervous system into a calmer state, and support overall well-being.
In this article, we’ll explore:
- How humming activates the vagus nerve and why that matters.
- Why humming meditations can help with stress, anxiety, and emotional regulation.
- A simple guided humming practice to try today.
What Is the Vagus Nerve & Why Should You Care?
The vagus nerve is like a communication highway between the mind and the body. It is an essential component of the parasympathetic nervous system, responsible for rest, digestion, and relaxation. The vagus nerve runs from your brainstem down through your throat, heart, lungs, and digestive system, carrying signals between your brain and the rest of your body.
A well-functioning vagus nerve supports:
✔ Lower stress and anxiety levels, with faster recovery from stress states
✔ Better heart rate variability (HRV), a key indicator of nervous system health
✔ Greater emotional resilience
✔ Improved digestion, sleep, and immune function
When we’re under chronic stress, our nervous system can get stuck in fight, flight, or freeze mode—leading to tension, overwhelm, and emotional dysregulation. One way to help shift into a state of relaxation is by activating the vagus nerve—which is where humming comes in.
Why Humming Works: The Science of Sound & Vibration
Humming creates vibrations in the throat, chest, and sinuses, which:
🔹 Indirectly stimulates the vagus nerve in multiple locations, promoting a parasympathetic (relaxed) state.
🔹 Increases nitric oxide production, which supports better breathing, circulation, and relaxation.
🔹 Slows your breathing rate, signaling to your body that it’s safe to relax.
Research shows that practices like chanting, singing, and humming can improve heart rate variability (HRV), a key marker of nervous system health and a proxy for vagal tone (how well the vagus nerve is functioning).
Having good vagal tone means that the vagus nerve has a strong ability to regulate stress and maintain balance over time. Increased vagal tone can help people expand their window of tolerance (e.g. ability to stay regulated while dealing with stress), which can be a missing piece toward recovering from trauma, chronic stress, burnout, and anxiety disorders.
While research on humming’s direct effects on vagal tone is limited (likely due to a lack of funding for free interventions), existing evidence suggests that daily humming or singing can support nervous system regulation.
The Benefits of Humming Meditation
A regular humming practice can help:
🌿 Reduce stress and anxiety by signaling to the body that it’s safe.
🌿 Improve feelings of presence and emotional balance through gentle nervous system regulation.
🌿 Provide similar benefits to breathwork, meditation, and mindfulness—while being more accessible and enjoyable to some people
🌿 Relax tension in the throat and chest, especially for those who hold stress there.
For all of these reasons, humming is a simple, yet powerful tool for nervous system regulation.
Try This Simple Humming Meditation
Step 1: Find a comfortable seated position, allowing your shoulders, jaw, and belly to relax.
Step 2: Take a deep breath in through your nose, feeling your abdomen expand 360 degrees.
Step 3: As you exhale, hum softly, feeling the vibration in your throat and chest.
Step 4: Let your exhale extend naturally—don’t force it, just follow your breath.
Step 5: Repeat for 3-5 minutes, noticing any shifts in your body and mind.
🎶 Want a guided version? Watch this week’s YouTube video for a guided humming meditation here.
References
For those interested in the science behind humming, vagus nerve activation, and nervous system regulation, here are some studies related to the claims made in this article:
Trivedi, G., Sharma, K., Saboo, B., Kathirvel, S., Konat, A., Zapadia, V., Prajapati, P. J., Benani, U., Patel, K., & Shah, S. (2023). Humming (Simple Bhramari Pranayama) as a stress buster: A Holter-based study to analyze heart rate variability (HRV) parameters during Bhramari, physical activity, emotional stress, and sleep. Cureus, 15(4).
Porges, S. W. (2009). The polyvagal theory: New insights into adaptive reactions of the autonomic nervous system. Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine.
Weitzberg E, Lundberg JO. Humming greatly increases nasal nitric oxide. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2002 Jul 15;166(2):144-5. doi: 10.1164/rccm.200202-138BC. PMID: 12119224.
Bernardi, L., Porta, C., & Sleight, P. (2006). Cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and respiratory changes induced by different types of music in musicians and non-musicians. Heart.
Zaccaro, A., et al. (2018). How breath-control can change your life: A systematic review on psychophysiological correlates of slow breathing. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.
Join the conversation
Have you tried humming for nervous system regulation? What questions do you have about the vagus nerve, singing, somatics, or the nervous system? Do you have any suggestions for future content that you’d like to see? Leave me a comment below to let me know. I’d love to hear from you!