Stanford study by Dr. Huberman shows breathwork is a superior technique for calming the nervous system

Dr. Andrew Huberman, professor at Stanford and host of the popular podcast Huberman Lab, recently published a study, finding that certain types of breathwork, namely the kind we use in the Chorus Sleep Sessions, are more effective for calming your nervous system than meditation.

Interestingly, while meditation can be a superior technique for building daytime focus, specific breathing techniques, which Huberman calls Cyclic Physiological Sighing, are more effective at calming the autonomic nervous system, lowering stress, and improving mood.

Calming our minds and bodies is a critical step toward high-quality sleep. As many of us can relate, laying in bed, either feeling physically restless or with our mind racing, often prevents us from sleeping.

The Chorus Sleep Sessions, which are relaxing audio sessions designed to help you fall asleep or fall back asleep if you wake up in the middle of the night, specifically include breathwork like the kind that Huberman studies. And while it may seem counterintuitive to do active breathwork before bed, it can help to calm you significantly within a few minutes.

Internally, we've seen from our data that many of our community members find this kind of breathwork more effective for falling asleep than other meditations or sleep stories. Therefore, it's exciting to see the bolstering of this observation in academic studies.

🧩 At Chorus, we are committed to leveraging the latest sleep research to help people thrive. If you're an HR or business leader interested in learning more about supporting your organization with better sleep, please reach out!