Pulsetto is helping athletes sleep

Jonas Valanciunas, Denver Nuggets center, has become an ambassador for Pulsetto. The company specializes in creating health tech wearables that help people manage stress and recover from burnout. The partnership was made official on August 26.

Valanciunas has used the Pulsetto FIT device for several months to improve sleep and maintain energy during the NBA season.

“Basketball has been my life for as long as I can remember. It gives me energy, but it also takes a toll – the travel, the pressure, the constant push on body and mind. Sleep is the foundation of recovery, yet there are nights when switching off isn’t easy. Pulsetto FIT helps me settle, sleep through the night, and wake up ready. When I’m rested, I can focus and play the way I know I can,” said Valanciunas.

Pulsetto FIT is a lightweight wearable that stimulates the vagus nerve - the body’s natural “reset button” – to activate deep rest and recovery. By targeting the nervous system, the device helps improve sleep, reduce stress, and support recovery between games, workouts, and long flights.

In a recent clinical trial, Pulsetto FIT was tested for its effect on stress, anxiety, and sleep. Participants used the device twice daily for four weeks.

After two weeks, stress was down 39.2%, anxiety 31.3%, and sleep disturbances 32.0%. By week four, stress was down 55.9%, anxiety 45.3%, and sleep disturbances 41.0%.

“Without deep rest, there is no full recovery,” said Povilas Sabaliauskas, stress management expert and Pulsetto co-founder. “But when the nervous system stays on high alert – after a game or a late-night flight – sleep becomes shallow, and the body doesn’t reset properly.”

He noted that what starts with one athlete often points to a wider trend in professional sport.

“Professional sport puts strain on the nervous system. Pre-game stress and long travel wear down recovery systems. Coaches and medical staff started treating nervous system balance as a strategic advantage for athletes,” explained Sabaliauskas.

This focus on nervous system recovery has drawn attention from other top players as well.

Pulsetto has formed a few more partnerships with basketball players. Earlier this year, Domantas Sabonis of the Sacramento Kings and Matas Buzelis of the Chicago Bulls became the company’s ambassadors.

These athlete endorsements reflect a broader spur for Pulsetto. The company has beaten a few records in the last year. Monthly app usage passed one million sessions this summer, and revenue tripled compared to 2024. The company recently launched in-person sales at TM:RW’s flagship store in Times Square, at Smartech Selfridges in London, and this September through Boots UK – the country’s largest pharmacy chain.

Pulsetto is a healthtech company focused on practical applications of neuromodulation. Its device stimulates the vagus nerve – a key regulator of the parasympathetic nervous system – to reduce stress responses and improve recovery.