Rest and Restore Protocol (RRP) represents a revolutionary approach to fostering nervous system regulation, and enhancing the connection between the mind and the body. Co-created by Dr. Stephen Porges, renowned for his Polyvagal Theory and Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP), and Anthony Gorry, a music and audio innovator, RRP uses leading technology from Sonocea to influence physiological states through the power of sound.
In a recent Q&A session, Dr. Porges and Gorry provided valuable insights into RRP, its underlying technology, and integration by providers into therapeutic practices. This summary highlights the key takeaways from their discussion, with an upcoming live opportunity to further explore the science behind RRP.
Understanding Rest and Restore Protocol™ (RRP)
Dr. Stephen Porges defines RRP as a listening therapy designed to optimize interoception — our sensory system that helps us assess internal feelings. While you may be familiar with co-regulation, which describes how nervous systems influence each other and can support regulation, Dr. Porges explains, “RRP is targeted at optimizing our internal state and feelings to reconnect another type of co-regulation: the brain with the body.”
According to Dr. Porges, trauma often leads to a disconnect between the brain and body—it “numbs” itself, disrupting the essential feedback loops from our internal organs. This can result in various mental and physical health issues, such as gut problems and sleep disturbances. RRP seeks to reawaken these feedback loops by tapping into our physiology.
Dr. Porges explains that stress can disrupt the body’s natural rhythms, including heart rate, blood pressure, and gut motility. “That is actually what stress is defined as. If the rhythms of the body are not there, if they’re depressed, that’s when we get all our symptoms,” he said, adding that RRP gently encourages the brainstem to recover these rhythms, allowing the body to restore itself.
Sonocea Enhanced Technology: The Foundation of RRP
Biological disharmony can be a cause and symptom of various conditions and challenges. At the core of RRP is Sonocea Enhanced™ technology, which offers the unique ability to re-align the body’s natural homeostatic rhythms.
Through the Sonocea Enhanced technology, RRP provides rhythms that are slower than audible sounds to the human ear (called infrasounds) to trigger the body’s own rhythms through entrainment. Dr. Porges elaborates that these manipulations of tempo and frequency encourage the body to return to a state of restoration and recovery.
“Sonocea Enhanced sound is the first-ever technology to enshrine our internal systems and organs to a natural rhythm of calm and safety, influencing our physical and mental well-being,” Gorry says.
“This is designed to help you as another tool within your toolkit alongside many of the different modalities,” Gorry adds, emphasizing that RRP is an adjunctive tool that therapists can integrate with other modalities while prioritizing client comfort and safety.
Clinical Differences Between RRP and SSP
A common question is: What is the difference between Rest and Restore Protocol and Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP)?
“The similarity is that it’s sound [and] it’s on the Unyte dashboard,” Dr. Porges clarifies, “but it’s designed to do something totally different.”
SSP, also developed by Dr. Porges, focuses on enhancing social engagement and emotional regulation. RRP, meanwhile, subtly engages our physiology (Dr. Porges compares it to “stealth meditation”).
Rebecca Knowles, OTD, OTR/L, RYT, from Unyte Health, further explains that RRP supports self-regulation and connection to the self, while SSP primarily supports co-regulation and connection with others. RRP uses the principle of entrainment to align organ systems with homeostatic rhythms, whereas SSP targets the ventral vagal complex and the social engagement system, and is particularly helpful for individuals with sound hypersensitivity.
Research on RRP Effectiveness
A pilot group (n=110) was administered standardized assessments before and after listening to Rest and Restore Protocol™ (RRP). The most prominent effects were observed in measures of anxiety (GAD-7), sleep (AIS), trauma symptoms (PCL-5), and depression (PHQ-9), with the majority of clients reporting at least some improvements.
In addition, gastrointestinal improvements with RRP were reported consistently by participants, with these findings supported by improvements in the digestive problems subscale on the Brain-Body Center Sensory Scales (BBCSS).
In the pilot groups, notable improvements include:
- In sleep, 76% of participants reported improvement, with 44% noting a clinically significant decrease in sleep issues.
- For anxiety, 93% reported improvement, with 67% moving from a clinical to non-clinical level.
- Similarly, for trauma, 88% reported improvement, with 72% moving from a clinical to non-clinical level.
- In depression, significant improvements were also observed, with 82% reporting an improvement in symptoms and 68% moving from a clinical level to a non-clinical level.
Learn more about the research →
Invitation to Learn More
Join the conversation! Explore Rest and Restore Protocol and its applications in our upcoming Clinical Conversations webinar featuring Dr. Stephen Porges and Anthony Gorry on May 8, 2025, at 12 p.m. ET.
This event offers an invaluable opportunity to deepen your understanding of RRP and its potential to transform therapeutic practices.
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