Have you ever heard of ASMR? Or viewed an ASMR video? If you happened to stumble on one of these videos it can be weird at first watching someone tear paper or whisper into the microphone to make mouth sounds, or tapping their finger nails while whispering. It’s just plain weird, but somehow it has this strange almost magical soothing, calming effect and then there’s the tingling sensation that starts at the top of your head that creates an even deeper experience. ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) is the brain and body’s response to auditory and visual sensory stimuli, or as I like to think of it, a weird brain tingle.
When I first experienced ASMR I had no clue that’s what I was experiencing. All I knew at the time was I having another one of my migraine headaches, medicine, cold towels, nothing was working while the throbbing pain just kept getting worse. I started listening to this YouTube video (my eyes were covered since light made the pain worse), it wasn’t so much the video itself, it was this woman’s voice speaking softly, slowly, and in a very calm and gentle way that made the pain melt away. Then there was this tingling sensation that spread down from the top of my head, it felt so good. I can’t remember what she was saying or what the video was about, it was really all about the sound and how it was effecting me.
That was years ago, fast forward to the 2020’s, I started seeing these ASMR videos all over social media and kept thinking how is this entertaining? I watched a few and then felt the tingling sensation again, “Oh I get it now, so that’s what it’s called, ASMR”.
ASMR Trends
ASMR continues to be consistently searched for on a daily bases. Google trends shows a daily spike around midnight which seems to indicates that people are searching for ASMR as a sleep aide.
Unfortunately, not everyone experiences ASMR
If you haven’t been able to experience ASMR, keep trying different triggers. There are approximately 5.2 million ASMR videos on YouTube and growing. There are so many triggers including the most common ones such as whispering, tapping, eating and crinkling. But there are also others such as writing, page turning, typing, humming and buzzing.
Some ASMR artists take it one step further by using role play. For some, ASMR can be triggered when getting an eye exam, or getting their hair cut so ASMR artists step into those roles while you experience all the related auditory and visual stimulations that goes along with those experiences. Like I said, it’s strange watching videos of someone whispering and pretending to cut your hair, but it works.
Here are some of the Top YouTube ASMR role-play artists:
@TingtingASMR | 2.47M subscribers | 758 videos
![[ASMR] Sleep Recovery ~ 3 Hours of Hair Treatments](https://i0.wp.com/i.ytimg.com/vi/t594X_5KKMo/hqdefault.jpg?w=640&ssl=1)
Most Popular video: [ASMR] Sleep Recovery ~ 3 Hours of Hair Treatments
length: 3:07:22
Views: 59M +
@GibiASMR | 5.02M subscribers | 1.2K videos
Most Popular Video: Fastest ASMR | Dentist, Eye, Cranial Nerve, Sleep Clinic, Lice, Ear Exam, Ear Cleaning, Makeup, Spa!
Length: 18min
Views: 58M +
@theasmrdarling | 2.5M subscribers | 301 videos
Most Popular Video: ASMR 20 Triggers To Help You Sleep
Length: 56min
Views: 40M +
@FredsVoice | 1.93M subscribers | 686 videos
Most Popular Video: Ultra Fast RAW Barbershop Razor Shave Sounds
Length: 32min
Views: 31M +
@ASMRrequests | 490K subscribers | 211 videos
Most Popular Video: An Esthetician Visit – Binaural Role Play – ASMR – Face Massage, Water Sounds, Soft Speaking
Length: 39min
Views: 5.9M +
Other ASMR videos to try:
@puresleepingvibes | 99.7K subscribers | 65 videos
@AnaAster | 1.09M subscribers | 292 videos
@CoromoSaraASMR | 2.55M subscribers | 506 videos
@EphemeralRift | 1.18M subscribers | 1.8K videos
This is one of my favorites
This video uses sound, music and a breathing indicator, everything you need to destress and relax
@SleepTube | 844K subscribers | 179 videos
Whispered Secrets: the Science and Magic of ASMR
If you want to know more about the science behind ASMR, there is a website dedicated to ASMR with more creators and videos along with additional ways to enhance your experience.
Studies have been done by the following researchers on the effects of ASMR:
Poerio Study – The first study done on the benefits of ASMR was completed by the researchers Giulia Lara Poerio, Emma Blakey,Thomas J. Hostler,Theresa Veltri (Giulia Lara Poerio, 2018).
Brain Imaging – Physiologist Craig Richard also conducted a study of participants watching ASMR videos while undergoing MRI brain scans. (Richard, 2018).
See his TedTalk about his experience and findings on ASMR
Summary:
ASMR can be a great way to relax, de-stress and help you fall asleep. Give it try and comment with some of your favorites.