Sweet dreams are made of this! To me, there’s nothing more soothing than using ASMR,or autonomous sensory meridian response to help me fall asleep. Using a combination of auditory and visual sensations, ASMR creates a calming atmosphere to set you in a sleepy and relaxed state, and these types of sensory triggers differ for everyone.
When I first started using ASMR, I couldn’t seem to relax to certain triggers, like people speaking. However, once I found the specific sounds that worked for me, ASMR became a way that I could finally get a good night’s sleep! I’ve found that I personally like unintentional ASMR, like when it comes to people cleaning horse hooves. Oddly specific, but there’s something so satisfying about it!
Navigating through the various types of ASMR to find your perfect (or oddly specific) match can be overwhelming, so I decided to make a list of categories that you can take a look at. Among the list, there’s bound to be something that works best for you!
- Soft speaking/whispering
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This is the most popular category of ASMR! People can listen to ASMRtists (the ASMR community’s term for creators) speak on a number of topics. To accompany their hushed voices, ASMRtists tend to incorporate other auditory and visual stimuli like tapping or painting. An ASMRtist I recently started exploring is Ozleyasmr, and I like how she incorporates face tracing in her videos, too!
On the other hand, there are many examples of unintentional speaking ASMR. A creator who I enjoy in this category is John Butler’s Spiritual Unfoldment, in which he shares philosophical insights and stories. His tone of voice is low and full of wisdom, and I highly recommend his work if listening to people’s voices comforts you!
- NON-SPEAKING
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This one is my absolute favorite! This category is extremely broad because it encompasses most sensory triggers—the list is endless! To make it short, some of the most popular nonspeaking sounds people enjoy include page turning, typing, cat purring, wood carving, and elemental sounds such as the crackling of a fire or gentle rainfall.
My personal favorites are electric humming and instrumental music. While they assist with relaxation, sometimes they help me concentrate on studying, too! Most often, though, listening to my Spotify playlists make me fall asleep, especially when it’s Gao the Arsonist, Lana Del Rey, Ethel Cain, or Daughter (it’s the moody atmospheric music that really gets me!).
Another way I like to watch non-speaking ASMR is by playing TikTok audios on a loop. In fact, I enjoy this so much that I once actually fell asleep to a TikTok, and I think the video must’ve played over fifty times. Oops!
- Personal attention
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Personal attention can look a lot like pampering. These videos make you feel like the center of attention, and most often, ASMRtists incorporate physical tools like brushes or water to heighten these relaxing sensations. Most of these types of videos include hair brushing, makeup application, massages, and nail painting. Some of these incorporate soft speaking as well, which is a bonus!
If you’re a fan of this type, make sure to check out more of Futurabre‘s videos on TikTok!
- AMBIeNT
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Ambient ASMR focuses on recreating a specific environment and its atmosphere. It’s an immersive experience that captures certain aesthetics. For example, many videos revolve around different biomes in nature, or even specific time periods. Some popular sounds include thunderstorms, working at a café, walking in the woods, or going on a quiet drive. I’ve seen some that are set in creative futuristic settings, too!
While I don’t usually watch ambient videos, I do like anything that incorporates the sound of fire! I encourage you all to check out that particular auditory trigger, especially with Renderedescapes, who creates a lot of cozy environments to relax to!
- Role-playing
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Role-playing involves creating relaxing scenarios and storylines. It also combines some elements from ambient and personal attention ASMR in terms of recreating a specific environment with the user being at the center of attention. Some role-playing scenarios I’ve seen include gossiping at the hairdresser, visiting the doctor’s office, being served at a restaurant, and, oddly enough, being in a coma—there’s definitely ASMR for any interests!
There’s also role-playing scenarios that are linked to various fandoms. If you’re really into an anime, for example, there’s a ton of ASMR videos that act as a self-insert into your favorite fictional world.
I don’t normally listen to role-playing videos, but an ASMRtist that I absolutely adore is Dreamscapeasmr. She creates fantasy videos that walk you through various tasks or situations. To emphasize the ambiance, she also gets into full costume, which is tremendously creative and unique!
- Visual
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Visual ASMR revolves around watching certain movements or repetitive tasks to help people feel more at ease. Some of these visuals include cooking/baking, paint mixing, calligraphy, light patterns, and soap crushing. I’d also consider animated videos as a type of visual trigger, especially if it’s accompanied with soothing music or white noise. This category is immensely broad, and it’s usually combined with other ASMR elements like soft-speaking and ambience.
No matter what type of sound speaks to you, ASMR can be an effective way for you to relax! As a person who listens to music all the time, these auditory sensations really make my day. I hope you all decide to explore ASMR in all of its varieties, as I’m sure there’s one that will strongly resonate with you. Happy relaxing!