What ASMR Actually Is And Why It Might Be The Cure To Insomnia

Wouldn’t it be great if we could all sleep like a cat?

If you’re like me, you’re prone to insomnia. With an overactive mind and creative brain, sometimes going to sleep (and staying asleep!) seems impossible.

You toss, you turn, and you feel extremely aggravated.

That was me last night.

Although I’m excluding prescription pharmaceuticals from this (which I don’t take), I’ve tried everything, from Melatonin, Advil PM, guided meditations, solo meditation, tea, and music. Last night, even though I was extremely sleepy, I attempted a guided meditation- and it only made me irritated. The guide had me count from 100, telling me to think “I’m so rested” in between each number. I started to count, but he kept interrupting me!  How am I supposed to count when you keep giving me more prompts? Just let me count!

Now, I’m not knocking guided meditations for sleep (because it can work for me at times), but I found a much better way to set my mind at ease and calm my body down:

ASMR.

If you haven’t heard of it, ASMR stands for autonomous sensory meridian response.  Do you know that fuzzy feeling in your brain when someone talks softly, writes on a whiteboard or makes tapping noises? That’s what ASMR is! I vividly remember an 8th-grade teacher who used to set me into a trance when she would talk to the class. I also have always loved watching people draw. Watching Bob Ross paint and listening to him talk is another great example of ASMR (isn’t he the best?).

There’s a variety of ASMR videos available, from soft speaking to scratching. I’m a big fan of tapping, scratching, and soft noises opposed to voices, which only distract me.

My favorite ASMR YouTubers are ASMRSurge, Caroline ASMR, and ASMR Massage Psychetruth.  The only thing that could calm me down last night was watching ASMRSurge’s “Zen Garden” video (shown above). My eyes began to get heavy, so I ended up closing them and simply listened to the sounds. Watching the sand movement, listening to the sounds, and watching the placement of crystals was simply divine!

It may take a little trial and error to find your “trigger,” but there’s definitely an ASMR YouTuber or sound for everyone. Whether you like listening to someone’s voice or enjoy the crinkling of a plastic bag (I love those), ASMR is certain to give your brain tingles, calm you down, and help you rest.

So, get your ASMR on and have a zen-full night sleep.