How To Fall Asleep Without Reading A Novel

The American prerogative is to have an untreated sleeping disorder. Seriously, we don't get enough sleep. And the old tried and true cure, for people in recent generations, has been reading. Who doesn't love a good book, right? However, books aren't doing it anymore. They don't capture attention for someone dead tired, but still not enough to fall asleep. 

Welp, I've got a solution for you!

ASMR - A Hidden Gem of the Internet

First off, this is not witchcraft. It is not a hoax. The internet - cough, cough Youtube - has hidden this sleep cure amongst their ranks without much wide coverage on the topic. It is relatively new to the medical community, and truly isn't understood to great lengths. Few studies have been conducted that all show ASMR works, but the source - the reason why it is there in the human body - is not discovered.

ASMR = Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response

It is a sensation called tingles that happened in a person's body when introduced to certain stimuli, triggers, that can vary person to person, or even more specifically,  night to night. People who listen or watch ASMR are shown to relax and fall asleep. Triggers are things such as: whispering, up-close strong sensation sounds, personal attention, ear massage. It is recorded on high intensity recording equipment which leaves a crisp sound for users to hear. Also, it is recommended to listen with headphones on full volume to experience the full ASMR effect.

One study found that temporary improvements to conditions like depression and those who suffer from daily pain. Click here to read more on that study. 

Need I say more?

I probably should.

Personal Experience With ASMR

Life is full, and hectic, and stressful, and never stops. I was finding myself very overwhelmed by the constant stresses of modern life and wanted to feel more peaceful, mentally. The only thing that came to mind when thinking of 'relaxation' was meditation. More and more I watched meditation videos online that helped me feel calm, a sense I'd long forgotten at that point. Not long after, I had a favorite who I would watch ALL the time because her voice was just like an angels. It worked for me. It calmed me. I was low-key in love with how she talked, how smooth her voice flowed, the things she said. Needless to say, it was beautiful. 

Enter in, my online stalking of this woman to find more meditation videos. So, on another account, I found a meditation video that was also an ear massage video. It was like, "well that's weird, but I'll try it." I didn't know it was ASMR. I didn't know how deep that rabbit hole went. It just got me addicted to the feeling of being so relaxed that my eyes shut instinctively. Below, I'll link her and her blog channel so that you can get a taste of what I mean.

Fast forward to now, I follow a few accounts with obvious favorites. It isn't an every-night-i-can't-go-to-sleep-without-it thing, but I do listen to it when I write novels, or read, or do anything that might become frustrating or stressful. It mellows the mood (not to sound like a hippie!). 

It can do wonders for people, if only more people understood it. Truly, I was very grossed out by the "mouth sounds" videos that so many people seemed to enjoy, but as my tolerance has built up to certain subtle ASMR triggers, I've expanded. Mouth sounds still aren't an all-time favorite but they do the job sometimes.

Misconceptions

There has been some controversy about ASMR being sexual. Granted there are plenty of artists who do create personal erotic ASMR for private payers, the majority of those who listen to ASMR are just tired people. Even certain accounts (I know there is a nylon ASMR account that uses nylon against the microphone) that are devoted to items that are seen as sexual in nature, however, there is never any kind of lewd, sexual, graphic images in videos of ASMR not geared toward that certain genre. 

It is true that some people experience their tingles within the genital area; this is just the body's response to the stimuli. As the study above clearly explains, there is no explanation as to why the body even has this response. Many people experience tingles in their scalp. Some, in their neck. Some down the length of their spine. Some in the flutters of their stomach. And some get the response elsewhere. It doesn't make ASMR sexual. 

My Faves

If you are an ASMR artist, please don't hate me if I didn't add you to the list. This list doesn't list everything, NOR does it demean your channel. These are simply accounts that post out content that I personally enjoy and return to. 

fastASMR : love this account because she focuses on sounds, and not roleplays. The sounds are always great for what I'm looking for. 

My personal favorite video of hers:   https://youtu.be/X7qfB57TN34

asmr zeitgeist : HE is an awesome video maker. His videos are filled with great transitions, effects, graphic designs (that IS what he's skilled in) plus, he's got a great voice to listen to. ASMR seems to be a woman's game for the most part, but zeitgeist is the best. 

My personal favorite video of his:  https://youtu.be/x0nvMBpLiIM

Goodnight Moon : She is such a unique channel to follow. I love her voice, of course, and just the things she is into: her decor, her subject matter, her filming. A lot of fantasy role plays, beautiful decorations, makeup is always a ten. 

My personal favorite video of hers: https://youtu.be/f7qL7zvJ0r4

FrivolousFox ASMR : Frivvy is a new love of mine. She does great work, and I love her videos licking/eating the microphone. She is just great at making those sounds really relaxing. Plus, her voice is soft as a whisper. Love it!

My personal favorite video of hers: https://youtu.be/J1muh1efpK4

Gibi ASMR : This girl does a lot of modern roleplays, and great sound videos too! Best of both worlds. She is a full-time artist so she puts SO much into her channel. 

My personal favorite of hers: https://youtu.be/3NfuWqGtpkc

This is my girl, Melissa, who is the person who helped me discover ASMR. Sadly, the Psychetruth ASMR Youtube account has been terminated due to conflicts with Youtube.  I wish her ASMR videos were still there, because they were awesome. However, a few of her own videos are still on the main Psychetruth channel.

So as you see, sleep isn't gone by the wayside with all the old books. It is alive, in another form.