Can’t sleep? ASMR videos can help beat quarantine insomnia

Quarantine has been a stressful time for everyone. With no end in sight, the stress can continue to disrupt lives for years to come. While there have been significant changes in how people now live their lives—hello there, masks, face shields, remote work and online transactions—one of the most overlooked changes it has brought is a disruption in sleep patterns.

The onset of the coronavirus has given rise to poorer sleep quality that stems from the mental, financial and physical stress of dealing with uncertainty. It’s increasingly frustrating to stay awake all night trying to sleep, but people have been latching on to ASMR as a way to help catch zzzs faster.

You might find ASMR or autonomous sensory meridian response a bit weird because of all the whispering and unorthodox materials used to create sound, but it actually helps to relieve stress and induce sleep. If you’ve tried your hardest to fall asleep but still haven’t gotten lost in dreamland, maybe it’s time to finally explore the weirdly quiet but shockingly relaxing YouTube hole of ASMR videos.

Provides human connection

The past months of strict quarantine and social distancing regulations have led to fewer social interactions than we’re used to. Even if you weren’t a big extrovert pre-pandemic, the loneliness of long months lived through screens or six feet away from people you value can get to you. Many people find that ASMR curbs that loneliness by providing some semblance of human interaction.

ASMR content creators often go live on streaming platforms and whisper directly to their audience. So if you’ve been having fitful nights trying to sleep alone in a huge bed, why not pop your Motivo in-ear headphones, drop by a live ASMR stream, and say hi to the ASMR artist making clicking sounds with her keyboard.

Helps the mind and body wind down

ASMR enthusiasts testify to its ability to bring comfort and to facilitate unwinding. Many people love the instant relaxation that comes with an ASMR video. Unlike books, music or TV shows which take a while before one can fully get lost in, the quiet whispers and clicks of ASMR content give instant “brain tingles” that can help reduce the worries and stress of the day.

Early studies of ASMR reactions find that it triggers several endorphins that can help improve mood for a short time. When listening to ASMR, test subjects feel a sense of clarity and immediately begin to feel relaxed and sleepy. At the end of a long day, something that may help you disconnect from bad thoughts might just be a few hours of ASMR sessions. So get your Huawei mini speaker charged and going.

Gives you some quiet time

One of the things that can prevent you from sleeping is thinking too much. However, blocking out the voices in your head is easier said than done, so people have turned to ASMR to ensure some nighttime quiet. One of the body’s reactions associated with ASMR is a lower heart and breathing rate—the kind of reactions that occur when you’re about to drop off into sleep.

At night, when people listen to ASMR, the body focuses on pleasurable sounds while essentially powering down. Your brain hones in on the relaxing sounds of hair combing or someone sipping on water and blocks out your thoughts. To maximize the whole experience, put on noise-canceling earphones like the Huawei FreeBuds 3i or the V2S wireless bluetooth headset so you never have to hear non-ASMR noises again. 

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Editor’s Note: This article was provided by SM ShopMag.