There’s a lot going on in the world at the moment, and if increased anxiety (or just the warmer weather) is causing you to have trouble sleeping, or even if you’d just like something to aid your relaxation, this post is for you.
My husband has been using ASMR videos to help him sleep every night for over ten years, which I think makes him a bit of an expert on the subject. So with his help I’ve pulled together a great list of quality Craig-approved ASMR channels to get you started with your relaxation journey.
What is ASMR?
Technically speaking ASMR stands for autonomous sensory meridian response, which (in basic terms) is a tingling sensation that can be triggered by hearing certain sounds. However, the kinds of sounds that tend to trigger ASMR are generally very soothing, which makes ASMR video content extremely relaxing. In fact, most people now listen to ASMR content simply to aid relaxation, not just to get those ASMR “tingles”.
ASMR content can take many forms and cover all sorts of subjects. Some videos are literally just soothing noises, while others involve people talking softly or performing tasks in a relaxing way. We have tried to cover a range of “types” in this guide so that you can find something you like and take it from there.
How to Relax with ASMR Videos
Get yourself ready to sleep, adopt a comfortable position (probably lying down) and focus on your breathing. Once you have chosen your ASMR video, we recommend listening to it through headphones if you can sleep with them in. And although the videos often have a visual element it’s fine to close your eyes and follow along just by listening, especially if you’re trying to fall asleep.
The Best ASMR YouTube Channels for Sleep
1. The French Whisperer
The French Whisperer is probably the absolute best all rounder in terms of ASMR video production and quality. He is very prolific, with well researched videos on interesting topics from history, science and literature. As his name would suggest he is French, but he produces videos in 3 languages, which means you can relax to the soothing sounds of his French accent. Our favourite videos are Journey Under the Sea and Space Cruise.
2. Relaxing ASMR
Relaxing ASMR describes his channel as tinkering about with things that interest him, so you’ll see a lot of general content such as painting, fountain pen cleaning and magazine reading. He has an extremely relaxing manner and soothing voice and Craig’s number one favourite ASMR video of all time is one of his: Little Ship Rescue.
3. Library of Whispers ASMR
Library of Whispers is great for anyone who might like a bedtime story, as Kate reads (whispers) extracts from classic and modern books as well as magazines. She even reads Harry Potter, which I love!
4. Aussie ASMR Man
A lot of Aussie ASMR Man‘s videos involve him drawing simple maps and chewing gum, while he whispers along in an Australian accent. Craig loves his Playing Solitaire video best though.
5. TheWhisperCorner ASMR
Our favourite videos from TheWhisperCorner are his puzzles. He is pretty good at completely sudokos and crosswords (there is nothing more distracting than knowing an answer that the YouTuber doesn’t!) and he whispers along in his Irish accent.
6. Check It Out
The Check It Out channel is an Indian man unwrapping and reviewing products in a very relaxing way. As his individual product reviews are quite short, I’d recommend selecting his compilation videos, such as Compilation 64.
7. Animal ASMR
Animal ASMR is one of those channels with noises rather than speaking, because it centres around a tortoise eating different fruits and veggies. It’s actually quite mesmerizing to watch, but also nice and relaxing.
8. Spiritual Unfoldment with John Butler
John Butler’s spiritual channel is all about meditation, but there is one video in particular that we can recommend for relaxation: Discovering Stillness, Part 1.
9. ASMR Chess
The name says it all really – ASMR Chess mostly features slow and relaxing chess, with some nice tips to improve your game if you can stay awake for them!
10. TheASMRGirl
TheASMRGirl focusses on creating intoxicating sounds while she does things like jigsaw puzzles and sorting newspapers. Sometimes her videos have soft speaking but a lot have no talking at all.
11. Let’s Find Out ASMR
On Let’s Find Out ASMR you’ll find loads of videos on interesting topics such as astronomy, electronics, mythology and philosophy. Although the content is pretty interesting, he has a calm and soothing manner so you’ll still probably fall asleep before reaching the end.
12. ASMRctica ASMR
ASMRctica is a great place to watch live map drawing, accompanied by a soothing Swedish voice. It’s nice that a lot of the maps are historical or even fictional, such as maps from Lord of the Rings, The Witcher and Red Dead Redemption.
Even just compiling this post has made me sleepy! Craig swears by all of the above ASMR channels for helping him sleep, so I hope you’ll be able to find one or two that you like too.
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