The autonomous sensory meridian response is a physiological sensation that responds to specific sounds to calm your mind down. It is highly effective for patients with insomnia and anxiety issues. The sounds create a tingling sensation in your head and neck to relax your mind. ASMR creates instant audio stimuli to calm your nerves that slowly make you fall asleep or keep you at ease during anxiety attacks.
Understanding the basics of ASMR
Do you like the sound of crumbling papers? Or the scraping sound of a beer bottle's cap on a wooden table? These are telltale symptoms of you responding to ASMR signals. People with anxiety issues and insomnia react to eye-pleasing habits and crisp sounds quicker than others. Sounds like the scratching of nails, slowly burning chunks of paper or wood, or crinkling of plastic triggers your ASMR stimulus.
Apart from these sounds, whispering into the ears works like a charm for many. You can put on your earphones and listen to whispers for a few minutes after going to bed. It works like sleeping pills. You will fall asleep in a jiffy.
Those who have hearing issues can use Bluetooth speakers beside their pillows. But the volume of the hearing aid should be turned down. You can get the latest pair of hearing aid from an online hearing aids store. Some of the advanced models can connect to Bluetooth devices. They will work as your earphones to pick up ASMR sounds, such as whispers, turning pages of books, or brushing hair to help you sleep.
How ASMR works
The tingling sensation is funny for those who don't pick up ASMR signals. But for those with anxiety issues, even a couple of minutes of soft whispering into the ears can calm them down. Try listening to whispers or crumbling papers with your eyes closed. You will feel an immediate tingling in your brain within a few seconds.
The tingling sensation starts from your scalp. It is as if someone is running their fingertips through your hair. The sensation slowly spreads to your temples, forehead, and finally reaches your neck. Many even say that the feeling is almost like someone is massaging their heads. The ASMR stimulus tickles your mind in short bursts. This soothes your mind, allowing it to relax. The feeling is somewhat orgasmic but not in a sexual way. The sound effects create a comforting zone in your head that makes you sleepy.
People who react to ASMR signals unanimously agree that the sound effects help in achieving mental peace. Soft sounds like tapping a glass bottle on a wooden table, whispering into a microphone, or even rumbling noise on a mic are useful for relaxing the mind. Doctors believe that the patients' conscious efforts to calm their brains, together with their reaction to ASMR signals, enable the mind to achieve peace.
ASMR is a passive relaxation that works on people who pick up these sound signals quicker than others. This method of relieving stress and inducing sleep is better than taking medicines for insomnia and anxiety attacks.