Claim reviewed: ASMR content may help relaxation in people who experience it.
What do we know?
In two studies, ASMR videos increased pleasant affect only in people who experience ASMR, together with a lower heart rate. In another study both ASMR and nature videos lowered pulse rate compared with rest, more so for ASMR.
What don't we know?
The effect appeared only in people who experience ASMR; not everyone does. Effects were stronger with combined audiovisual content. This app does not produce ASMR content.
Wording we use in the app: ASMR is a relaxing experience for some people; not everyone experiences it.
Sources (2)
Poerio ve ark. 2018 · Experiment
In two studies, one large online and one in the lab, ASMR videos increased pleasant affect only in people who experience ASMR. In the lab study, ASMR came with a lower heart rate and higher skin conductance.
Poerio GL, Blakey E, Hostler TJ, Veltri T. More than a feeling: Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) is characterized by reliable changes in affect and physiology. PLoS One. 2018;13(6):e0196645. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0196645 PMID 29924796 Go to source
Hozaki ve ark. 2025 · Experiment
In two experiments, audiovisual ASMR videos produced stronger tingling than audio-only ones. Both ASMR and nature videos lowered pulse rate compared with rest, with a larger drop for ASMR.
Hozaki D, Ezaki T, Poerio GL, Kondo HM. More relaxing than nature? The impact of ASMR content on psychological and physiological measures of parasympathetic activity. Neurosci Conscious. 2025;2025(1):niaf012. doi:10.1093/nc/niaf012 PMID 40342555 Go to source
Last reviewed: 3 October 2026 · Next review: 3 April 2027