There’s nothing more annoying than falling asleep to ASMR videos and then waking up in the middle of the night with your ears cramped up inside your headphones. Well, except waking up with a headache because you’ve been sleeping with your headphones on. And worse, the cord has tangled up all around your neck. Sometimes, you think about giving up ASMR altogether. But then, you’ll have to spend countless hours trying and failing to fall asleep to the deafening sound of silence. After all, nothing has helped you relax and fall asleep better than listening to ASMR videos. And you’re just not ready to give up the warm, fuzzy feeling you get when you do! Don’t worry. If you love listening to ASMR but don’t like having to wear headphones, you don’t have to. You can definitely enjoy the euphoric tingles without headphones. We’re going to show you a few videos to get you started.
Why ASMR Can Work Without Headphones
Some ASMRtists recommend headphones for their videos. That’s because they create binaural videos. These are recorded using two microphones, one that delivers sound to the left ear and another to the right ear. Many of the most popular ASMR videos on YouTube are binaural videos. For the best experience, it’s always good to invest in high-quality headphones or earbuds for binaural ASMR videos. But not all ASMR videos use two separate mics. Many ASMRtists actually use a single mic to record their videos. You can play these videos on your phone or computer and enjoy their full effects without a pair of headphones. Also, if you’re more of a visual person, you don’t need headphones to get tingles. There are many different ASMR triggers. Many people get easily triggered by the sounds of whispering, tapping, and crinkling objects. But a lot of people also experience tingles with visual triggers like hand movements. Lastly, some people simply don’t like wearing headphones. They prefer listening with natural reverb, or the sound of the room. The audio doesn’t sound as good as when you’re wearing headphones; instead, it sounds more natural. Or they just don’t like the feeling of wearing headphones for a long time. Prolonged use of headphones can prevent earwax from draining properly. This can lead to problems such as ear infection, tinnitus, and even hearing loss. So do whatever floats your boat. There are no rules when it comes to your ASMR triggers. What gives one person tingles might have no effect on someone else.
ASMR Videos That You Can Listen Without Headphones
If you’re ready to get started, here’s a list of ASMR videos that don’t require headphones.
1. Lo-fi ASMR For Humans Without Headphones
Video: https://youtu.be/NBMSNNdFhmE
Ghetto ASMR’s 14-minute lo-fi video opens with a cute surprise for all the canine lovers. He starts off with patting, stroking, and tapping on his furry friend for a few minutes. He then transitions to a series of triggers, including mouth sounds, hand movements, and an ear massage for good measure. The ends with several minutes of audio-only whispered triggers so you can listen with your eyes closed.
2. Extremely Visual ASMR
Video: https://youtu.be/TsSPVwzo9T4
Jojo’s ASMR has a treat for all those sensitive to visual triggers. His 20-minute video starts and ends with plenty of hand movements. He accompanies these with crisp mouth sounds, such as tongue clicking and chewing, and plenty of personal attention as he taps, strokes, and gently pokes a stick on your face.
3. ASMR | NO HEADPHONES ???? ❌ NO PROBLEM 2
Video: https://youtu.be/R1SHOsaPI-k
Ben’s ASMR combines an assortment of triggers in this short but sweet video. It includes some intense mouse clicking, furry toy scratching, and tapping on hard objects using his nails. He also adds hand movements for the visual people and talks in quiet whispers all throughout.
4. ASMR A Sign Language Story About Pie (ASL)
Video: https://youtu.be/cpraCGe1Oeg
Who wants a piece of delicious tingleberry pie? Tingledom ASMR delivers a highly visual treat with a story about making pie using American Sign Language. Her hand movements and gestures coupled with a few mouth sounds are sure to get your scalp tingling.
5. Mono ASMR: Fast Tapping Assortment
Video: https://youtu.be/F1g48q0rYko
If you can’t get enough of the crisp sounds of tapping, this video by Captain Jamro ASMR has got you covered. It’s 44 minutes of pure tapping sounds. You’ll hear tapping on a hardbound notebook, a plastic jar, a toy basketball, a hollow metal container, and even the bottom of a high-heeled shoe.
Can ASMR Work for Broken Headphones?
Yes, ASMR works if you have broken headphones. Many ASMRtists understand this dilemma and have created plenty of videos for you to enjoy. These videos are also great to listen to for those who are deaf or hard of hearing in one ear.
ASMR videos for the right channel only
Check out these ASMR videos tuned specifically for listening only on the right side.
1. {ASMR} Everything on the Right Side!
Video: https://youtu.be/gWG9IzwZMJE
ASMRtist softlygaloshes puts together an assortment of triggers in this 27-minute video. She starts with soothing whispers in the intro then moves on to a variety of crisp, crinkling sounds. She also incorporates a lot of kissing and mouth sounds.
2. ASMR Right Ear Only Tingles.
Video: https://youtu.be/VDMA_xK1p68
Passionflower ASMR focuses solely on the right ear in this video. The triggers include gentle tapping, rough massaging, and brushing with a soft-bristled toothbrush. There’s also a lot of whispering and soft blowing to gently put you in dreamland in no time.
3. ASMR: Right Ear Eating
Video: https://youtu.be/gwBF6sCHOPo
Do you easily get triggered by chewing sounds? You’re in luck. This video by ARTISTWITHOUTAPATH is literally just chewing on the right ear. Hit play, lie back, and relax as you let all 14 minutes of chewing sounds take over.
ASMR videos for the left channel only
If your headphones work on the left side only, check out these ASMR videos tuned for the left ear.
1. ASMR – EAR ATTENTION for Your LEFT Ear
Video: https://youtu.be/BPbJoHOgw5s
WhisperAudios ASMR didn’t mean to record only with her left mic. But when she found out about her mistake, she realized she had made an amazing ASMR video for people with broken headphones. WhisperAudios pays close attention only to the left ear. She touches it, cups it with her hands, and uses a variety of tools, such as a Q-tip, a spray bottle, and even an otoscope, to clean the ear.
2. ASMR | Everything on the Left Side!
Video: https://youtu.be/7_oC4p-5IfA
Here’s another video from popular YouTube video creator softlygaloshes. This time, she focuses on the left ear with a series of the best ASMR triggers. There’s plenty of whispering, tongue clicking, and soft mouth sounds. She also adds several crisp sounds, such as mic brushing, tapping, and flipping the pages of a book. She even incorporates several hand movements and some humming. This 34-minute video ends with a countdown from 100 to 0 so that, by the time she reaches 0, you’re sound asleep.
3. ASMR Slime In Your Left Ear for Broken Earphones
Video: https://youtu.be/N4-gIS_xJZM
There’s nothing more therapeutic than the feeling of stretching, squeezing, and squelching slime. Well, nothing but the sound of it. This 21-minute video by Artsy ASMR has nothing but all the sounds of slime. She plays with it, taps the slime jar for a little bit, and covers the mic in colorful, gooey slime.
Headphones or Not, Let the Tingles Come
Whether you have headphones for asmr or not, you can still enjoy the different visual and auditory ASMR triggers. With the videos we have just shared, you can simply press play, lie down, and let the tingles commence. Of course, there are plenty of other ASMR videos you can enjoy without headphones that aren’t on this list. If you have a favorite video you’d like to share, let us know in the comments below.
