How to Quickly Put Your Baby to Sleep Using ASMR

If you’re like most parents, your baby is the most precious thing in the world to you and you want to spend every waking moment with your little bundle of joy. However, getting them to fall asleep sometimes can be a bit of a chore, especially when you have had a long day and need to get some rest and relaxation yourself.

So, what do you do when your little one refuses to sleep for one reason or the other? For many parents, it’s singing to them that soothing lullaby and rocking them gently. For others, it’s talking softly, telling a story or making shushing sounds while hoping that sleep will come sooner rather than later. Whether these work for your baby or not, there is one more method to add to the list of sleep aids for your baby – an ASMR head tingle.

A…what? If you’ve never heard of it, ASMR stands for Autonomous Sensory Median Response. It speaks to evoking a sensory reaction – a head tingling feeling from special touches, sounds and other cues – that is relaxing and blissful. If you’ve ever had a head massage, or have a loved one speak to you in gentle whispers, you’ve probably had an ASMR experience before. As an ASMR practitioner myself, I can tell you that in the same way that that touch or sound might have relaxed you, it can do the same for your baby. You can put your baby to sleep doing the same thing. Let me tell you how.

Step 1: ASMR Light Head Massage

Before you begin, ensure you’re seated comfortably or lying down with your baby. Start by using the pad of your fingers to make light, circular movements on your baby’s head. Move your fingertips quickly from one spot to the other. Be careful to brush the hair and scalp with just enough pressure to excite the nerve endings, kick-starting the brain tingling sensation in your baby’s head. Gently massage the top of your baby’s head, the sides and back of the head, and down to the temples. Your baby will be paying attention to the movement of your hands now. He’ll also be feeling tingles in his head that are being generated.

Step 2: Light Facial Touches

The face is filled with sensitive spots. If you are able to trigger these spots using ASMR, your baby will have no option but to fall asleep. Lightly stroke the sides of your baby’s face in a slow but rhythmic up and down motion.  The tips of your fingers should barely be brushing the skin. It should feel like you’re using a feather but to tingle rather than tickle. Continue this gentle movement for about 10 seconds or so, bringing your fingertips from the sides of the forehead to just about the top of the neck. By now, your baby’s eyes will start to droop as the head tingling sensations take full effect.

Step 3: Put him to Sleep

Continue the light, feathery strokes on the face and alternate with the head. Rest your baby down gently, still stroking his head and face until he’s fully asleep. Don’t worry it won’t take more than a few minutes. In addition to using your fingers to induce sleep, you can also use ASMR whisper techniques to sooth your baby aurally or watch ASMR videos.

If this worked for you, let me know in the comments. I look forward to hearing from you.

Check out this adorable baby video of  an ASMR massage!