Plenty of ASMR has no mouth sounds in it. Tapping, brushing, crinkles, fabric, typing, rain and silent visual videos all work without a single lip smack, and they're some of the most popular triggers there are.
If chewing or wet mouth noises make you tense instead of relaxed, you're in good company: they top the list of sounds people dislike in ASMR. Here's why they bother so many people, the best triggers to try instead, and how to hide mouth and eating videos so you stop running into them.
Why mouth sounds bother so many people
In a 2021 survey of 12,000 people by the music streaming service Deezer, chewing and eating sounds were voted the most unappealing ASMR sounds, by 53% of respondents, followed by mouth sounds at 43% (Deezer, 2021). That's a company survey, not a scientific study, but it matches what researchers have found.
A 2017 study of 130 people who experience ASMR noted that mouth sounds such as chewing and lip smacking split listeners: some find them relaxing, others find them unpleasant, and the authors advised creators to avoid them (Barratt, Spence & Davis, 2017). About 43% of the participants in that study also reported misophonia.
Is it misophonia?
Misophonia is a strong reaction to specific sounds, such as anger, disgust, anxiety or irritation that can build fast. Its most common triggers are eating and mouth sounds: chewing, lip smacking, slurping, crunching and loud swallowing, plus breathing sounds like sniffing and heavy breathing (Cleveland Clinic). Cleveland Clinic says it may affect about 1 in 5 people at some point in their lives.
ASMR and misophonia seem to overlap. In a 2018 study, 64 people who experience ASMR scored clearly higher on a misophonia questionnaire than 68 people who don't (Janik McErlean & Banissy, 2018). The authors also note that in an earlier study by their group, eating sounds were the most negatively rated ASMR trigger, unpleasant for about a quarter of ASMR responders.
So if you love some ASMR and can't stand the chewing, that isn't contradictory. Sensitivity to sound can cut both ways. Our guide to ASMR and misophonia goes deeper on why.
One catch: Cleveland Clinic also lists finger tapping, pen clicking, loud typing and rustling paper or plastic as possible misophonia triggers. If those bother you too, start with brushing, fabric, rain or visual videos.
Is there ASMR without mouth sounds?
Yes, and a lot of it. In the 2017 study, the sounds that people who experience ASMR rated as most important came from handling objects: 84% called them very or extremely important (Barratt, Spence & Davis, 2017). Tapping a box, brushing a microphone or crinkling a wrapper doesn't need a mouth anywhere near the mic.
In the first large survey on ASMR, the most common triggers among 475 people were whispering (75%), personal attention (69%), crisp sounds (64%) and slow movements (53%) (Barratt & Davis, 2015). Crisp sounds and slow movements are mouth-free by nature. Whispering and personal attention can be, depending on how they're recorded.
The best ASMR triggers without mouth sounds
Start with the first two. They're the most common and the easiest to find in a no-talking version.
Tapping
Fingernails or fingertips on wood, glass, plastic or a keyboard case. It ranges from slow and steady to fast and unpredictable, so you can pick a pace for the moment. For bedtime, look for slow tapping on soft or hollow surfaces. Browse tapping ASMR.
Brushing
Soft brushes on the microphone, the camera lens or objects. It's one of the gentlest, most even sounds in ASMR, which makes it a good pick if you're sensitive to sharp noises. See brushing ASMR.
Crinkles and paper
Plastic wrappers, foil, tissue paper, page turning. These are classic "crisp sounds." They can be loud and sharp, so test them during the day before you use them at night.
Fabric sounds
Scratching or rubbing denim, wool, leather, a jacket sleeve or a towel. Fabric tends to be soft and low, a little like steady background noise with texture.
Typing
Mechanical and laptop keyboards, often in long, steady sessions. Some people put it on in the background while they work. If clicks are one of your trigger sounds, skip it.
Rain and soundscapes
Rain, a fireplace, a quiet library, a café in the background. These sit halfway between ASMR and ambient noise, with no voice and no mouth sounds. They're also a gentle choice for sleep.
Visual triggers
Slow hand movements, light patterns, someone carefully sorting objects or tracing shapes in front of the camera. The 2015 survey authors noted that videos with precise movements and focused tasks can work while being almost silent (Barratt & Davis, 2015). Browse visual triggers and hand movements.
Soft-spoken, without a close mic
If you like having a voice but hate mouth noises, try soft-spoken instead of whispered. When someone whispers right into a microphone, small lip and tongue sounds come through with it. A calm voice at normal speaking distance usually carries far less of that. Look for soft-spoken videos such as quiet reading or explanations, and skip anything labeled "ear to ear whispering" until you've checked it.
Video labels that usually mean mouth sounds
Creators are usually upfront about what's in a video, so the title tells you most of what you need. These words tend to signal mouth or eating sounds:
- Mukbang, eating, chewing, crunchy food, honeycomb
- Mouth sounds, tongue clicking, wet sounds
- Ear eating, ear licking, spit painting
- Inaudible whispering, unintelligible whispering (not always, but these are close-mic styles that can carry mouth noise)
- Gum, candy, lollipop
Words that are usually safe: "no talking," "tapping," "brushing," "crinkles," "fabric," "typing," "rain," "visual triggers," "hand movements." Still, some trigger assortment videos mix in a minute of mouth sounds, so skim the chapters if a video has them.
How to hide mouth and eating sounds on Tingly Room
Tingly Room is a free video finder that sorts public YouTube ASMR by trigger, voice, pace and length. You can also hide the triggers you don't like, so mouth sounds and eating videos stay out of your results.
- Open the video finder.
- Pick a trigger you like, such as tapping, brushing or fabric sounds.
- Hide the ones you don't: exclude mouth sounds and eating.
- Add a voice filter if you want: "no talking" removes voices entirely; "soft-spoken" keeps a calm voice without whispering.
- Choose a length and pace. Slow and long for sleep, shorter for a break.
Videos play in YouTube's official player, so views count for the creator. Tingly Room adds no ads of its own and uses no third-party trackers.
If a sound still gets to you
Stop the video. There's no benefit in pushing through a sound that makes you angry or tense, and getting used to it isn't the point of ASMR. Switch to something you know works for you.
A few other tips:
- Keep the volume low. Close-mic sounds get more intense the louder they are.
- Test new videos in the daytime, not when you're already in bed.
- Use speakers instead of headphones if headphone audio feels too close.
For most people this is a matter of taste. But if sounds like chewing or breathing regularly cause strong anger or distress, make you avoid meals with family or coworkers, or get in the way of daily life, it's worth talking to a doctor or a psychologist. Cleveland Clinic says there's no cure for misophonia, but therapy can help people learn coping strategies and react less strongly, and tools like earplugs, noise-canceling headphones or steady background noise can help in the moment (Cleveland Clinic).
