In an article about improving sleep habits, TIME featured the expertise of Shenandoah University Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy Professor of Biopharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacogenomics Craig Richard, Ph.D. When asked for one tip that could help people sleep better, he recommended listening to Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) podcasts.

ASMR describes quiet auditory stimuli, and in the case of podcasts, it typically consists of a host speaking softly into a microphone. As Dr. Richard mentioned in his article, those who listen to ASMR are consistently proven to experience “decreased blood pressure, decreased stress, and an increased ability to fall asleep more easily.”

Richard said that there are many kinds of ASMR podcasts to choose from — such as bedtime stories, histories and meditations — so there are options for everyone. To learn more about how ASMR can improve sleep, read “Sleep Doctors Share the 1 Tip That’s Changed Their Lives.”

– Written by Natalie Gales ’25