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A new YouTube trend is helping insomniacs finally get some rest by listening to the soothing voices of soft-spoken 'sleep whisperers'.
A growing number of sleep whisperers are cropping up online, starring in videos that see them speaking softly and slowly, tracing shapes with their fingers, lightly tapping on cardboard boxes and postcards and quietly rustling plastic.
The sounds are meant to trigger a tingling sensation that researchers have called ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response), which starts in the head and scalp and slowly moves down the spine.
Who needs a sleeping pill? Sleep whisperers such as Ilse Blansert (pictured) are a new YouTube craze, starring in videos that see them speaking softly and making soothing sounds to help listeners nod off
Hypnotic: The sounds she uses - including lightly tapping on postcards - are meant to trigger a tingling sensation that researchers have called ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response)
One such sleep whisperer is Dutch-born Ilse Blansert, whose website Water Whispers has an impressive 113,000 subscribers.
'Personally, I think that watching videos is a lot better than taking pills and getting that in your system,' she told Inside Edition. 'You create a calm, serene environment. Even I relax when I do it.'
In one of her videos, which has had more than 350,000 views, Ilse holds a bouquet of daisies in her fingers and gently plucks off the petals one by one.
She whispers quietly throughout, recalling how, when she was younger, she would recite: 'He loves me, he loves me not' while pulling off the flower petals.
In another part of the video, Ilse shuffles through a stack of postcards, tracing the shapes pictured on them with a pen and lightly tapping the cards with her fingernails.
She told MailOnline that she was six when she first began experiencing 'tingles' triggered by certain noises and feelings.
Effective: Ilse's website has more than 50,000 subscribers who swear by her videos for getting a good night's rest. In one video, she moves puzzle pieces slowly around inside a cardboard box
After discovering the ASMR community in 2011, she decided to help others experience the same relaxing feelings through YouTube videos.
'I think watching videos is a lot better than taking pills. You create a serene environment'
For some, the videos are incredibly effective. 'I [get] people who have cancer and PTSD that tell me that these videos can give them hope, strength and a good night's sleep,' she said.
Ilse said other viewers whose positive feedback has inspired her to keep making videos include those with insomnia, high levels of stress, concentration problems and even Asperger's and autism.
One such fan commented on a video: 'Thank you so much. I have terrible anxiety and panic disorder and this absolutely calms me down. You have no idea how grateful I am.'
Natural remedy: 'I think that watching videos is a lot better than taking pills and getting that in your system,' says Ilse (pictured: Ilse tracing the patterns on an elephant figurine with a pen)
That tingling feeling: According to the ASMR research website, common external triggers include exposure to slow, accented or unique speech patterns and enjoying a piece of art or music
Another said: 'My first video I ever watched a few days ago of any ASMR. . . I'm hooked!! I sleep so much better now at night. Thanks.'
Others, however, are not so impressed. 'There was no tingling for me,' said one skeptic. 'Just an overwhelming sense of boredom.'
Ilse says ASMR is not necessarily for everyone, but that many people do find the videos enjoyable once they discover which triggers work for them.
'Since everyone is different and has personal preferences, there's only one way to find out what is most effective for you,' she said.
'Try as many different ASMR videos as possible and be your own judge!'
Sound effects: Heather Feather is another ASMR artist who attracts thousands of viewers to her videos
Soothing: In one video, she scratches the silver sequins of a star shape with her nails
And there is no shortage of sleep whisperers taking the internet by storm; Heather Feather also attracts thousands of viewers to her videos, which see her scratching sequins, running her fingertips along stones and swinging a pocket watch side to side like a pendulum
Another popular ASMR artist who goes by Sound Sculptures has created more than 100 videos to help people fall asleep, most of which are sound-based and don't have any speech at all.
WHAT IS ASMR?
Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) is the pleasurable tingling sensation some people experience in response to certain visual, auditory and tactile external triggers.
Some of the most common triggers include listening to slow, accented speech, enjoying a piece of art or music, watching another person complete a task in a diligent manner, and being touched on the head or back.
Some of the most common triggers include listening to slow, accented speech, enjoying a piece of art or music, watching another person complete a task in a diligent manner, and being touched on the head or back.
And Andrea Warren says she started making her own videos after discovering that ASMR helped her overcome her own anxiety.
'The best way I can describe the sensation is when someone is brushing your arm or gently touching your back or brushing your hair,' she explained. 'That relaxation feeling, tingling sensation you get.'
According to the ASMR research website, common external triggers of the feeling include exposure to slow, accented or unique speech patterns, enjoying a piece of art or music, and haircuts and other activities that involve touching the head or back.
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