For one person, the sound of someone gently eating an apple is the most relaxing thing in the world. For another, the same sound causes an instant wave of irritation or even anger. Both reactions are real. This guide looks at what misophonia is, how it relates to ASMR, what research has found so far, and how to enjoy ASMR if certain sounds bother you.
Key takeaways
- Misophonia is a strong negative reaction, such as irritation, anger, anxiety or disgust, to specific everyday sounds like chewing or breathing.
- ASMR and misophonia are both automatic reactions to quiet, close sounds, one pleasant and one unpleasant. Some people experience both.
- Research on misophonia, and on how it relates to ASMR, is still early. Be cautious of confident claims.
- If mouth sounds bother you, no-talking textures, ambience and soft spoken recordings usually avoid the hardest triggers.
- If sounds regularly cause distress or affect daily life, talk to a doctor or another qualified professional.
What misophonia is
Misophonia is a condition in which specific sounds trigger strong negative reactions. The sounds are often ordinary and quiet: chewing, slurping, breathing, sniffing, throat clearing, pen clicking, keyboard tapping or the rustle of a wrapper. The reaction can include irritation, anxiety, disgust, anger or a strong urge to get away from the sound, and it often comes with physical signs such as tension or a racing heart.
In 2022, an international panel of experts led by Susan Swedo published a consensus definition of misophonia, to help researchers and clinicians talk about it in the same way. They described it as a reduced tolerance to specific sounds, or to things associated with those sounds, that can cause strong emotional, physical and behavioral reactions, and that can lead to real distress and difficulty in daily life.
People with misophonia usually know their reaction is out of proportion to the sound, which can make it all the more frustrating. It is not about being fussy, impatient or rude. The response tends to feel automatic, and it can affect family meals, shared offices, classrooms and relationships. Many people say the sounds of people close to them are the hardest to bear.
Misophonia and other sound sensitivities
Misophonia is one of several ways people can be sensitive to sound, and they are easy to mix up. Knowing the difference can help you describe what you experience, to yourself or to a professional.
- Misophonia is about specific sounds and the strong emotional reaction they cause, regardless of how loud they are. A quiet chew can be worse than a loud bang.
- Hyperacusis is when everyday sounds feel uncomfortably or even painfully loud. The issue is loudness itself rather than particular sounds.
- Phonophobia is a fear of certain sounds, often sudden or loud ones, and the anxiety of anticipating them.
- Tinnitus is hearing a sound, such as ringing or hissing, that has no outside source. It is different again, though some people experience it alongside other sensitivities.
How common misophonia is remains uncertain. Estimates vary widely between studies, partly because researchers have used different definitions and groups of people. The consensus definition is expected to make future estimates more comparable.
Why the same sound can soothe or upset
ASMR and misophonia are, in a sense, two very different reactions to similar sounds. Both involve quiet, close, often repetitive noises. Both are automatic rather than chosen. Both seem to vary a great deal from one person to the next. With ASMR, the response is pleasant and calming. With misophonia, it is unpleasant and sometimes overwhelming.
Context seems to matter enormously. The same chewing sound can feel very different depending on who is making it, whether you chose to hear it and whether you can stop it. ASMR recordings are something you choose, control and can pause at any moment, which may be part of why some people with sound sensitivities can still enjoy certain kinds of ASMR.
Some people experience both: they love triggers such as brushing or page turning, while finding mouth sounds hard to bear. That overlap is one reason mouth sounds and eating are the most divisive part of ASMR, and why clear labelling matters so much.
| ASMR | Misophonia | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical reaction | Calm, tingles, sleepiness | Irritation, anger, anxiety, disgust |
| Common sounds | Whispering, tapping, brushing, page turning | Chewing, breathing, sniffing, clicking |
| Sense of control | Chosen and easy to pause | Often unchosen and hard to escape |
| Effect on daily life | Usually a pleasant habit | Can cause real distress and avoidance |
What research says so far
Research on misophonia has grown in recent years, but it is still early, and research on how it connects to ASMR is earlier still. Scientists are still working on how best to define and measure misophonia, how common it is and why it develops. Here are a few studies that are often cited, described carefully.
Defining misophonia
The 2022 consensus definition mentioned above was a milestone because, until then, different research groups had used different criteria. A shared definition makes it easier to compare studies and, over time, to understand who is affected and what helps.
Brain activity
A 2017 study led by Sukhbinder Kumar, published in Current Biology, used brain imaging to compare people with and without misophonia as they listened to different sounds. When people with misophonia heard their trigger sounds, the researchers found differences in brain activity and connectivity, including in the anterior insula, a region involved in processing emotions and bodily sensations. The study helped show that misophonia reflects real differences in how the brain responds, not simply a matter of attitude.
Links with ASMR
A 2018 study by Agnieszka Janik McErlean and Michael Banissy, published in PeerJ, compared people who reported experiencing ASMR with people who did not. On average, the ASMR group reported more misophonia-like sensitivity to sounds. The authors suggested the two experiences might share some underlying sensitivity to certain sounds, while stressing that more research is needed.
For now, the honest summary is that ASMR and misophonia seem related in interesting ways, but there are no settled answers. Be cautious of any source that claims to know exactly how they connect, or that promises ASMR can fix misophonia.
Enjoying ASMR when some sounds bother you
If mouth sounds or breathing set you on edge, you can still find plenty of ASMR you enjoy. A few practical tips:
- Choose no-talking recordings. No talking sounds skip the voice entirely, so there are no breaths, lip sounds or swallowing.
- Stick to textures and ambience. Tapping, crinkles, brushing, rain and fireplace recordings rarely include the sounds most people with misophonia find difficult. Be aware that tapping and clicking can themselves be triggers for some people.
- Prefer soft spoken over whispering. A soft spoken voice is usually recorded a little further from the microphone and often has fewer audible breaths and mouth sounds than a close whisper.
- Try visual triggers. Hand movements and light triggers can be relaxing with very quiet or no audio.
- Preview first. On ASMR Market every sound has a free 60 second preview, so you can check before you buy.
- Read the tags. Creators list triggers on each sound, which makes it easier to avoid the ones you do not want.
- Keep the volume low. Close sounds get more intense as volume rises. Starting quiet gives you room to stop before anything becomes uncomfortable.
- Keep a pause button within reach. Knowing you can stop instantly can make it easier to relax into a recording.
Looking for something gentle? Filter for no-talking sounds in Explore, or start with rain and fireplace in the free ASMR collection.
Small changes for everyday life
Many people with sound sensitivities find small, practical adjustments helpful in daily life. These are not treatments, just ideas people commonly use:
- Playing gentle background sound, such as rain or a café ambience, during meals or in shared offices, to soften difficult noises.
- Using comfortable headphones or earplugs in situations that are hard to avoid, while taking care not to rely on loud music to mask sounds.
- Talking calmly with family, housemates or colleagues about specific sounds, ideally at a time when you are not already upset.
- Planning short breaks away from environments that are consistently difficult.
A note for creators
If you record ASMR, clear labelling helps everyone. Tag mouth sounds, eating and close breathing honestly, and consider offering a version without them, such as a no-talking take of a popular texture session. Listeners who avoid those sounds are often very loyal to creators who make it easy to find something safe. A few habits help:
- Mention mouth sounds in the title or first line of the description, not only in the tags.
- Keep the first minute representative, so the free preview gives an honest picture.
- Use a pop filter and a little distance from the microphone for spoken sections to reduce breaths and clicks.
Our creator guide has more on tagging and descriptions.
When to talk to someone
For a broader introduction to how ASMR works, read What is ASMR?, or see the field guide to ASMR triggers to find families without mouth sounds.