Writing – Page 3 – The Procrastination Pen

Sleeping With ASMR

The year warms, and it is this time that the recommendations that the bedroom be kept cool appears to be more difficult to achieve. Unless you are fortunate, swinging the windows open is only likely to keep you awake due to the noises of traffic, passing individuals, even other people’s televisions or music playing apparatus. At this time I wish you as much sleep as it is feasible to get, and I hope that the Procrastination Pen can provide some small support towards that.

I have got into the habit of identifying a track from Calm that has been helpful to me this week. As usual, I have found one of the Calm dailies to be infinitely more listenable than the tracks dedicated to sleep. I have been listening to Jeff Warren, but this week I have switched allegiance to Tamara Levitt. It is quite restful, and if you do not take to it there is the advantage that it is quite brief.

Tamara Levitt, Daily Calm, Non-Attachment

https://www.calm.com/app/player/9knrT0BrjK

I have been spending a brief period in each blog post reviewing a professional ASMR artist. So far, it has been remarkable how many of the “failings” of inadvertent ASMR videos are often shared by professional ASMR videos.

Today’s video is this one:

ASMR Naturopathy consultation (Unintentional, real person ASMR)

Which is a whopping one and a quarter hours in length. Comments are permitted and what a mixed bag they truly are. I have often commented that I think allowing comments is a fundamentally brave decision. But at least if there are three hundred and ninety-four of them a lot of people are fascinated by your video.

The channel is ASMR Beauty it has 131K subscribers and three hundred and eighty five videos and of course ASMR Beauty appears on the ASMR index.

There are notes, and it is refreshing to find a video not touting some sponsor or other.

“758,329 views 9 Oct 2022 #asmrmedicalexam #asmrmedical #asmr

This week’s ASMR video is a naturopathy consultation 🥰 Yvonne was so helpful and really shone a light on just how unbalanced my diet has been lately… this session has really inspired me to take better care of myself and check what I am eating, and I am so grateful that I was able to film it for you all for both educational and relaxation purposes! ✨

💕Treatment Details are as follows: 💕

Website: https://www.yjdnaturaltherapies.com/i…

As always, this video is not sponsored. I am uploading it with the hope that it helps people relax after a hard day’s work or school. ✨

If you’d like to support my work, please consider donating to my Ko-fi! (https://ko-fi.com/asmrbeauty) Any amount is much appreciated! ❤️

‼️All of my content is footage of real sessions and experiences I have had in London or in other parts of the UK. I upload these sessions with the intention to help people destress, relax and learn‼️”

The video starts loud. In fact, it sounds convincingly like a real medical examination video, complete with excessively intrusive air conditioning. The pace is lovingly slow but the voice, at least to start with, is not your classically amazing ASMR voice. Refreshing is the complete absence of whispering, which makes it more believable, if anything. That said, I have found inadvertent ASMR videos which are more restful from my perspective, than this one.

The question-and-answer session is not something that I commonly cover. I may look-into that in future for my inadvertent ASMR videos, although I doubt counselling sessions, for example, are available on YouTube (I’ll verify that in my video related research, just in case).

What strikes me is how well-spoken the participants are in this video and not something I always encounter. At intervals I did find that it seemed to be going on for a while which wasn’t a great sign. However, if you’re tired and need to sleep perhaps it is just what you need. To be honest, for me, it could have been half the length.

Moving on to the inadvertent ASMR, which is the whole point of this blog (or it has been to date).

Today’s video is this one:

L spine overview.wmv

This features Mr Mushtaque A Ishaque and straight away we realise that the video is not commencing with music – heaven be praised. Mr Ishaque has a great voice. Although the video is filmed in a presentation style his voice is not excessively loud. This is a talent which a number of other people could profit from. He has a measured approach and is a joy to listen to. The video is a little over fifteen and a quarter minutes and surprisingly for a professional video has no notes. Comments are permitted and even more surprisingly these are both positive and lack any off-the-wall comments.

The channel is EdwardTDavis and the whole channel has only fifteen videos. This is still too many for one blog post

Regular readers will be familiar with the channel because it has been covered before.

I think that this time we will filter by including only those videos that are dedicated to examination of the spine. There are four of these and that seems a suitable number to cover in one post. Of course, the above has been reviewed, so we have only three remaining:

The next one therefore is this one:

L spine run through.wmv

This is slightly less than four minutes in length, so it is unlikely to be around long enough to be boring. There are no notes. There is one single abusive comment (I always say that permitting comments on a YouTube video is akin to an invitation to duck).

The video is of the same standard as the previous one and the voice is equally as good. It is nicely paced and never excessively loud. It is not peppered with annoying music or excessive background noise. If it had been quite a bit longer, it would be just the kind of video that I look for in terms of ASMR videos.

The next one in the spine series on this channel is this one:

C spine run through.wmv

This one is a little less than three and a quarter minutes, like the last one it’s somewhat on the short side. There are no notes, the comments at least seem relevant, if not helpful, to an ASMR-orientated audience.

Again, there is no music. The voice continues to be excellent. Air conditioning noises are so muted as to be easy to disregard. Shame this wasn’t forty one minutes in length, it would be a great one to drift off to. As it is, I think all the videos this week are going into The Procrastination Pen playlist.

Sadly, a playlist of short-length videos, as seasoned readers will be aware by now, is simply an invitation for YouTube to slot in unsuitable adverts in between. For which I apologise. Those so disposed can now subscribe to YouTube and pay for an Ad-Free experience. I have not tried this myself and so I cannot comment if it ultimately works out as a good deal.

The next (and last) video on the subject of the spine, on this channel, is this one:

C spine overview.wmv

This is a little more substantive at thirteen minutes in length. Again, it has no notes. Comments are permitted; there is one bland comment which just possibly could have been left by an ASMR fan.

The participants have been the same throughout and the quality of each of them has been good. I am trialling all of them in the Procrastination Pen playlist and I hope that you agree they are all worthy of that (feedback is always welcome).

The Edward Davis playlist on the Procrastination Pen is here:

The overall playlist of videos covered so far on the Procrastination Pen is here:

The videos weeded out because over time they are just not as good as the others is in this archive list:

I keep this in case subscribers to the Procrastination Pen have personal favourites that they want to hear.

The playlist of videos requiring age verification is here:

I can’t be bothered to stop my listening to log on, this interrupts the experience. You may not mind this in which case this list is for you.

I hope that you find the playlists restful and I hope you get plenty of sleep.

If you liked this blog article why not follow this blog.

Until next time.

Picture DeepAI.org

Sleeping With ASMR

I am noticing on YouTube, a number of channels dedicated to the collecting of inadvertent ASMR videos and, sometimes the creation of playlists of such videos, which in many ways replicates the work that I am doing.

There are also blogs out there producing some quality work in this area, so it is feasible that any ASMR-related output has been accomplished even more professionally elsewhere. If you do have a favourite outlet for ASMR material pass it along and I will feature it. I may even listen to it personally.

For the moment I am carrying on doing what I have done for over a year now, reviewing videos, generating playlists, occasionally editing the playlists when I don’t feel that they are fit for purpose. If you happen across this blog in your search for better ASMR material, by all means, give me some feedback and I’ll try to incorporate any relevant suggestions.

Of late, I have been listening to Calm because I have a subscription and, for me, that subscription gives some value, in that without it, I doubt I would be maintaining any kind of meditation discipline. Its value as a sleep aid I have found a bit variable. Indeed, I have found that the Calm daily meditations are more restful in many cases than the items dedicated to sleep. Not least that a number of the items dedicated to sleep incorporate music, which, personally, I do not find helpful in assisting me to get off to sleep. Your mileage may vary.

Today’s Calm item is just the same and, again, it is one of my favourite voices on there, Jeff Warren. Who, coincidentally, once in a while has something useful to say as well. Don’t take this as a recommendation to start splashing your cash. Heaven forfend. I am certain that with a bit of discipline there are other, free, options available.

https://www.calm.com/app/player/Yj26VDZzW_ Jeff Warren, Daily Trip, Sometimes It’s Hard.

However, if, for example, you already have a Calm subscription you may want to give the above a whirl.

For a few weeks now I have been giving a professional ASMR video a review. Today’s comes via a slightly esoteric route, in that I have been trying to learn Italian via Duolingo, without success, for way – way too long. It was for this reason that a video in Italian, by a non-Italian ASMR artist rather appealed.

The video is this one:

ITALY’S Old School Eye Exam is SO Relaxing | Real ASMR sounds

It is from LaLek ASMR a channel with three hundred and ten videos, 242K subscribers and whose output seems to incorporate an impressive number of massage videos. As expected, the channel also appears on the ASMR Index.

The video has notes, some of which are dedicated to self-promotion, so a precis of which are as follows:

“2,152,940 views 14 Feb 2025 #EyeExam #MedicalASMR #ASMR

Ciao a tutti! 🌿✨ Today, I’m taking you inside an old-school eye clinic in Italy for a real eye exam with a gentle, professional old-school eye doctor and vintage optometry tools. This classic vision test includes trial frames, Snellen Eye Test Chart, near and far vision testing, and vintage optometry equipments—all creating unintentional ASMR with soft-spoken moments, gentle tapping, and soothing sounds. 💆‍♂️👓

If you love medical ASMR, real eye exams, and the nostalgic charm of old-fashioned clinics, this video is for you!”

Comments are permitted and surprisingly, are positive and seem to lack the off-the-wall and damning. Perhaps such commentators take a little while to catch up.

The video is a little less than thirty minutes and it is surprising how effective hearing an ASMR video in another language actually is. However, there are quite loud equipment noises. It is also punctuated by ads sadly. There are various electric motor noises, beeps and clicks. None of these seem excessively loud. The summation by the eye specialist is a little louder and somewhat faster than the rest. It isn’t terrible but does not stand up well in comparison with the nicely quiet presentation that has gone just before.

Today we return to a channel that I did promise I would revisit after a moderately successful first review of it.

The channel is Farsight Channel and will be familiar to regular readers.

The video is this one:

Macleod’s examination of the sensory system of the upper limbs

A little less than five- and three-quarter minutes long. Omar and Amy as in the previous article, and by this time I am getting used to that artificial voice (maybe that is just me). A video of that voice would not be unpleasant for us I feel, even though there seems a slight discontinuity between the sound and the video.

Macleod’s examination of the cervical spine

Ben and Omar again. Omar’s responses are so abrupt and flat that it is laughable, definitely not Omar’s genuine voice (in fact, I doubt that Omar is even the “patient’s” name).

It is just over two minutes long and, in every respect, follows the findings indicated for the previous videos in this post.

Macleod’s examination of the ear

Omar with Amy, and I have decided that I like the artificial voice of Amy a lot more than the artificial voice of Ben. Shucks, am I admitting to liking a synthesized voice? Well not really, just that I think it is better than another computer-generated voice.

This one is less than one minute so there is barely time to take in what the participants are saying before it is all over. Again, the narrator is not as quiet as the participants.

Macleod’s examination of the upper limbs motor function

Ben and Omar, but this time a narrator who is different to the one we have had previously, not only that, but he has a markedly superior voice. Much preferred intonation and volume for our purposes.

Omar responds “no” in a completely flat tone which, if you have listened to the ones that went before in this post, you will be completely familiar with.

This is just less than six minutes, so a positive marathon in terms of some in this post but miniscule compared to some we have seen.

Macleod’s examination of lower limb motor function

This is just over five minutes long. Ben and Omar, same narrator as above and this narrator would have been great for all of the videos. Perhaps I will be entering into some judicious weeding of videos from the main Procrastination playlist into the archive list and including only those with this narrator. I’ll let them bed in and see if they are all deserving of long-term membership.

Macleod’s examination of the Hip joint

Just over six and a half minutes, Ben and Omar the participants again. These have all been very similar, which is remarkable in that there has been little to dislike about any of them. I sometimes resort to pointing out minor niggles to distinguish between them (like the narrator’s voice for example). Here we have the preferred narrator of the two featured in this blog post. Already then, we are on a good footing (given the narrator is talking for much of the video).

Definition, just because I thought a picture would be useful – lumbar spine

Macleod’s examination of the respiratory system

Amy with Omar and this time with my preferred narrator. So preferred participants (for this set anyway) and preferred narrator, so something of a jackpot. It is nearly thirteen minutes and so reasonably long for the posts we have been covering this time.

Definition Cricosternal distance distance between the cricoid cartilage and the suprasternal notch (labelled as Jugular notch below)

Macleod’s Examination of the cardiovascular system

Just over twelve- and three-quarter minutes, Amy with Omar, and the last of the videos in this particular post. The preferred narrator in fact a good video to go out on.

Definition Cyanotic Congenital Heart Disease, a disease present at birth leading to low levels of oxygen in the blood.

The Farsight Playlist on the Procrastination Pen is here:

The overall playlist of videos covered so far on the Procrastination Pen is here:

The videos weeded out because over time they are just not as good as the others is in this archive list:

I keep this in case subscribers to the Procrastination Pen have personal favourites that they want to hear.

The playlist of videos requiring age verification is here:

I can’t be bothered to stop my listening to log on, this interrupts the experience. You may not mind this in which case this list is for you.

I hope that you find the playlists restful and I hope you get plenty of sleep.

If you liked this blog article why not follow this blog.

Until next time.

Picture DeepAI.org

Sleeping With ASMR

I notice that media outlets are now declaring that six hours of sleep is just not going to be enough. Which is all very well, but if you are above the age of fifty and have a reasonably busy life, I can more or less bet that many of your nights will have less sleep in them than that. The reflection that as you get older, waking up in the middle of sleeping gets a more pronounced experience does not help if it is three AM and the one thing you don’t want to do is to wake the person who you’re sharing a bed/bedroom with.

At such times, perhaps the Procrastination Pen playlist and a decent set of headphones might be the saviour of the night. (YouTube adverts excepting).

Of late, I have told you when I come across a meditation on Calm that I liked and regular readers will note that I have developed a taste for the daily meditations featuring Jeff Warren. This includes this one https://www.calm.com/app/player/5iglULfMFq “Patiently In A Rush”. I am finding the dailies on Calm to be much more useable than the tracks dedicated to sleep and so again here too. Sadly, Calm is not free and I am not trying to persuade you to pay for it.

A habit I have established is the review of a professional ASMR artist in each of these blog articles. If only in contrast to the inadvertent ASMR that I have been reviewing for greater than a year now.

Today’s video is this one:

ASMR Appointment with Your Doctor

It starts with the medical professional typing into a computer and ignoring anyone else. This has the benefit of being accurate to real-world experience but is not a noise I would want to start an ASMR video with. Perhaps we should be thankful there is no peppy music or thanks given to some sponsor or other.

This video is a little over twenty-one minutes and so is not a huge length for one of these videos. The notes are largely dedicated to advertising, so I won’t bother with them. A quick scan of the comments indicates that they are largely positive. The channel is VisualSounds1 ASMR with 326K subscribers and 1.1K videos. Wow that is a lot of videos. There are twenty-six playlists, none of which obviously focus on medical themes.

Unsurprisingly VisualSounds1 ASMR is also on the ASMR Index.

There is a quite loud background noise, either air conditioning or a sound mimicking air conditioning and I do wonder (again) why ASMR artists include this. I am constantly looking for inadvertent ASMR videos that do not have this type of background noise.

The style is of a person responding to an individual (unheard/unseen) which I believe is probably to make the whole video feel more personal. It can also be a tad on the confusing side until you latch on to what is going on.

The tone, is of course, excellent but tends to delve into the whispery. This seems to be the volume that most professional ASMR artists use. It has the benefit of being ASMR-y but the disadvantage of being much less believable as a rendition of a real medical exam. I cannot remember one occasion in which a GP has ever whispered at me. Perhaps I am missing out…

Hopefully, that was a bit of fun and now back to the day job. Today’s inadvertent ASMR video is this one:

Macleod’s examination of speech

It is, of course, from a channel that we must by now have done to death. Farsight Channel has 102K subscribers and fifty-nine videos which seems a very high subscriber to video ratio to me.

The notes will be familiar to regular Procrastination Pen readers: “84,162 views 6 Jul 2013

This video demonstrates clinical examination techniques as described in Macleod’s Clinical Examination. The textbook with access to the full set of videos is available at www.elsevierhealth.co.uk/macleod”

We are now used to the slightly stilted and artificial sounding sound track from this channel and this particular video is no different. There is no startup music, no background noise and no strange narrator with a less desirable voice. In fact, in terms of the videos I commonly review this is pretty good. However, it is less than three minutes in length which gives YouTube plenty of opportunity to slide in loud and distracting adverts prior to the next video in the playlist.

The problem with reviewing this site a great deal before, of course is the likelihood that I repeat previously-covered videos. To obviate this possibility, I decided to narrow my search to speech and speech related videos on this channel. This only produced one further video which is this one:

Macleod’s examination of the facial (VII) nerve

The notes don’t really need to be repeated… There are only four comments, but even in that small number they are somewhat variable. It is less than a minute in length and this time there is a narrator. As usual, with the use of narrators, the voice of the narrator is louder and less inclined towards ASMRishness. In other respects, it is similar. The voices of the participants sound odd as if they do not belong to the people participating in the video, just as before.

The Farsight Playlist on the Procrastination Pen is here:

The overall playlist of videos covered so far on the Procrastination Pen is here:

The videos weeded out because over time they are just not as good as the others is in this archive list:

I keep this in case subscribers to the Procrastination Pen have personal favourites that they want to hear.

The playlist of videos requiring age verification is here:

I can’t be bothered to stop my listening to log on, this interrupts the experience. You may not mind this in which case this list is for you.

I hope that you find the playlists restful and I hope you get plenty of sleep.

If you liked this blog article why not follow this blog.

Until next time.

Picture DeepAI.org

Sleeping With ASMR

Hello and welcome to the Procrastination Pen. This week like last week, and the previous week… I am reviewing YouTube videos for their potential as an aid for restful sleep. To assist in getting from awake to asleep and in getting back to sleep when you wake up in the early hours of the morning. Most importantly, to avoid any noises that are likely to wake you up if the video keeps playing after you have dosed off. In the latter I’m afraid I cannot take account of YouTube adverts which are frequently up tempo, loud, intrusive and take no account of the time of day in terms of how quiet or restful they are.

Before we move onto the normal activity, which is the review of inadvertent ASMR videos, I have, of late, been reviewing one professional ASMR video as a change, and in case anyone liked the idea.

This week I am looking at this one:

“Let Your Destiny Unfold” Rainy Soft Spoken & Personal Attention Healing (ASMR REIKI)‪@ReikiwithAnna

It is on the channel Reiki with Anna which has 156K subscribers and five hundred and seventy videos. Where do these ASMR artists find the time?

In line with all ASMR artists I have reviewed so far, Reiki with Anna is suspiciously attractive. Surely if it is the quality of one’s voice that was critical then this would not be necessary?

In common with many ASMR artists Reiki with Anna also occurs on the ASMR Index.

Today’s video is just over forty and a half minutes and so is a reasonable length. Immediately we see why such videos are easier to listen to than inadvertent ASMR videos. There is no startup music and the artist has, as expected, an exceptional voice. The tone is great. The rain is unnecessary for me but I believe some people find such noises restful.

There are lots of additional noises: taps, clicks, a light background music, noises from equipment, even the sound of jewellery rattling. The latter stemming from the movements that are happening in the video. These distractions are not what I am listening for; I’m just here for the vocals.

The video does seem to be a bit “new age” for my taste but I cannot criticise the voice.

Sadly, YouTube will be YouTube and my listening was regularly punctuated by loud, irrelevant adverts. Hopefully your listening will not be so punctuated. Of course, these professional ASMR videos do not really have a playlist on the Procrastination Pen. I will add this one to the Sweetie Jar playlist which has become the repository for those I have reviewed thus far.

Of course, this video is not the meat and potatoes of this blog, which has always been to cover inadvertent ASMR (or at the very least restful) videos.

Today we return to a channel that I did promise I would revisit after a moderately successful first review of it.

The channel is Farsight Channel and will be familiar to regular readers.

The video is this one:

Macleod’s examination of the sensory system of the lower limbs

A bit less than three and a half minutes. The notes state: “235,864 views 5 Jul 2013 New! Macleod’s Clinical examination 13th edition

One of the comments indicates that the voiceover is AI generated. If this is actually what was done, I wonder why anyone would choose to do it. It results in a very unrealistic presentation.

This is Omar and Amy as we saw in the previous blog article, we are now used to that pairing. The actual examination is quieter than the narration track, even though the voices are a little stilted.

Macleod’s examination of the motor system of the lower limbs

This is just less than five and a quarter minutes long. Ben and Omar who we have also seen before. The notes state “674,799 views 5 Jul 2013 New! Macleod’s Clinical examination 13th edition

These videos are consistent with one another and there is rarely a difference worthy of additional comment.

Definition: Clonus: involuntary muscle contractions.

Plantar Response:

Macleod’s examining for meningeal irritation

“214,625 views 5 Jul 2013 New! Macleod’s Clinical examination 13th edition

This is just over a minute, so barely there at all. It features Omar and Amy. Again. Amy has a quieter voice than the narrator. However, there is still that uneasy sense that the voices are not the actual voices of the participants.

Macleod’s examination of the hip

The notes will come as no surprise if you have read the previous blog articles: “63,188 views 5 Jul 2013 New! Macleod’s Clinical examination 13th edition

It is a little over six and a half minutes long. Omar and Ben are the participants. Here, if anything, Ben is a little louder than the narrator. However, I do not think he is excessively loud for our purposes.

Definition:

Trochanter – a picture is probably best for this:

Although there is plenty of moving of equipment, there are none of the associated noises which we commonly hear.

Macleod’s examination of the cardiovascular system

Amy and Omar feature, and this time the video is a more substantial length. This is almost thirteen minutes long. I think we have an idea what the notes are likely to say by this stage, such that I will avoid further reference to them unless something moderately interesting comes up.

Again, Amy’s voice (artificial or not) is the best one here. Omar’s is completely flat and the narrator’s is a bit on the loud side.

Definition:

Endocarditis inflammation of the inner layer of the heart.

Ischemia a restriction in blood supply

Macleod’s examination of the motor system of the upper limbs

A little over six minutes long, Ben and Omar are participating. It is consistent with the previous video containing these two participants.

Definition:

Fasciculation a muscle twitch.

And that is probably about as much of that as you can tolerate in one blog post. I will revisit this at a future date. The Farsight Channel continuing to provide a rich source of suitable videos.

The Farsight Playlist on the Procrastination Pen is here:

The overall playlist of videos covered so far on the Procrastination Pen is here:

The videos weeded out because over time they are just not as good as the others is in this archive list:

I keep this in case subscribers to the Procrastination Pen have personal favourites that they want to hear.

The playlist of videos requiring age verification is here:

I can’t be bothered to stop my listening to log on, this interrupts the experience. You may not mind this in which case this list is for you.

I hope that you find the playlists restful and I hope you get plenty of sleep.

If you liked this blog article why not follow this blog.

Until next time.

Picture DeepAI.org

Sleeping With ASMR

There has been a (hopefully unnoticeable) period of downtime of late, as there seems to have been no brief periods to sneak in a video review. That being the case, I am somewhat grateful of the backlog of material I had built up over the Christmas break. Today though, a few minutes available and a new video review.

Of course, for a very short while, I have been slipping in a review of a professional ASMR artist video. Today’s channel is ASMR Rebecca.

The video is this one:

A Very Realistic ASMR Eye Exam (new props!)

This is just over twenty-five and a half minutes. It starts with various rubber glove noises which seem to occur in several videos and I have now decided I really dislike. The vocal tone is better than some I have covered. At least the voice is closer to one an actual medical professional would use (a lot less whispering here).

I notice that the eye chart is displayed as in a mirror, so it’s a little challenging to read. However, as we are here to listen, I doubt it matters. To me, various parts of the exam seem to be out of focus which might be deliberate.

There are numerous additional noises which I think are supposed to appeal to ASMR fans who respond to different “triggers.” I just find them distracting. For example, there is drumming of the fingers, clicking noises and noises of a pen scratching against paper.

All told for a professional ASMR video, I found that there were rather too many distracting noises for me. I know that some professional ASMR artists include as many triggers as feasible in each video, but this scatter gun approach, to me, means that there is no particular focus. Surely it is better to focus solely, for example, a video on those who like scratching noises rather than whispers + scratching noises + clucking noises + finger drumming and so on and so forth. As each person finds their specific trigger, others are put off and as the artist moves onto the next trigger, they put off the one who was until that minute entranced.

This video is also not helped by extraneous background noise in terms of a car alarm somewhere sounding off. (Probably a good key to restart the entire filming process).

That said there are hundreds of comments on this video and a quick scan through reveals that they seem to be positive. This slightly increases my perception that people are watching due to the way a person looks rather than the ASMR sounds a video may have.

However, the presentation is, as expected, carefully put together and the tone is excellent (eyesight tests appearing as if in a mirror, excepting).

I will put it into the sweetie jar playlist so that you can have a review for yourself.

Onto the core theme of the blog, which is videos that were not designed to be restful but are, nonetheless, relaxing in content. Today, we return to Dr Abraham Verghese who we have featured before in this blog.

On Being a Doctor and Connecting with Patients

Just over four minutes so not a huge video. It has notes which thankfully are not as lengthy as we have grown used to. “14,160 views 7 Jan 2020

In this video Abraham Verghese, MD, best-selling author of In My Country and Cutting for Stone, discusses the origins of the study he coauthored identifying 5 practices that foster meaningful connections between physicians and patients. Learn more at ja.ma/presence5.”

There are few comments but they are quite encouraging – this makes a welcome change. We’ve seen Abraham Verghese before and on that occasion, we concluded he had a good voice for us and so again with this video. There is no introductory music (hurray) no weird background noises (hurray) and no people wandering across the camera (hip-hip…).

This though, is not a medical examination as such. It is a monologue. But it is calm, measured and most of all the volume control isn’t turned up to 11.

Sadly, background music commences after a while, but it is at least calm music and the volume does not suppress the speaker. So, I may make an exception and add this into the playlist. It might though get booted on review into the archive list.

The channel is JAMA Network which has 1.3K videos at the time I am looking at it. Try covering that lot in one blog post.

I think I’ll try for any of those that feature Abraham Verghese and focus that way.

A search on Abraham Verghese’s surname brings up videos that do not include him. However the videos in their entirety number only six so I’ll go with it and see if we have discovered any hidden gems.

The first is the one covered above leaving just five to review.

How to Prepare with Intention

With notes: “1,357 views 21 Jan 2020

Preparing with intention is one of five practices that can help doctors connect with patients. In this video, Donna M. Zulman, MD, MS, Jonathan G. Shaw, MD, MS, and Abraham Verghese, MD, from @StanfordMedicine explain how this practice works and why it’s important. Learn more at ja.ma/presence5.”

It is just over two minutes long, so hardly there at all. Abraham Verghese is this time drowned out by background music and this continues as Donna Zulman speaks and it fails to desist when Jonathan Shaw contributes.

In fact, it ruins the video from our perspective so I’ll move on.

How to Agree on What Matters Most

This is less than one and one half minutes and starts with Abraham Verghese again. There are notes of course: “877 views 21 Jan 2020

Agreeing on what matters most is one of five practices that can help doctors connect with patients. In this video, Donna M. Zulman, MD, MS, Jonathan G. Shaw, MD, MS, and Abraham Verghese, MD, from @StanfordMedicine explain how this practice works and why it’s important. Learn more at ja.ma/presence5.”

In this case the music does not quite overpower the speaker, even as the video moves on to Donna Zulman and then to Jonathan Shaw, so I think I’ll tolerate this one. How long it will last in the Procrastination Pen playlist though…

I am becoming much more critical of late and some of the videos that have been in that playlist for a long time are now getting booted to the archive list.

Listening to Patients Intently and Completely

A little less than two minutes and so all of these videos have the advantage that they will not delay us long. They have the disadvantage that they provide spaces for more of the oppressively loud and distracting adverts that YouTube chooses to put into the gaps between videos, even when those videos are obviously being played overnight!

Why I would want a loud and funky advert blasting from the headphones at 3am is anybody’s guess. But, I suppose, it is more important that a few more pence are added to the coffers.

The video has notes as expected: “2,749 views 21 Jan 2020

“The data source is the patient, and the most important thing is not to interrupt them, and let the story unfold.” Listening intently and completely is one of five practices that can help doctors connect with patients. In this video, Donna M. Zulman, MD, MS, Jonathan G. Shaw, MD, MS, and Abraham Verghese, MD, from @StanfordMedicine explain how this practice works and why it’s important. Learn more at ja.ma/presence5.”

It starts with Abrham Verghese again and I am saddened by the fact that all the participants seem to have reasonable voices but they are masked (even if partially) by continuous background music. I am mystified why anyone would do that, unless it is to frustrate ASMR-seeking listeners – in which case it is highly effective.

Achieving Diagnostic Excellence

This is a much more substantial video, it is very nearly half an hour in length. As if to reflect this it also has much more substantial notes so I’m just supplying an extract of these: “1,345 views 20 Sept 2022 #JAMALive

Arguably, a clinician’s most important role is providing an accurate and actionable diagnosis for patients. But challenges stand in the way, including tool limitations, inequitable access, and discontinuity of care. In this roundtable Q&A discussion, Urmimala Sarkar, MD, MPH (Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, UCSF), Jonathan H. Chen, MD, PhD (Stanford Center for Biomedical Informatics Research, Stanford University), and Harvey V. Fineberg, MD, PhD (Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation), discuss issues affecting diagnostic excellence, the emergence of artificial intelligence–driven tools, and ways to make the diagnostic process patient-focused. Hosted by JAMA Editor in Chief Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, MD, PhD.

Visit http://jamanetworkvideo.com for more content like this.”

Comments are permitted and the only feedback is relevant and well-thought out, which makes a refreshing change. This also means that there is no feedback from ASMR fans.

The video commences with funky music but thankfully that soon desists. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo starts the video. I’m not sure that Kirsten would be the first choice in terms of voice for ASMR but at least the presentation is not excessively loud.

Sadly, the format which is like a Zoom call (other chat-related softwares exist), does not lend itself to an ASMR supporting video. This one does not belong in the Procrastination Pen playlist.

Coronavirus Update With Eric Topol

On the face of it, this is not a subject that is likely to be restful. It is the longest video so far seen in this blog post at a little shy of forty-one minutes. There is a whole medical manual of notes with the video, so here is a brief extract: “19,983 views Streamed live on 23 Jul 2020 #Pandemic #COVID19 #Coronavirus

Eric Topol, MD, Scripps Research EVP and omnivorous science health care and tech commentator, discusses the evolving COVID-19 pandemic.”

There are a number of comments, many of which reflect the concerns surrounding the subject, but no obvious ASMR-related comments.

There is no startup music – heaven be praised, so a nice peaceful start. However, we are again faced with a Teams-call like interface and not a medical examination as such. The presentation starts with Howard Bauchner who actually has quite a reasonable voice. Eric Topol is the person being interviewed who, if anything, has a better voice. Sadly, as before I do not think this is suitable for the Procrastination Pen playlist.

The Bedside Manner Playlist on the Procrastination Pen is here:

The overall playlist of videos covered so far on the Procrastination Pen is here:

The videos weeded out because over time they are just not as good as the others is in this archive list:

I keep this in case subscribers to the Procrastination Pen have personal favourites that they want to hear.

The playlist of videos requiring age verification is here:

I can’t be bothered to stop my listening to log on, this interrupts the experience. You may not mind this in which case this list is for you.

I hope that you find the playlists restful and I hope you get plenty of sleep.

If you liked this blog article, why not follow this blog.

Until next time.

Picture DeepAI.org

Sleeping With ASMR

I have been promising for a little while now that I would make some recommendations regarding tracks on Calm that I have used when sleep seems to be avoiding me. In fact, Calm has a whole range of material dedicated to sleep. This seems to be getting updated so regularly that it is hard to point to any one specific track. That said, I did rather enjoy “A Calmling in New York”. Perhaps a little too music-based for my usual relaxation but you may well have a different point of view. You can find it here: https://www.calm.com/app/player/qJEZPZzlDS but a warning, Calm is not free (and I am not trying to encourage you to pay for it).

Of course, if you are really stressed of a night time, it might just be that you want to be as relaxed as possible whilst acknowledging that sleep just isn’t going to happen for you that evening. In which case, some background noise might be just what you need.

I often give up in these situations and switch on the TV, listening with headphones on. It is not infrequently that I wake up a few hours later, a change of location and some background noise being all that it took to knock wakefulness on the head.

However, if it is looking like a few hours of being awake, you might do worse than to launch the Procrastination Pen playlist, set YouTube to shuffle and lie there listening to the various restful tracks that are available.

I have been in the habit recently of reviewing one professional ASMR artist’s video. Just because I’ve been reviewing inadvertent ASMR for over a year now and it is probably time for a change. (Small though it is).

Today’s video comes from LeannaASMR who is featured on the ASMR index here.

ASMR| Comprehensive Abdominal Exam, Full Medical Roleplay (Soft Spoken)

At a little less than twenty minutes it is rather short for a full-length professional ASMR video of this type. I do notice that there is a rising tendency for ASMR artists to publish their videos as “shorts” i.e. something only a few minutes long. Perhaps this video is trying to draw a middle way between the hour-long material we’ve seen and the one-minute shorts that are at the other end of the spectrum.

The video has quite a lot of extraneous noise; clicking noises, crumpling noises, equipment noises, the odd thump, in fact, the noises I have been hoping that inadvertent ASMR material would not contain. I assume that this was included here for effect but it marred it for me. The voice, meanwhile is as perfect as you can imagine for a professional ASMR artist and does not stray into the whispering level, which tends to make such videos completely unbelievable (what medical professional conducts an examination using a whispering tone)?

So, enough of all these distractions back to the overriding purpose of the blog which is to turn up inadvertent ASMR material or, at the very least, videos which are calm and restful (and hopefully without too much in the way of extraneous noises).

Today’s video comes from a channel that I have covered before N Sight has 3.08K subscribers and twenty videos. The proportion of subscribers to quantity of videos is something of an achievement, I think.

The video is this one:

Nails: Demo Exam

It is four- and three-quarter minutes so not long enough to keep you. There are notes “264,441 views 17 Feb 2016

In today’s medical practice, knowing how to spot physical signs of nutritional imbalances during a routine physical examination is an essential diagnostic tool. This nutrition-focused nails exam is conducted by Kara Fitzgerald, ND.

N Sight is presented by the Institute for Functional Medicine.”

But perhaps wisely comments are not permitted.

Sadly, it has startup music and that startup music is a bit peppy to be properly restful. There is background noise but it is not excessive. Kara has a good voice, the “patient” does not get to say a great deal. Some of the included pictures are majorly off-putting and so, if this blog was not focusing on listening, I would be lairy about making it a member of the playlist. My recommendation is to listen and not to watch.

Fortunately N Sight has an entire playlist dedicated to the Nail Exam category and this playlist contains four videos.

The playlist first featured is, in fact, number two in this playlist. The first video is this one:

Nail Exam: Introduction, Equipment, & Patient Positioning

Again, there are notes: “7,955 views 17 Feb 2016

The same two participants are featured and again we have funky startup music (sigh). The video is a bit longer than three-and-a-quarter minutes and does not initially start with a medical examination. Kara Fitzgerald starts presenting and as such the vocal is a little louder than in the first video. The patient does not appear until the two- and three-quarter minute mark, it is interposed with yet more funky music and I find that quite distracting.

The second video is the one we came in with, and the third video in the playlist is this one:

Nails: Teaching Exam

This is much more substantial at a little less than seventeen and a half minutes. There are notes again “43,265 views 17 Feb 2016

N Sight is presented by the Institute for Functional Medicine.”

And the same two participants. The far too energetic music tops and tails the video, as before.

This time we are into the meat and potatoes of an examination. Here, Kara’s voice is much more measured and I would say is pretty good from our perspective. It is not too loud or energetic.

I would say (music excepting) this is a pretty good candidate for the Procrastination Pen playlist.

The final video is merely a wrap up. It is this one:

Nails: Conclusion

it is only slightly more than a minute. Same startup (and concluding) music. No medical exam this time and just like that it is all over.

The N Sight Playlist on the Procrastination Pen is here:

The overall playlist of videos covered so far on the Procrastination Pen is here:

The videos weeded out because over time they are just not as good as the others is in this archive list:

I keep this in case subscribers to the Procrastination Pen have personal favourites that they want to hear.

The playlist of videos requiring age verification is here:

I can’t be bothered to stop my listening to log on, this interrupts the experience. You may not mind this in which case this list is for you.

I hope that you find the playlists restful and I hope you get plenty of sleep.

If you liked this blog article why not follow this blog.

Until next time.

Picture DeepAI.org

Sleeping With ASMR

Recently I have been including a cameo role for a professional ASMR artist. I’ve limited my adventurings to videos where they are playing a medical professional to fit in with the ongoing blog theme, which has focused on medical-themed ASMR videos for well over a year now.

Once a person strays into this area though, you very quickly realise that there are a huge number of medical-themed ASMR videos and the scope for spending hours on really quite unsuitable videos is commensurately high.

After trying a few, I also happened upon another hazard which is that the first several minutes of the video is given over to the junk the sponsor of the video wants to sell. Quite a lot of heinous-instantly-disposables in such videos. It convinces me that any video organised this way is unlikely to get much space on this blog. There is quite enough intrusive time given over to advertising as it is, without it forming a part of the video itself.

This one seems to escape some of these problems:

ASMR Head to Toe Assessment 2024 [Full Body Medical Examination] | ‘Unintentional Style’ Roleplay

Sadly, there is the ever-present air conditioning noise which I would think a professional ASMR artist could ensure was dispensed with. There are also some equipment noises, including some loudish beeps, whirring equipment and clunks from moving equipment around. This is rather like many of the genuine medical videos we have reviewed. There is the sound of rubber gloves which is quite off-putting. The video is a little over forty minutes so quite substantial and as expected the tone of the presentation is nigh on perfect. In this case two recognised ASMR artists are collaborating so in a sense it is two for one in that both voices here are excellent (if they weren’t then the number of subscribers would be something of a surprise).

The channel is Ivy B ASMR it has 350K subscribers and 1.9K videos so someone deeply loves this ASMR artist (or rather quite a number of someones).

So, well worthy of consideration, I think. I will place it into the sweetie jar list. However, bear in mind this list does not receive anything like the attention of the main Procrastination Pen playlist as it has not been the focus of this blog (at least so far).

So, after that brief sojourn into videos created deliberately for ASMR, back to the inadvertent ASMR video and, perhaps the slightly more difficult task of finding a video with potentially relaxing effects amongst the large number of videos which are unsuitable.

Today, we return to Stanford, which has been a rich well of restful videos.

Venous Testing

This is just a little over five minutes in length, so blink and it is already gone. It is a professional video and so, as we would expect, there are notes. “4 Jul 2012

Visit: stanfordmedicine25.stanford.edu

This video is from the Stanford Medicine 25: an initiative to enhance the culture of bedside medicine and physical diagnosis. Visit our website to learn more. The ankle brachial index is one of our “25” diagnostic techniques that we teach.”

There are no ASMR-related comments and quite frequently this means it isn’t a desperately great video.

It starts with the standard Stanford musical intro (boo hiss). The medical professional is John Cooke MD and John has an excellent voice. There is a slight background hiss which is unfortunate, but nothing as bad as some of the air conditioning we have heard.

There is a doppler device in use which some people might find off-putting. The noises from this device seem to get louder and more explosive as the video goes on. There is also the standard Stanford end music as well.

We have visited the Stanford Medicine 25 channel prior to this and we know that the videos tend to be divided into playlists.

This video comes from the playlist Stanford Medicine 25: Ankle Brachial Index. There is only one other video in this playlist, and it is this one:

Ankle Brachial Index (ABI) Test: How to Perform

The notes do not introduce anything substantially new. This one is also presented by John; this time the video is seven- and three-quarter minutes long. There are comments and this time, the odd one might be ASMR-related (the comments as usual are variable). John continues to have a great voice in this video. But we know what is coming when the doppler device is produced again.

The doppler device does produce the odd distracting noise. This is a shame because I do like John’s voice and the pacing of the presentation. It is only because of this that I am considering running with these two in the playlist to begin with. Sadly it is quite likely that both will ultimately get culled for the archive list.

The Stanford Medicine Playlist on the Procrastination Pen is here:

The overall playlist of videos covered so far on the Procrastination Pen is here:

The videos weeded out because over time they are just not as good as the others is in this archive list:

I keep this in case subscribers to the Procrastination Pen have personal favourites that they want to hear.

The playlist of videos requiring age verification is here:

I can’t be bothered to stop my listening to log on, this interrupts the experience. You may not mind this in which case this list is for you.

I hope that you find the playlists restful and I hope you get plenty of sleep.

If you liked this blog article, why not follow this blog.

Until next time.

Picture DeepAI.org

Sleeping With ASMR

For those who have stuck with this blog, well done and thank-you. You will be aware of the format that this blog has followed for over a year now and I thought that just for a treat we would have a change. Instead of focusing on inadvertent ASMR videos from YouTube as, by-and-large, I have done for a long time now, what if in between I take a look at a video from a professional ASMR artist and consider whether it is worthwhile.

The drive remains a mechanism for getting some sleep. The difference is that someone is deliberately setting out to be relaxing, so we should be disposed to have extremely high expectations.

Searching YouTube for ASMR material yields up a bewildering array of videos and quite a lot of them look unsuitable before I even give them a review.

However, this one:

ASMR Medical ROLE PLAY | Cranial Nerve Exam (personal attention for relaxation and sleep)

is by an artist who has been around for some time and who has her own entry in the online ASMR index.

This is one of many by Isabel on a medical theme and given this is just a diversion I am not going to explore the others here. This is just a taster.

Not unexpectedly, Isabel has a truckload of followers and enough videos to restock Netflix on a Friday evening.

This particular video is a little over thirty eight minutes in length and for me it’s a little on the breathy side. (But I imagine some ASMR fans rather like that).

There are also some jarring beeps at intervals which would not dispose me towards snooziness, I must confess.

I’m also not a fan of the scratchy noises. However, I imagine for some people they are the main appeal.

It has notes but given a lot of professional artists focus on the merchandising, I won’t repeat them here.

Comments are permitted and, boy, are there a lot of those. A quick review though indicates that they are predominantly positive which is unusual in comparison to the video comments we have become used to.

I’m always a little concerned by professional ASMR videos in that predominantly the artists featured are, shall we say, a little too attractive to be considered average. In such cases I am suspicious that fans are attending not because of the quality of the sound…

The sound quality (as we would expect) is sublime with no weird background noises, no loud equipment noises and it just shows the incredibly high bar that an inadvertent ASMR video is aiming for (and habitually misses).

In any case, as this is a diversion, I am currently not disposed to set up an Isabel playlist on the Procrastination Pen (unless there is call for such a thing).

I will instead add such videos to the Sweetie Jar playlist on the assumption that a subset of readers might use such material to fall asleep to (as opposed to the inadvertent ASMR videos which have been the focus of this blog to date).

So returning to the main theme.

Today we go back to a channel which has been an old favourite which is the University of Leicester

Regular readers will know that we have been here before and whilst the videos on this channel may not be quite the ASMR standard of Isabel it has consistently delivered some restful videos.

The video featured today is this one:

Respiratory Examination – Demonstration

Again it is a professional video and so as we expect it has some notes:

“257,959 views 14 Dec 2011

A second more detailed video can be found at; http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/msce…

This is a real-time demonstration illustrating technique and patient interaction involved in the Respiratory Examination.

The film was produced by practising clinicians to aid the teaching of clinical examination skills. It starts at the point when the clinician has finished taking the medical history and begins the clinical examination.

Presented by Dr Jonathan Bennett MD FRCP Consultant Respiratory Physician. Produced and Directed by Dr Irene Peat FRCR FRCP, Dr Nicholas Port MBChB BSc and Jon Shears.

More Clinical Examination materials can be found at; http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/msce…”

This leads us to suspect that there are more videos out there on a similar theme and so it is worth taking a while to try and identify them.

This one is a little over six minutes and so it barely has time to take a run up before it is all over.

There are comments and as usual a number of the comments are as helpful as a leg iron.

This though may help us identify the others in this series:

“@UniversityLeicester

12 years ago

There is a second video in which the Doctor does explain the procedure. All the videos in this series can be found in the Clinical Examinations Playlist on the University of Leicester Channel.”

The video starts without music, how delightful, but it does have the constant background accompaniment of air conditioning, sadly. The pace and tone are both ideal, there is an absence of offensive noises and even some light humour. What is not to like.

The “patient” is Mr Jackson, the medical professional is introduced only in the notes Dr Jonathan Bennett MD FRCP Consultant Respiratory Physician.

This is a great Procrastination Pen playlist candidate.

The Clinical Examinations playlist mentioned in those comments appears to be this one:

Looking at that playlist, there would appear to be only one other video which features the same “patient” and the same medical professional, and it would be this one:

Respiratory Examination – Explanation

This one is hardly enormous as it is only just over ten minutes in length.

There are, as expected, notes “482,017 views 28 May 2012

This is a detailed explanation of the Respiratory Examination illustrating technique and patient interaction. The film was produced by practising clinicians to aid the teaching of clinical examination skills. It starts at the point when the clinician has finished taking the medical history and begins the clinical examination. Presented by Dr Jonathan Bennett MD FRCP Consultant Respiratory Physician. Produced and Directed by Dr Irene Peat FRCR FRCP, Dr Nicholas Port MBChB BSc and Jon Shears. More Clinical Examination materials can be found at; http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/msce…”

There is no music to start and, again, the presentation is calm and quiet. I also love how polite everyone is in this video.

Some of the explanations are a little on the off-putting side. (I’m not sure that discussions of sputum pots are that restful).

By and large though, this one is as delightful as the last one.

The University of Leicester Playlist on the Procrastination Pen is here:

The overall playlist of videos covered so far on the Procrastination Pen is here:

The videos weeded out because over time they are just not as good as the others is in this archive list:

I keep this in case subscribers to the Procrastination Pen have personal favourites that they want to hear.

The playlist of videos requiring age verification is here:

I can’t be bothered to stop my listening to log on, this interrupts the experience. You may not mind this in which case this list is for you.

I hope that you find the playlists restful and I hope you get plenty of sleep.

If you liked this blog article why not follow this blog.

Until next time.

Photo by Akshat Vats on Unsplash

Sleeping With ASMR

Recently, I have noticed that YouTube is just not cracking it on the nights when I am really fearsomely awake. In fact, it is just wise on those nights to get up again, pad downstairs, and watch some late-night nonsense whilst listening with the headphones.

Fortunately, TV now seems well supplied with some barely-watchable early morning viewing. (It’s almost as if they realise that a group of insomniacs are the only people awake in the early hours and that the last thing such people need is something actually interesting).

Sadly, those who turn their channels over to teleshopping are not so enlightened. My advice (if you are forced to resort to similar tactics due to sleeplessness) is to avoid at all costs surfing channels. There is a real risk that you will you happen upon channels trying to keep you awake in order to drive the purchases of mattresses, power washes or strange pruning devices.

You may also wish to give thought to the shape of your spine. For, if you do happen to drop off to some 1980s B movie, it is likely that the sofa will not turn out to be the most comfortable of resting places.

If you are intending to persist with the YouTube playlist as the source of restfulness however, I think I can be confident that you have come to the right place.

Regular readers will recognise the channel N Sight, because of course we have been here before.

Today’s video has a set of notes which are thankfully brief but which indicate that this is a professionally-produced video.

“13,274 views 2 Feb 2017

Michael Stone, MD demonstrates correct technique for blood pressure measurement with automatic and manual BP cuffs, and when to use each type of cuff. He also demonstrates simultaneous BP measurement (to assess autonomic dysfunction), and supine arm and leg BPs (for the ankle-arm index). N Sight is presented by the Institute for Functional Medicine. Learn more at nsight.org.”

Comments are thankfully not permitted – no requests for free medical advice, no disparaging remarks about the participants but sadly no indication as to whether other ASMR fans have been here before.

I would guess that they have.

The video is this one:

Blood Pressure: Demo Exam, Part 1

It is a little shy of eleven minutes long and so it is not going to be your nighttime companion for very long.

Sadly, it starts with some loud and rather too energetic music – so far, so normal, we have found. Sigh.

The patient is introduced as “Steve” the medical professional is not introduced (well outside of those notes anyway). However, we do find that he (the medical professional) has a great voice, very calming and measured.

Today was the first time I tried the transcript facility in YouTube, and it is so very useful for me. Now I can get a visual check for things like the spelling of people’s names, which I am often convinced I have got wrong.

The medical professional seems quite happy with a reading of 128 (systolic) when I was pretty certain that 128 was pretty high…

The video then repeats the blood pressure test but this time manually, rather than with a machine. It is a little quieter but sadly, it means there is yet more music (as an introduction to this section). Comparatively the cuff looks like something unearthed from a Victorian sanitorium but as you’ll be lying down trying to get some sleep I very much doubt that you will notice this.

Yet more upbeat music and then there is a blood pressure test in both arms simultaneously (this is a test I have never seen). This time the automatic machines are in use and so there is the sound of the cuffs being inflated.

Upbeat music again and back to the manual cuff. I do prefer the sound of this being manually pumped vs the electric pump sound on the automatic machine. However, your preference might vary.

Yet more upbeat music and this time the blood pressure cuff is around Steve’s leg. Again, I have never seen this in use before this.

More upbeat music and then the video concludes. And cues straight into the next video which is this one:

Blood Pressure: Demo Exam, Part 2

There are notes “6,172 views 2 Feb 2017

Michael Stone, MD, demonstrates the correct techniques for measuring the ankle-arm index, dorsalis pedis & posterior tibial pulses. He then performs the raised leg oxygen saturation test, followed by carotid and radial pulse comparison. Finally, he concludes with the appropriate orthostatic hypotension exam. N Sight is presented by the Institute for Functional Medicine. Learn more at nsight.org.”

This follows the same scheme of the previous one, same music, same participants. It is a little shorter at just less than nine and a half minutes. The sound of the doppler at the start of this video may be a little off-putting to some people (I didn’t find it so).

Straight into funky music again and this time the pulse is checked in Steve’s feet.

More music, then a check on the carotid pulse.

Music again, then a check inside the mouth. With emphasis on strong dental hygiene.

Music, and a check as Steve changes position from lying down to standing up. And onto tail end music again.

These two form part of a playlist on N Sight Blood Pressure Exam.

They appear mid-way through the playlist which consists of six videos in total.

The first video is this one:

Blood Pressure: Introduction, Equipment, and Patient Positioning

In which we find that the medical professional is Dr Michael Stone. Initially it is not a medical examination as such but a monologue. Despite this his voice is not elevated. Some people in this situation become a tad “shouty” as if projecting to a room. Dr Michael Stone does not fall into this trap.

The video is a little over sixteen and a half minutes so the longest we have seen so far.

However, the chance to punctuate the video with the same music track is not to be missed apparently. perhaps they paid a lot for it and want to feature it as frequently as possible.

It’s a shame as Dr Stone really has a very good voice for our purposes.

The notes have follow the same theme as the others: “3,422 views 2 Feb 2017

Michael Stone, MD, introduces this blood pressure measurement series, including key nutritional considerations for treating patients with abnormal blood pressure. He describes the necessary equipment, calibration needs, and changes in BP measurement over time. He then demonstrates appropriate patient positioning for sitting and supine blood pressure exams.

N Sight is presented by the Institute for Functional Medicine. Learn more at nsight.org.”

As we are not learning to take blood pressure, I will discontinue including them as I’m sure they are of partial interest.

Blood Pressure: Demo Exam, Part 1

Blood Pressure: Demo Exam, Part 2

These two are where we came in.

Blood Pressure: Teaching Exam, Part 1

Like a number of professionally produced videos these turn out to be consistent. This can be great if the first one is marvellous. Less great if it was less than perfect. In this case it means continuation of that annoying music. Set against this, it means the continued exposure to the great intonation and measured delivery of Dr Michael Stone. Not for the first time I am lamenting that I cannot isolate this and remove the little musical interludes.

This one is just under sixteen and a half minutes, so one of the longer ones we’ve seen and in all other respects is similar, same doctor, same patient, same approach, similar notes, same approach to comments and so on.

Definition:

Insufflation: is the act of blowing something (such as a gas, powder, or vapor) into a body cavity

Blood Pressure: Teaching Exam, Part 2

Consistent with those we have seen, nuclear blast needed for the music track, embrace needed for the quiet voice of Dr Michael Stone. This one is nearly twenty minutes in length which is the longest so far. It has some unsettling doppler noises which might be off-putting to some people. There are also some loud car-related sounds indicating that a nearby road can’t be far outside of the building where this was recorded (or someone has a really loud exhaust). Long videos are also an excuse for YouTube to insert an annoying advert and they seem to have made good use of that facility here.

Blood Pressure: Nutritional Factors and Conclusion

This one is a bit less than six minutes and otherwise has little to distinguish it from those that have gone before. I just wish that Dr Michael Stone could produce a music-free version of each of these videos. That and drop some of the louder doppler noises. However, I still maintain that these are all worthwhile trialling in the Procrastination Pen playlist. (However, as you know, every once in a while I’ll get tired of the ones with irritating noises and drop them into the archive list. There is some chance one, some, or all of these may suffer that fate.

The N Sight Playlist on the Procrastination Pen is here:

The overall playlist of videos covered so far on the Procrastination Pen is here:

The videos weeded out because over time they are just not as good as the others is in this archive list:

I keep this in case subscribers to the Procrastination Pen have personal favourites that they want to hear.

The playlist of videos requiring age verification is here:

I can’t be bothered to stop my listening to log on, this interrupts the experience. You may not mind this in which case this list is for you.

I hope that you find the playlists restful and I hope you get plenty of sleep.

If you liked this blog article why not follow this blog.

Until next time.

Photo by Shona Macrae

Sleeping With ASMR

The further we get into 2025 the more people are becoming obsessed with sleep. This is probably the rectifying of the complete disregard that has been shown to it in previous decades.

I can remember certain public figures boasting that they needed little sleep (as if that was a good thing) and subsequently it being discovered that they were making up that sleep through napping.

What is currently missing is the configuring of work practices to respect sleep. Putting health before GDP would send a very significant message here.

There also seems to be little requirement for taking noise into account when designing and building housing, which has its own consequences. As is usual in such circumstances recommendations are around purchasing noise cancelling technology rather than ensuring houses are not exposed to excessive noise. (For example, before building them in the first place). Putting health before profits would send a significant message here.

If you’re in the, no doubt large, group of people exposed to excessive noise when you’re trying to sleep, I have found that having a noise playing of your own choosing can help. It depends on the noise and when it is happening. For example, a one-off sound at 2am, from a loud car say, can disrupt the rest of your sleep. A consistent noise that you grow used to through exposure may be less disruptive.

In any case, I have found as one gets older sensitivity to noise, when sleeping, seems to increase. The only way to react seems to be to take action yourself. Noise cancelling headphones can help. Although I find frequent use of these really hurts the ears eventually. A back track such as white noise (several generators are available) or, my favourite, a nice relaxing video can also be positive.

Statements that older people need less sleep have not proven correct in my case. I get less sleep, I am more tired, so I wonder how universally such findings apply.

In the drive to provide more relaxing videos for you, here is another blog item on exactly that subject.

Today’s video is already part of a playlist; however, it comes from a channel that I have regularly exploited for material so I have to be careful to avoid duplication in this area. If you spot duplication, do let me know.

The Exam for Ankle & Foot Pain – Stanford Medicine 25

As we have previously established this channel produces videos of consistent quality and as we would expect each video comes with a descriptive set of notes:

“19 Jul 2018 Stanford Medicine 25: Musculoskeletal Exam

This video is brought to you by the Stanford Medicine 25 to teach you the common causes of foot and ankle pain and how to diagnose them by the physical exam.

The Stanford Medicine 25 program for bedside medicine at the Stanford School of Medicine aims to promote the culture of bedside medicine to make current and future clinicians and other healthcare provides better at the art of physical diagnosis and more confident at the bedside of their patients.

Visit us:

Website: http://stanfordmedicine25.stanford.edu/

Blog: http://stanfordmedicine25.stanford.ed…

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StanfordMedi…

Twitter: https://twitter.com/StanfordMed25

Diagnoses covered in this video:

Lateral Ankle Sprain

Talar Dome Osteochondral Defect

5th Metatarsal Fracture

Achilles Tendinopathy

Interdigital (Morton’s) Neuroma

Stress Fracture of 2nd Metatarsal

Plantar Fasciitis

Hallux Valgus (Bunion)”

Comments are permitted and, as expected, ASMR fans have been here before me. This probably means it is a good choice of video (although some less high-quality ones sometimes pass this test).

It is just less than seven and a half minutes, so not huge in terms of videos we have covered previously.

Of course, there is that bugbear of any ASMR video fan – the musical startup. Someday I will come across the command to dictate the start time of the video and such music will be banished forever.

This one features Dr Brinda Christopher again with whom we are well familiar.

Dr Christopher as we have established before has an excellent voice for such videos. It is great that we are re-acquainting ourselves with her. Chad is the patient (again).

There is some background noise (air conditioning again perhaps).

There are so many medical terms in this one that I am not going to attempt to define them – I’m guessing that you are not here to learn how to perform an ankle examination. If you are what a pleasant surprise and welcome.

The video is part of the Stanford Medicine 25 channel where there are eighty-five videos. I have no doubt that we will be sampling many more of these in the future.

The video we have just seen is part five of an eight-part playlist. In order to avoid covering areas that I will have covered before, I will limit myself to reviewing the remaining two videos in this playlist. Future blog items will catch up on any missing areas I am certain.

The Exam for Knee Pain – Stanford Medicine 25

There is startup music of course, comments and notes as before and the same two participants – so far, so consistent. At just less than eight minutes it is also of a similar length to the last one.

The great thing about a professional video is that if you liked it you may well like videos from the same provider. Many student videos we have seen can be great, only for the next video from the same source to be totally unsuitable.

The Exam for Shoulder Pain – Stanford Medicine 25

As before, comments indicate ASMR fans are all over this, and we have proven that they have good taste. The only way these could be improved would be to remove startup music and put a bomb in the air conditioning.

But in comparison to some noises we have heard in other videos, this is minor quibble area.

One great aspect is a complete absence of loud equipment clunks, and bangs, which other videos seem unable to avoid. We have the same two participants here and to ensure I do not overlap with material from the same channel covered previously I will make this the last video of this blog item.

This one is a little less than ten and a half minutes so quite a bit longer than the two previous ones. However you may find, like me, that you do not notice the extra time.

I wish you well in your drive to get more sleep.

The Stanford medicine playlist on the Procrastination Pen is here:

The overall playlist of videos covered so far on the Procrastination Pen is here:

The videos weeded out because over time they are just not as good as the others is in this archive list:

I keep this in case subscribers to the Procrastination Pen have personal favourites that they want to hear.

The playlist of videos requiring age verification is here:

I can’t be bothered to stop my listening to log on, this interrupts the experience. You may not mind this in which case this list is for you.

I hope that you find the playlists restful and I hope you get plenty of sleep.

If you liked this blog article, why not follow this blog.

Until next time.

Photo by Laura Matthews on Unsplash