While most of us are no strangers to the calming magic of lullabies, these gentle ballads hold special significance for parents of young infants and toddlers. A nighttime routine of a caregiver or a parent singing lullabies for babies to sleep can be the perfect way to create an environment for rest.
Even for those fussy babies who are more likely to fight the bedtime with all their might!
Beyond Peaceful Sleep: Many Benefits Of Lullabies
Cognitive Benefits: Early Language Development
For both the parent and the child, this ritual is a great bonding experience. Using lullaby rhymes for babies to go to sleep can provide them with benefits such as the development of language skills, and reading skills through identifying the patterns and words often repeated in these bedtime songs.
Helps With a Fuss-Free Night Routine
Even for babies suffering from colic, gentle rocking motions coupled with the soft rhythms of a lullaby can have a relieving effect and distract them from the pain. A trick that is sure to help any new parent.
It has even been proven that gentle, calming music can have a positive effect on internal body functions such as cardiac systems in premature babies, helping them sleep better. All the more reason for you to use these songs to initiate bedtime.A Bonding Experience For Parent and Child
It’s said that babies can hear sounds while they are in their mothers’ wombs, and one of the first things they recognise is their mother’s voice. A mother singing lullaby rhymes for her babies to go to sleep, while rocking them in a cradle or swaying them in her arms creates a safe environment where they feel protected and loved. Similar to what they experienced before they were born.
For the moms, on the other hand, this experience reinforces their confidence in their parenting skills when they can calm their baby, making lullabies a favoured tool in their parenting kit.
5 Soothing Bedtime Songs For Babies
If you are wondering what some of the most calming bedtime songs for babies are, here is a list of a few popular options that we have curated for you.
- You Are My Sunshine
- Rock-A-Bye Baby
- Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
- My Favourite Things
- Row, Row, Row Your Boat
An old American song, this sweet tune often doubles up as a popular lullaby. The song which has the refrain of “You Are My Sunshine” beautifully conveys the importance of the bond between parent and child. Its gentle melody is apt for conveying a sense of peace and calm. It makes for a great choice to be included in your bedtime routine.
Lyrics: You are my sunshine My only sunshineYou make me happy When skies are grey You’ll never know, dear How much I love you Please don’t take My sunshine away
One of the most popular and enduring children’s songs, this melody is a nursery rhyme and makes for a perfect baby bedtime song. While its lyrics may seem a little too graphic for a song that’s sung to babies, you can tweak them to something more familiar to you and your baby. In one of the earliest published editions of the rhyme, it was mentioned that it served as a warning to those who are proud and ambitious, of their inevitable fall.
Lyrics: Rock a bye baby on the tree top, When the wind blows the cradle will rock, When the bough breaks the cradle will fall, And down will come baby, cradle and all.
What better way to beckon sleep for those tiny tired eyes than a song that paints a picture of the night sky? With its lyrics evoking wonderful imagery, this gentle melody can help your little one drift off to dreamland by engaging them. Originally published in 1806 as a rhyme for children, the poem has five stanzas, though it’s the first one that is popularly sung.
Lyrics: Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are! Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky.
A popular ditty borrowed from the musical, The Sound of Music, the song conveys the message that you can manage the feelings of sadness by thinking of some of the other things that bring you joy. This is a great message that you can pass on to your little one. Its soothing rhyme scheme will ensure that it lulls your infant to sleep.
Lyrics: Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens Bright copper kettles and warm woollen mittens Brown paper packages tied up with strings These are a few of my favourite things Cream-coloured ponies and crisp apple strudels Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings These are a few of my favourite things Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes Silver white winters that melt into springs These are a few of my favourite things When the dog bites, when the bee stings When I’m feeling sad I simply remember my favourite things And then I don’t feel so bad
This 4-line popular rhyme can also double up as a perfect lullaby due to its repetition and rhyme. You can also add a little play and imagination to engage your child by swapping the last line with fun variations such as “If you see a crocodile, don’t forget to scream!”. Enacting these lines can be a fun distraction when your baby is being particularly fussy and can help them calm down. You can repeat the stanza four times with different variations or your additions to make it your own.
Lyrics: Row, row, row your boat Gently down the stream Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily Life is but a dream.
How To Choose The Perfect Baby Bedtime Songs
Choose the tunes that work for you. You can also make up your tunes or change the wordings to a popular lullaby to make it more familiar to your bub. To make it easier for them to grasp it, you should select a rhyme that has repetition and rhythm. Having said that, research has found that lullabies have a more calming effect on babies when they hear their parents sing them as opposed to hearing them on a device.Sing the tunes in a soft, calming voice. Don’t worry about being in tune. Instead, focus on using this routine to connect and engage with your child and spend some quality time with them.
Music and melody can provide relaxation to little infants while nurturing their social skills, allowing them to develop language skills and communicate with their loved ones and peers. This is why it is essential to include it in the curriculum for early education to promote their holistic development. A fact that is recognised by an institution like EuroKids which recognises the importance of incorporating elements such as storytelling and music in the early education curriculum to promote comprehensive development of young minds. To know how you can ensure a better future for your little one and make learning engaging, enjoyable and effective, visit your nearest EuroKids branch or visit their website.
