Lullabies are an age-old way of calming crying babies and getting them to sleep.
But what is it about them that makes them so soothing and effective?
Typically, songs designed as lullabies are slow, soft and repetitive.
They're also easily memorised and singable, and reinforce familiarity and security.
Calming techniques
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So here's 5 reasons why lullabies calm babies - and moms!
- Regulate emotions: Music helps regulate emotions of both children and adults. Music can stimulate certain emotions through specific neural connections. Lullabies create an atmosphere of calm for bedtime.
- Create a stronger bond between parent and child: Studies have even shown that singing and making music with your baby can have a synchronising effect on heart and breathing rates. But there's another reason that has to do with a little hormone known as oxytocin. Song-induced oxytocin is important because oxytocin is also known as the hormone of love and the cuddle hormone. This is why it helps to build stronger bonds in a relationship.
- Establish a routine: Sleep experts constantly remind exhausted parents to establish a routine. Babies thrive on consistency and making lullabies part of their bedtime routine makes their little brains understand what's coming once you start singing.
- Child development: The majority of brain growth happens before children are five so it’s unsurprising that child-directed singing benefits a range of learning and development. Lullabies stimulate language and cognitive development, improve memory and attention span, and help decrease stress levels and anxiety.
- Open up the world: Many of our favourite lullabies come from different countries and cultures, so singing these to your baby helps teach them about the world around them.
Brain food
Your baby’s brain is quickly growing, and their hearing is fully developed halfway through pregnancy, so it’s never too early to start singing lullabies.
They could be enjoying these songs before you even meet.