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Lullaby Songs: Best Sleep Aid for BabyWhat makes lullaby songs so special? They are a proven natural sleep aid of course: soft singing while holding and rocking her is THE way to soothe baby. But singing lullaby songs is also all about bonding with baby: the unique tender connection between you and her. For ages, moms have naturally sung softly to their babies and children. Each culture has their own classic hits - see The Lullaby Lyrics Collection for a few favourites. Or you may be creating your own songs too, just singing what comes to mind, composing the most beautiful baby songs yourself. These are songs that your children will remember for the rest of their lives. Lullaby songs help your baby sleepThe familiar and beloved singing voice makes baby feel loved and secure, the ideal mindset to settle for sleep. Most lullabies are simple and repetitive and even the smallest babies very quickly recognise them. Rhyming and rhythm also help for a little child to pick up the words and often their favourite lullaby will be one of the first songs they sing themselves. For these reasons, also nursery rhymes and similar can be perfect as a lullaby. And because she so easily recognises these special bedtime songs, a baby will quickly associate it with sleep. That's why lullabies are so important in bedtime routines. It's a good idea to pick one or two favourite songs, and then sing those at bedtime consistently. Hearing the song over and over close to sleeping, your baby will learn that it means time for bed. On a more technical level, holding her close while singing, your baby feels the vibrations of your vocal cords and chest movements, helping your baby calm down and relax. Of course, like with all ingredients of a good sleep routine, there is no magic, as you know: singing a lullaby song to your baby does not mean she'll be off to sleep all night in one go ... ;) But singing is a fun and relaxing way to connect with your baby that offers great support for good sleep. Lullaby songs in history and cultureAll cultures and traditions have lullabies. For ages, mothers and fathers have soothed their little ones by holding them close, rocking them, and talking or singing. Many of the songs we have on record to day date from the early 19th century. The main reason seems to be that that was a time when lullabies and nursery rhymes were collected and published. But many original versions date much further back of course. Having had the privilege to live in different countries, with children, I have personally experienced how lullaby songs and nursery rhymes are an important part of culture. They are the sounds and melodies that you grow up with, that help you experience your first music. And when you grow up to be a parent yourself, all these songs and rhymes you thought long forgotten, pop up from memory for you to sing to your little ones ... and gently soothe them to sleep. Do animals have lullabies?
Soothing a
baby with sound is quite natural and it is also found in
the animal world.
Animal lullabies are used mostly for bonding. For animals, bonding is crucial for a mother to know who her young are, and for the young to recognise their mother. Bottlenose dolphins make unique sounds during the first few weeks their young are born. Scientists interpret these as dolphin lullabies intended to not lose sight of the young and for the young to always find their own mother. It also reminds me of penguins in the arctic. After a long separation, in which the parents walk to the open see for food, parent and young find each other in a crowd of thousands and thousands of squeaking animals. Return from Lullaby Songs to Lullaby Lyrics Return from Lullaby Songs to Baby Sleep Advice Home
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