Lullabies Establish a Soothing Connection With the outside World.
A baby’s first awareness of the world is huge and frightening. The swaying rhythm of a lullaby is close to the infant’s own heartbeat, and the quiet harmony is a relief from the rest of the world. A simple, repeating melody is a source of comfort.
There’s an ancient part of the brain in the limbic system which is responsible for the emotional responses to music. When the emotional part of the brain is stimulated by music, this decreases the arousal level, which decreases pain levels.
Child Care Worker Used Harp Music to Get Children to Sleep.
Carol McKenna of San Rafael, California, cared for dozens of foster children over her lifetime. She used two of my harp CDs, Healing from the Harp and Soothing Lullabies from the Harp, to calm the children for naps and bedtime. The children learned to associate sleep time with the music, and it made getting to sleep easier. Occasionally, if Carol forgot to play the music, the children would ask her to play it to get them to sleep.
Relaxing Music Calms the Nervous System, Slows Breathing and Heart Rate.
Playing soft background music or singing a lullaby before bed or during naps makes falling asleep easier and quicker. It also improves sleep duration and the quality of sleep.
Music is everywhere. It is felt in bird song, rain drops, harp strings, and drum beats. Music is a gift which we can share and enjoy. Helping babies sleep better is a beautiful way to take advantage of the gift of music.
Listen to samples of soothing harp music.