Can You Put Your Baby To Sleep With Music?

Every time I walk into a spa or nail salon, the peaceful music calms me immediately. The soft sounds and melodies relax me and help my stress melt away — and before I know it, I'm yawning. There's something to be said for the power of music; the way a good rock ballad can pump you up on a run, a soothing instrumental makes you crave an afternoon nap. The effect of music can work on people of all ages, so if you're little one is fighting bedtime, can you put your baby to sleep with music? Because it's possible this is the trick you need to help your little one snooze.

Playing music before or at bedtime can be a wonderful part of your baby's nightly routine. Your child will start to associate the calming tunes with winding down for the day and preparing for sleep. According to the website for Dr. Sears, "babies who enjoy consistent bedtimes and familiar going-to-sleep rituals usually go to sleep easier and stay asleep longer." This is great news for parents like me, who tried a warm bath before bedtime only to discover this amped my son up, rather than calmed him down. Incorporating music into our bedtime ritual was a game changer for getting my baby to sleep.

When choosing what time of music to play for your child at night, you'll want to consider soothing, relaxing sounds with a slow tempo. Thanks to modern technology, there are plenty of downloadable apps to help your baby drift into dreamland, as Parents magazine reported. You may have to experiment with nature sounds, instrumentals of popular songs, or traditional lullabies before finding what your baby responds to best, but once you find the sounds that make them drowsy, you've hit the bedtime jackpot.

After you've discovered your little one's slumber jam, keep the playlist short. A great tip for using music at bedtime comes from the website for Baby Center, which suggested to turn the music off before your baby is asleep. This way, your baby becomes tired enough to be ready for sleep, but still learns how to drift off on their own. Look for signs that your baby is close to sleep, then turn off the music. Using this technique also helps you avoid the need to start the music over again should your baby wake up once the music stops.

Music is a great tool to have in your kit when putting your baby to sleep. Listening to these soothing nighttime songs together is not only relaxing, but bonding as well. Even though my oldest son is now eight years old, he still remembers and loves some of the sweet songs we enjoyed together on those dreamy nights in his nursery. Using music to put your baby to bed not only helps you little one relax, but creates precious memories for you two as well.