Using Music To Calm Your Baby
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Music can soothe not only the savage beast, but your little bundle of joy as well. Many parents have experienced a great deal of success at calming their fussing and crying little ones with music. An entire genre’ of music, the lullaby, is based on this principle.
What type of music should you use to calm your baby? Well, just as each person has their own unique taste in music, so each baby will respond differently to music. In general, music with a steady beat at a slow to moderate tempo is best when baby is feeling fussy. Volume matters, as well; the music needs to be loud enough to keep baby’s attention, but not so loud that it adds to her anxiety. And of course, never use headphones on a baby or a small child. Many babies will respond best to melodies that are simple, consistent, and repetitive, though this is not always the case. Using the same music during the few minutes each night just before your little one drifts off to dreamland can help to create an association, so that the particular music will always help to put him at rest.
In addition, playing music to calm your baby exposes your baby to musical sounds. Some studies suggest that people who are exposed to music at young ages tend to have better cognitive abilities than those that are not. Playing music for your baby can help her to be more interested in music later in life, as well. Finally, music can be a stress reliever, not just for baby but for you as well.
Some parents like to assemble a sleep CD for their baby. On a sleep CD, you might include some light jazz music, perhaps a few lullabyes, and maybe some classical music (stay away, of course, from Beethoven’s 9th Symphony or Wagner’s Valkyrie, as these songs might be a bit too stimulating when you want your baby to be resting. In addition, a variety of retail CDs are available that can be used to soothe your fussy little one.
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