16 Popular Lullabies For Babies To Calm Your Little One

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There can be times when you have tried and tested everything, but your baby isn’t falling asleep. At such times, singing lullabies for babies might do the trick. Not only will they like listening to them, but it will also help enhance their listening skills.

This post on lullabies for babies will give you a list of lullabies that you can sing to your baby while you put them to sleep. Scroll down for the list of lullabies and choose the ones you think your baby will like the most.

In This Article

Key Pointers

A lullaby is a soothing song that helps babies or toddlers to sleep.
Singing lullabies can strengthen the bond between parents and their babies.
Lullabies can also promote language skills and brain development in babies.
Lack of sleep can cause health problems like dysregulation and lowered immunity in babies.
To help babies sleep better, parents can incorporate lullabies into their bedtime routine along with other relaxing activities.
Some popular lullabies include “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,” “Hush Little Baby,” and “Golden Slumbers.”

What Is A Lullaby?

Lullabies for babies induce a relaxing effect

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A lullaby usually refers to a soft and soothing song sung for infants or toddlers. The tone of the baby lullaby induces a relaxing effect on your baby’s mind and helps her sleep.

Lullabies help in establishing a stronger bond between you and your little one. The baby can sense the sweet voice and feel her parent’s presence. The songs make infants feel cared for and secure. It is a wonderful way to signal that it’s time for bed and sleep.

In other words, baby lullabies are a form of communication that sends a signal to your baby’s brain. However, lullabies are also the epitome of love and care for your little one (1).

Why Should You Sing Lullabies For Babies?

The primary purpose of singing a lullaby to your little one is to soothe her mind. The lullaby helps induce the notion of sleep for your distressed baby. The lullaby has existed for many years and is part of human culture.

The relaxing effect of the baby lullaby is probably due to its predictable and soulful melody. Singing the lulling rhythms and soft melodies provides a sense of safety to your little one. The lullaby soothes your baby’s mood, making them an effective tool to calm your infant (2).

Did you know?

Some evidence suggests that infants may be able to manipulate an object in response to hearing certain songs (8).

Benefits Of Singing A Lullaby For Babies

1. Establishes A Strong Bond With The Mother:

The soothing lullaby helps develop a stronger parent-infant relationship than normal. When you sing lullabies or serenades with other gentle calming techniques such as nursing, rocking, or stroking, the song helps establish a secure attachment. Research concludes that babies with secure attachment and stronger bonding with their parents perform better in adulthood. Such children are more confident, positive, and emotionally stable.

2. Offers Emotional Strength To Parents:

As a parent, you may often experience fear and emotional stress in your life. Music imposes a soothing effect on your mind. When you sing a lullaby to your baby, the soulful tone helps drain your negative emotions and make you feel more positive about life. Singing a lullaby to your baby improves your and your baby’s emotional state.

3. Imparts Language Learning Ability:

The natural language and rhythm of the lullaby reinforce language learning skills in your little one. The repetitive sounds and word structure of popular lullabies encourage your child to repeat the words and learn them easily. Keeping your infant engaged with lullabies or nursery songs helps them learn auditory patterns. As a result, they may more effectively learn language.

4. Enhances Brain Development:

Lullabies support healthy brain development

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When accompanied by rocking, massage, or gazing into your child’s eyes, music becomes a multi-sensory medium that stimulates the brain’s functions. In this way, nursery rhymes and lullabies support healthy brain development.

5. Helps Establish A Routine:

A baby sleep lullaby helps pacify the child and support routines such as bath time or bedtime for your little one.

6. Improves Sleep:

Sleep deprivation triggers numerous health discomforts and your baby becomes restless, tired and irritable. A good sleep helps refresh their body and mind. Singing lullaby songs for babies induces sleep and helps them follow a fixed sleep pattern (2). Listening to lullabies can also help your baby to self-soothe.

Common Health Problems Due To Lack Of Sleep

Sleep deprivation in babies triggers numerous serious health issues. Some of the most common health problems are:

1. Dysregulation

Severe insomnia contributes to rising levels of cortisol in your baby’s body. Your baby may subsequently struggle with feeling dysregulated. Some of the common signs are restlessness, irritability, constant crying, and feeding problems (4).

2. Obesity:

Almost two-thirds of the babies or small children suffering from sleep apnea experience obesity. Obese babies have excess fat tissue around their neck region. It blocks the airways and induces breathing or lung problems (5).

3. Diabetes:

Research concludes that inadequate sleep hampers the insulin production capacity of your baby’s body. As a result, your baby becomes more prone to suffer from diabetes at his early age (6).

4. Immunity problem:

Poor rest hampers the production of the vital immune booster in children

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Several nights of disturbed sleep patterns and poor rest hampers the production of the vital immune booster, interleukin-1. A good night’s sleep helps your baby’s body to fight against infections and stay healthy.

When To Consult The Doctor?

If your little one experiences terrible symptoms of sleep deprivation, talk to the pediatrician. Some of the serious symptoms for which you need to approach the medical consultant are:

Unusual awakenings such as baby waking up every hour

Baby having breathing issues.

Baby who is extremely and constantly fussy.

Consult a pediatrician if your baby is constantly fussy

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Helpful Sleeping Tips For Babies

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Here are some effective things you can follow to help your little one get enough sleep:

Set a regular time of sleeping for your baby. Do not change the routine abruptly, as it disturbs the sleep pattern.

Establish a relaxation technique like reading bedtime story books for babies or singing a melodious lullaby to your small one.

A mother and music enthusiast, Adele frequently soothes her daughter to sleep by humming a sweet melody or singing a lullaby. She also likes crafting personalized lullabies for her little one, often collaborating with her partner. She quotes, “I often sing lullabies to Mila (the daughter). So I made the melody for the verse, lyrics, and singing, and my hubby did everything else and made my singing sound ok (i).”

After your baby reaches the age of one year, allow him to pick his favorite toy/belongings, blanket, or stuffed animal and use it as a bedtime companion.

Keep the noise levels of the bedroom low to create a quiet and peaceful environment and maintain the darkness.

Talk to your pediatrician if your baby has symptoms of sleep apnea or RLS.

Quick tip

Expose your baby to light and noise during the day and scale back on activities as evening or bedtime approaches. If the baby wakes up in the middle of the night to feed, do not turn on the lights or entertain them.

16 Popular Lullabies For Babies

Here are some of the popular lullabies for babies to sleep:

1. Brahms Lullaby (Lullaby and Good Night):

Lullaby and good night, with roses bedight
With lilies o’er spread is baby’s wee bed
Lay thee down now and rest, may thy slumber be blessed
Lay thee down now and rest, may thy slumber be blessed

Lullaby and good night, thy mother’s delight
Bright angels beside my darling abide
They will guard thee at rest, thou shalt wake on my breast
They will guard thee at rest, thou shalt wake on my breast

2. Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star:

Twinkle, twinkle, little star
How I wonder what you are!

Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star
How I wonder what you are!

3. Sleep, Baby, Sleep:

Sleep, baby, sleep
Your father tends the sheep
Your mother shakes the dreamland tree
And from it fall sweet dreams for thee
Sleep, baby, sleep
Sleep, baby, sleep

Sleep, baby, sleep
Our cottage vale is deep
The little lamb is on the green
With snowy fleece so soft and clean
Sleep, baby, sleep
Sleep, baby, sleep

4. Somewhere Over the Rainbow:

Somewhere, over the rainbow, way up high
There’s a land that I heard of once in a lullaby
Somewhere, over the rainbow, skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true

Someday I’ll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
Away above the chimney tops
That’s where you’ll find me

Somewhere over the rainbow, bluebirds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can’t I?
If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why, can’t I?

5. Hush Little Baby:

Hush little baby, don’t say a word,
Papa’s gonna buy you a mocking bird.

And if that mocking bird won’t sing,
Papa’s gonna buy you a diamond ring.

And if that diamond ring turns brass,
Papa’s gonna buy you a looking glass.

And if that looking glass gets broke,
Papa’s gonna buy you a billy goat.

And if that billy goat won’t pull,
Papa’s gonna buy you a cart and bull.

And if that cart and bull turn over,
Papa’s gonna buy you a dog named Rover.

And if that dog named Rover won’t bark,
Papa’s gonna buy you a horse and cart.

And if that horse and cart fall down,
You’ll still be the sweetest little baby in town.

6. Are You Sleeping (Frere Jaques):

Are you sleeping, are you sleeping?
Brother John, Brother John?
Morning bells are ringing, morning bells are ringing,
Ding ding dong, ding ding dong.

7. All Through the Night:

Sleep, my child, and peace attend thee,
All through the night
Guardian angels God will send thee,
All through the night
Soft the drowsy hours are creeping,
Hill and dale in slumber sleeping
I my loved ones’ watch am keeping,
All through the night

Angels watching, e’er around thee,
All through the night
Midnight slumber close surround thee,
All through the night
Soft the drowsy hours are creeping,
Hill and dale in slumber sleeping
I my loved ones’ watch am keeping,
All through the night

8. Rock-a-bye baby:

Rock-a-bye baby, in the tree top
When the wind blows, the cradle will rock
When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall
And down will come baby, cradle and all

9. All the pretty horses:

Hush-a-bye don’t you cry,
Go to sleep-y, little baby.
When you wake you shall have
All the pretty little horses.
Blacks and bays, dapple grays,
Coach and six white horses.
Hush-a-bye don’t you cry,
Go to sleep-y, little baby.

10. Three blind mice:

Three blind mice, three blind mice,
See how they run, see how they run,
They all ran after the farmer’s wife,
Who cut off their tails with a carving knife,
Did you ever see such a thing in your life,
As three blind mice?

11. All through the night (Toora, loora, loora):

Toora, loora, loora
Toora, loora, li
Toora, loora, loora
Hush, now, don’t you cry
Ah,
Toora, loora, loora
Toora, loora, li
Toora, loora, loora
It’s an Irish lullaby

Over in Killarney, many years ago
My mother sang this song to me in tones so sweet and low
Just a simple little ditty in her good old Irish way
And I’d give the world if she could sing that song to me
this day

Toora, loora, loora
Toora, loora, li
Toora, loora, loora
Hush, now, don’t you cry
Ah,
Toora, loora, loora
Toora, loora, li
Toora, loora, loora
It’s an Irish lullaby

12. Baby Mine:

Baby mine, don’t you cry
Baby mine, dry your eyes
Rest your head close to my heart
Never to part, baby of mine.

Little one when you play
Pay no heed what they say
Let your eyes sparkle and shine
Never a tear, baby of mine.

If they knew all about you
They’d end up loving you too
All those same people who scold you
What they’d give just for
The chance to hold you.

From your head to your toes
Your not much, goodness knows
But your so precious to me
Sweet as can be, baby of mine

13. Golden slumbers:

Lavender’s blue, dilly dilly,
Lavender’s green
When you are King, dilly dilly,
I shall be Queen

Who told you so, dilly dilly,
Who told you so?
‘Twas my own heart, dilly dilly,
That told me so

Call up your friends, dilly, dilly
Set them to work
Some to the plough, dilly dilly,
Some to the fork

Some to the hay, dilly dilly,
Some to thresh corn
Whilst you and I, dilly dilly,
Keep ourselves warm

Lavender’s blue, dilly dilly,
Lavender’s green
When you are King, dilly dilly,
I shall be Queen

Who told you so, dilly dilly,
Who told you so?
‘Twas my own heart, dilly dilly,
That told me so.

14. Day is Done:

Day is done,
Gone the sun,
From the lake, from the hills, from the sky.
All is well, safely rest,
God is nigh.

15. Little Boy Blue:

Little boy blue, come blow your horn,
The sheep’s in the meadow, the cow’s in the corn
Where is the boy who looks after the sheep?
He’s under the haystack, fast asleep.