The Effect Of Music On Babies

Many mothers often adopt a ‘singsong’ tone when speaking to their babies. Ever wondered why? Subconsciously, we understand that a baby’s ability to listen and hear is not the same as an adult’s. So we try to make our speech somewhat more musical and exaggerated. No wonder lullabies have been around for many years. Their soothing sounds are often simple and repetitive but comforting to babies’ ears.

So, how exactly does music affect our little ones?

Babies are sophisticated listeners. From the moment the baby is in the womb, they can hear their mother’s voice. Some studies even found the baby’s heart rate would change when they were exposed to music prenatally. Once born, babies continue to learn to process music, noises, and various sound patterns. This is an inevitable part of their development. But that’s not the only reason you might want to include music in your baby’s life.

Existing research shows that the effect of music on the baby’s mind is a lot more far-reaching than one could think. Music can affect the_ physical, emotional, and mental state of babies and_ promotes their cognitive and sensory development. By introducing music into your baby’s life, you can strengthen your bond with them, improve their well-being and simply help them relax.

What music can do for you and your baby

1. Deep relaxation

Struggling to comfort a fussy baby? Tafuri’s study on infant musical development revealed that singing and playing recorded music helped babies to fall asleep and to feel calmer. Relaxing sounds will also come in handy when your child is overstimulated by the noise or activity. Improving a baby’s well-being through music will decrease parental stress, strengthen your special bond, and contribute to better psychological outcomes. Music can give you and your little one peace of mind.

2. Cognitive development

Soothing music can activate the pathways responsible for creativity, memory, visualization, and emotional intelligence. Interestingly, babies as young as 8 months have shown the ability to recognize a familiar tune just two weeks later. When your baby listens to the same music, they are able to memorize the rhythm and the melody. They will eventually learn to differentiate between various sounds, instruments, tones, timbre, and volume. What’s more, by listening to different sounds such as wild nature sounds, babies can learn to visualize and familiarize themselves with the rain, wind, ocean, crickets, and birds.

3. Physical development

Music can support your baby’s physical development. Responding to a musical beat is part of being human and even newborns are capable of reacting to music. Help your little one move their body while listening to music. You can sway them gently in your arms along with the rhythm or lay them on the floor and slowly shift their arms or legs to the beat, paying attention to how that makes them feel. Soon you will notice how they react differently to certain sounds or rhythms or even show a preference for a specific type of song! Simply observe and let them listen to the music they seem to enjoy the most.

There are several ways to add some music into your baby’s life:

• Learn a few simple lullabies and sing them to your baby;
• Play a musical instrument to your baby, if you happen to know how to;
• Let them listen to a simple song or a song-tale and have them clapping and tapping to the beat;
• Speak a rhyme while wiggling their toes or tickling them– this can help them to connect an intimate act with a sound;
• Lightly tap your baby’s foot or hand to the beat of the music;
• Play soothing baby music in the background while changing their nappies or feeding them;

You can also explore Beginning.com’s Baby Sleep audio sessions featuring nature sounds, instrumental music, and beautiful soothing vocals. Each session is specially crafted to relax your baby, create a calm sleeping environment, and support their development!