Mothers have been singing lullabies to their babies since time immemorial.
When I was a new mother, I, too, attempted to sing lullabies.
But I often forgot the lyrics, so I hummed whatever came into my head.
Once I found myself singing a Led Zeppelin rock song,(which might explain my now grown son's proclivity for heavy metal music).
Whatever the song, however, he always went to sleep peacefully in my arms.
Occasionally, when I didn't have the time to sing to him, I put on some soft music, and he would happily nod off.
This was the era of theLP, so there wasn't much on the market in the way of formal lullabies,so I played classical music.
I also experimented with playing the piano for and during his nap time and found that it worked like a charm.
Recent research has proven the efficacy of playing soothing music for the purpose of inducing sleep in subjects of all ages.
Interestingly, when babies heard the voices of their own mothers, they fell asleep.
When unfamiliar voices sang to them they became restlessand wakeful.
However, when they listened to soothing instrumental music, the babies fell asleep easily.
It would follow, therefore,instrumental music is an effective addition to or substitute for mother's sweet pipes.
When the instrumental music is composed for and integrated into lullaby form, consisting of simple melodies and harmonies, gentle mood and triplemeter, (which mimics the resting heartbeat), it results in a successful synthesis of art and science.
Lullabies, therefore, which are composed specifically for the inducement of rest and sleep, would be the most suitable choice for baby's dream time.
A wonderful technique for soothing baby to sleep is to play the instrumental lullaby music while holding, rocking, or quietly sitting with the child.
It might also be effective to softly hum along with the music.
What a beautiful way to communicate a mother's love to her precious child.