Struggling to get your kids to sleep? Try some Christmas tunes
The end-of-year holiday period is not always the most relaxing time for children. Between seemingly endless family dinners and the excitement of opening presents, the youngest among us often experience disrupted sleep patterns and may even have trouble calming down at bedtime.
Certain Christmas songs can help
One study suggests that some Christmas music can help – but not just any song celebrating the magic of the festive season will do the trick. This research claims that certain songs help children fall asleep more than others.
Experts’ findings
Experts from the Bed Kingdom website came to this conclusion after cataloguing the key characteristics of over 300 tracks in sleep-related Spotify playlists. They then applied these criteria to different Christmas tunes to determine which would be most conducive to falling asleep.
Songs with a slow tempo
It turns out that acoustic songs with a slow tempo (less than 100 beats per minute) lend themselves particularly well to this. These include Mother’s Daughter’s “The Secret of Christmas”, Michael Bolton’s “White Christmas”, and Michael Bublé’s “Silent Night”.
Melancholy ballads
Most relaxing Christmas songs are melancholy ballads, such as Frank Sinatra’s “I’ll Be Home for Christmas (If Only In My Dreams)”, Kelly Clarkson’s “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, and Doris Day’s “Christmas Present.”
Mariah Carey’s contribution
The self-proclaimed Queen of Christmas, Mariah Carey, does appear in this ranking, but not thanks to her famous “All I Want for Christmas Is You”. Her song “Christmas Time Is in The Air Again,” released in 2010 on her album “Merry Christmas II You”, appears in 10th place thanks to its soothing tempo.
Conclusion
Generally, if you want to help your children find sleep through music, favour slow Christmas songs. “Ensuring a restful night’s sleep during the festive season is of utmost importance. A carefully curated sleep playlist should help listeners unwind and recharge, with discernible features like a reduced tempo, quiet dynamics, and simple rhythm patterns,” the Bed Kingdom specialists concluded.
10 Christmas songs that should help little ones doze off more easily:
- “The Secret of Christmas” by Mother’s Daughter
- “White Christmas” by Michael Bolton
- “Silent Night” by Michael Bublé
- “Angels We Have Heard on High” by Andrea Bocelli
- “I’ll Be Home for Christmas (If Only In My Dreams)” by Frank Sinatra
- “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Kelly Clarkson
- “O Holy Night” by Ellie Goulding
- “Christmas Present” by Doris Day
- “A Cradle in Bethlehem” by Nat King Cole
- “Christmas Time Is in The Air Again” by Mariah Carey
Frequently Asked Questions
* Can Christmas music really help my child fall asleep?
+ Yes, certain Christmas songs with slow tempos and calming melodies can help your child relax and fall asleep.
* What kind of Christmas songs should I play?
+ Favour slow and melancholy ballads, as they tend to have a calming effect on children.
* Will any Christmas song work?
+ No, not all Christmas songs are created equal. Look for songs with a slow tempo and calming melodies to help your child fall asleep.