Raise your hand if you have a little one who turns bedtime into an Olympic sport. If you were at my house any given evening, you’d find me teetering on the edge of tears, desperately trying everything from gentle shushing to dramatic storytelling, singing, rocking, and even bribing to coax my kids to sleep. It’s an exhausting process and likely the reason I’m sporting a few more gray hairs than I’d like. And I know I’m not the only one. The National Sleep Foundation says toddlers and preschoolers need a solid 11 to 13 hours of sleep every night. But getting them there? Yeah, good luck, right?
Making kids settle down for the night is one of the trickiest challenges in parenting. A lot of this pressure comes from wanting to ensure our kids get the sleep they need for their growing bodies and brains. But let’s be honest here — we really just want them to hit the hay so we can enjoy a bit of peace and quiet, am I right?
Enter Science
A team of neuroscientists and researchers from Mindlab International, Marconi Union, and the British Academy of Sound Therapy collaborated to craft what they claim is the world’s most calming song: “Weightless.” Released in 2011, this tune is just the tip of the iceberg. They also created a playlist of tracks that are supposedly the most sleep-inducing out there, which you can check out here.
So what’s the takeaway for parents? With its low-pitched ambient tones and a heartbeat-like rhythm, “Weightless” has a solid shot at lulling your little one to sleep. But does it actually work? I gave it a spin and came to a few interesting observations. First off, it reminded me a bit of that ‘90s Enigma tune — the one that had half my high school class experimenting with things they probably shouldn’t have. Second, it’s incredibly dull, which is actually the goal when trying to relax a kid enough to drift off. And lastly, I started yawning, which seems like a promising sign.
Next, it was time to test it out on my kids. We queued up the tune on YouTube, dimmed the lights, and tucked everyone in. The kids were giggling and chatting, clearly not ready to slip into a hypnotic slumber, but hey, if science says it could work, I was game to try.
The song is about eight minutes long, filled with nature-inspired low sounds that move at a snail’s pace. After reminding my kids to be quiet and listen closely for the heartbeat and soft winds, they too started to yawn. All signs pointed to sleep, and I thought, “Yes! Thank you, science!”
The accompanying video is equally sleep-inducing, featuring a serene lake with a slow-motion bird dancing around the screen. Honestly, I wondered if I could stay awake long enough to watch the whole thing. No child could resist dozing off during such a tranquil visual, or so I hoped.
If this sounds familiar, it’s because experts often tout new miracle solutions for getting kids to sleep. Remember that somewhat eerie bestseller that promised to put even the most restless kids to sleep? Yeah, I remember that too. Spoiler alert: it didn’t work for us.
How Did My Kids Fare?
After about 20 minutes of enforced silence and the monotonous sounds of this incredibly dull song, they actually fell asleep! Did I really need a song to achieve that level of boredom? Was it the scientific elements at play, or just sheer ennui? Who knows! Science is remarkable, but getting kids to sleep might just be one challenge it can’t conquer. Tired kids have a way of evading all logic, just like they evade their bedtime.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, though. I’m willing to try anything, and I’m sure you are too!
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Summary
A new scientifically crafted lullaby titled “Weightless” has been developed to help kids fall asleep, but parents remain skeptical about its effectiveness. After trying it at home, one parent shares their experience of the song’s calming effects and the challenges of getting kids to sleep.