[Lullabies] Classical music you’ll want your baby to hear: Sleep music
We’ve selected classical masterpieces perfect as lullabies to play for your baby.
Newborns often don’t have a settled sleep rhythm yet.
When it’s time to put them to sleep, you want to let them listen to something soothing, don’t you?
Classical music, which is also said to be good for prenatal listening, is something many parents may want their babies to hear.
In this article, we introduce gentle classical pieces that help babies and their families relax.
Be sure to listen together with your baby at bedtime.
- Music you want your baby to listen to: classical, sleep music, nursery rhymes, and BGM.
- [Lullabies] Recommended for putting children to sleep! Songs that lull babies to sleep
- [Baby Sleep Music] Soothing music/BGM that lulls your baby to sleep
- Music That Soothes a Crying Baby | Recommended Songs to Lull Them into a Comfortable Sleep
- Famous American lullabies: soothing English melodies with lyrics for parents and children
- [Lullaby] Gentle masterpieces that soothe the heart—music box melodies to help your baby sleep soundly
- Lullaby Rankings [2026]
- Nursery rhymes and play songs to enjoy with your baby. Gentle children's songs.
- [Western Music] Songs to play for putting your baby to sleep: timeless classics and popular hits from around the world
- [Masterpiece Classics] A special showcase of gem-like masterpieces so beautiful they’ll move you to tears
- Cool classical masterpieces. Recommended classical music.
- Music that’s good for prenatal care: classic masterpieces and popular recommended songs to help mom and baby relax
- [Lullabies] Gentle songs to help babies sleep — soothing lullabies for your little one
[Lullabies] Classical Music You’ll Want Your Baby to Hear: Sleep Music (11–20)
majestic and dignifiedEdowādo Erugā
A piece by the British composer Edward Elgar, who was originally a music teacher and also a violinist.
It consists of six marches written for orchestra, and in Japan the first march is especially well known, so many of you may have heard it.
Its majestic tone, true to the image suggested by the title, inspires something that stirs the heart.
This classical number, with its solemn atmosphere, gently envelops a baby’s sensibilities and lulls them to sleep.
“Dance of the Hours” from the opera “La Gioconda”Amirukare Ponkierri
Here is a song I recommend as an introduction before your baby falls asleep: “Dance of the Hours.” It’s a piece that appears in an act of Amilcare Ponchielli’s opera La Gioconda.
Some say the rhythm of the heart is close to that of music in triple meter, and the three-beat waltz—considered highly relaxing among classical music—feels very pleasant to the ear and envelops you in a sense of security.
When the key changes, keep the volume low so your baby doesn’t get startled.
The Maiden with Flaxen HairKurōdo Dobyushī
A piece by the influential French composer Claude Debussy, whose use of scales and harmonies departed from tradition, active from the late 19th to the early 20th century.
In Japan, many might think of songs with the same title by the Village Singers or Hitomi Shimatani, but this one takes its name from a line in a poem by the French Parnassian poet Leconte de Lisle.
The gentle melody that fills this short composition makes it perfect as a lullaby for babies.
It’s a classic number whose beautiful piano tones soothe the heart.
Jocelyn’s LullabyBanjaman Godāru
As the ultimate soothing piece, we’d love babies and their families to experience Benjamin Godard’s “Berceuse de Jocelyn.” In Japan, it was translated into Japanese by the lyricist Sakufū Kondō, who was active in the Meiji era, and has been sung ever since.
Perhaps for that reason, its somehow familiar, easy-to-listen-to melody feels wonderfully pleasant and allows you to relax as if melting.
The deep tone of the piano may feel calming to a baby, like taking deep breaths in the womb.
Jesu, Joy of Man’s DesiringYohan Zebasuchian Bakkha
A piece by Johann Sebastian Bach, the Baroque-era musician often credited with laying the foundations of Western music and whose name is likely known to every Japanese person.
It is the final movement of the church cantata Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, composed in 1723 and consisting of ten pieces.
Even those not well-versed in classical music have probably heard it at least once.
The majestic choral texture and divine melody that instantly evoke a church setting warmly envelop the listener’s heart.
It’s a piece I recommend for soothing babies to sleep.
Für EliseLudwig van Beethoven
A piece by the German composer Ludwig van Beethoven—known in Japan as the “Saint of Music” and one of the most important composers in music history—who had a profound influence on later musicians.
It’s a famous work that likely comes to mind first when thinking of classical piano pieces, and even people who don’t usually listen to classical music have probably heard it.
Written in rondo form, it repeats the same melody multiple times while inserting contrasting themes; despite its simple structure, the melody leaves a strong impression as its character changes over the course of the piece.
With its piano timbre and unfolding melody that gently invite sleep, it’s a classical number recommended for lulling babies to sleep.
Amazing GraceJon Nyūton
A hymn written by the British clergyman John Newton, with an unknown composer, that has been sung around the world.
The song expresses John Newton’s remorse for his involvement in the slave trade and his gratitude for God’s love.
Despite its brief structure, it carries a solemnity that moves the heart.
Its lyrics, which are a prayer to God, and its benevolent melody should soothe even a baby who struggles to fall asleep.
It’s a piece that allows both adults and children to relax in the quiet space before drifting off to sleep.
Ave MariaFurantsu Shūberuto
A piece by the Austrian composer Franz Schubert, who left numerous masterpieces to posterity as one of the leading figures of Romantic music.
Because the lyrics include the words “Ave Maria,” it is often called “Schubert’s Ave Maria” and is sometimes assumed to be sacred music, but its official title is Ellens Gesang III, and it is said that many details have long been misunderstood.
The solemn, full-bodied chorus soothes the mind and lulls babies into a deep sleep.
Although it was not composed as a lullaby, it is a classical number that brings a sense of calm.
Lullaby, Op. 16GABURIERU FŌRE
Gabriel Fauré’s Berceuse, Op.
16, by the French composer, is a beautiful work featuring harmonies between cello and piano.
The cello’s rich timbre and the piano’s enveloping warmth are perfect for helping a baby relax.
Played at a soothing tempo, it can lull even adults to sleep in no time.
Since babies are thought to read people’s facial expressions before they understand words, they’ll likely drift off, influenced by the serene, dreamy expressions of the family members listening along.
sleeping childRoberuto Shūman
This is No.
12, “The Sleeping Child,” from Scenes from Childhood by Robert Schumann, a composer who represents the German Romantic movement.
Just from the title, it’s perfect as a lullaby for a baby! Written in E minor and 2/4 time, it has a somewhat somber atmosphere, but the piano tone that seems to slip smoothly from the ears into the whole body is very pleasant.
With gentle dynamics and a relaxed pulse, by the time you finish listening, you’ll likely be lulled into a deep sleep.