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[Lullabies] Recommended for putting children to sleep! Songs that lull babies to sleep

A “lullaby” is a song sung when putting a child to bed or soothing them.

It’s also called a yōranka, and is characterized by a calm melody with a gentle, unhurried feel.

Children don’t fall asleep the way adults would like, do they?

They may get fussy even when they’re drowsy and can’t quite fall asleep, or finally nod off only to wake up again right away…

In this article, we introduce songs perfect for bedtime, including Japanese lullabies and classical pieces.

Please try to find lullabies that will help your child relax.

[Lullabies] Recommended for putting children to sleep! Songs that lull babies to sleep (21–30)

Suyasuya Muni-Muni: Moony-chan’s Lullaby

Snoozy Muni-Muni: Moony-chan’s Lullaby (30-minute loop)
Suyasuya Muni-Muni: Moony-chan’s Lullaby

Moony-chan, well-known from TV commercials, appears here looking so comfortable as he sleeps soundly.

The music has a soft, enveloping feel that makes it seem perfect for a peaceful sleep.

With its slow tempo ideal for a baby’s lullaby, it might even make the singing parents sleepy too!

Ancient LullabyDizunī

Disney Music Showcase / Ancient Lullabies | Disney+
Ancient LullabyDizunī

This is a song used as an insert track in the Disney film “Brave.” Its content expresses a deep love for a beloved daughter, conveying the wish for her to sleep peacefully, reassured that the singer is always by her side.

The gentle, unhurried sound evokes a floating feeling just before falling asleep and is striking for how it conveys a soothing, profound affection through the music itself.

The lyrics also use imagery that calls to mind majestic nature, and the song carries a wish for the daughter’s path in life to be a happy one.

[Lullabies] Recommended for putting children to sleep! Songs that invite babies to slumber (31–40)

red dragonflySakushi: Miki Rofū / Sakkyoku: Yamada Kōsaku

[Picture Book Lullaby] Red Dragonfly | Japan Lullaby Association
red dragonflySakushi: Miki Rofū / Sakkyoku: Yamada Kōsaku

It is a gentle nursery song that strongly evokes twilight scenes and the end of the day.

Watching the sunset from afar, it conveys a sense of nostalgia as one looks back on memories of home, along with the loneliness of those memories gradually fading.

Its relaxed tempo and the seemingly light, lilting vocal line give a calming, soothing impression.

This piece conveys the grandeur of nature in one’s homeland, tenderly enveloping an anxious heart.

Only TimeEn’ya

Enya – Only Time (Official 4K Music Video)
Only TimeEn'ya

The iconic song “Only Time” by Enya, the Irish singer popular for healing music and sleep music.

Her gentle, resonant voice creates a comforting sound that feels like being wrapped from all sides.

It’s as if you’re drifting leisurely on the ocean.

Even adults will get sleepy listening to this.

Good childMiyazaki no Komoriuta

This song was one of three pieces selected when the Board of Education solicited lullabies from Miyazaki in the first year of the Heisei era.

The grand prize went to “Nenne no Kaze,” and this song received the Excellence Award.

It’s wonderful that calls like this can create new lullabies to be passed down.

On days when children aren’t well-behaved, parents become exhausted and it’s really tough, so anyone who has raised children will likely find much to relate to.

Hush Little Babymazāgūsu

Good Night Baby “Hush Little Baby” | Children's Song | Super Simple Japanese
Hush Little Babymazāgūsu

Originally a traditional lullaby sung in the southern United States, it is now a long-cherished and famous lullaby known around the world.

In Japan, it is known by the titles “Oyasumi Akachan” and “Bōya wa Nenne.” The lyrics are a bit unusual for a lullaby: a mother, trying to get her baby who won’t fall asleep to settle down, promises to buy this, and if that doesn’t work, then this, and keeps offering things and giving in to the baby’s wishes.

Mom’s lullabyMayumiinu

Mayuminu / Mama’s Lullaby (from “Mama’s Lullaby”)
Mom’s lullabyMayumiinu

This is a song included on Mayumiinu’s 2010 album “The World’s Best Lullaby for Babies: Mama’s Lullaby.” It’s about the feelings for a child drifting off to sleep, and it brings a very calm mood.

If such gentle lyrics are sung in the reassuring voice of a mother, it will surely help the child feel safe and sleepy.

Even if you don’t understand the meaning of the words, singing with a smile will convey your feelings to your child.

It’s a bit long, but it’s well worth memorizing and singing.

You might even end up falling asleep together at the end!