Benefits of classical music for babies

What are the benefits of playing classical music for babies? You might have heard of the so-called “Mozart effect” that purported to make babies smarter, which led many parents to rush out to buy CDs (yes, it was the 1990s) of Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. That research has been largely debunked because its conclusion was overly broad.

But other studies have shown that classical music, with its more complex structure than other kinds of music, indeed has many benefits for growing children.

Language development

A 2016 study by researchers at the University of Washington’s Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences showed that play sessions with music — particularly with waltz-time rhythms — improved 9-month-old babies’ brain processing of music and speech sounds.

“Our study is the first in young babies to suggest that experiencing a rhythmic pattern in music can also improve the ability to detect and make predictions about rhythmic patterns in speech,” researcher Christina T. Zhao said.

Try playing the familiar, lilting “Waltz of the Flowers” from Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker.

Pain alleviation

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart still has his place: Newborns felt less pain during needle jabs or heel pricks if classical music such as the composer’s “Wiegenlied” (“Lullaby”) was played during the procedure, according to a 2023 study at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital that was published in Pediatric Research.

“Music intervention is an easy, reproducible and inexpensive tool for pain relief from minor procedures,” lead researcher Dr. Saminathan Anbalagan said.

The gentle music just might soothe nervous parents, too.

Creativity stimulation

Researchers at the Behavioral Science Institute in the Netherlands found in a 2017 study that creativity was higher for people of all ages who listened to “happy” classical music (they used “Spring” from Antonio Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons) than for those who listened to sad-sounding music (such as Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings) or no music at all.

Aid in sleeping

It’s long been accepted that quiet, soothing music helps children relax enough to fall asleep. There’s always “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” (itself adapted from, yes, Mozart), or Brahms’ Wiegenlied:

Dr. Tiffany Field, a pediatric researcher at the University of Miami, set out to prove it with a 2017 study of toddlers’ and preschoolers’ naptime. Teachers played classical music as the kids were settling down.

“With the toddlers there was a 35 percent faster sleep onset. With the preschoolers it was a 19 percent faster sleep onset,” she said.

The music needn’t be labeled “lullaby.” Maybe try a gentle piece such as Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Sheep May Safely Graze” at bedtime.

Find out more on the evolution of lullabies and why they’re so effective.

A bonus to playing classical music for your children: Early exposure just might make them fans for life! Try using YourClassical’s curated Children’s stream, with melodies to inspire young minds, as your everyday playlist.