Rock-a-bye baby
Ask your mum what bedtime advice was around when she was young, and she might remember some pretty startling stuff. From whisky-dipped dummies to no cuddles at bedtime, how babies were put to bed decades ago is enough to raise more than an eyebrow. But one thing that hasn’t changed over the years—however many centuries back you go—is mums singing lullabies to settle their babies to sleep. And that’s because lullabies can work sleepy wonders.
Why? For starters, hearing is the first sense to develop, from as early as 16 weeks into pregnancy, so your baby has known the sound of your voice since then. Research shows that babies have a preference for
