When you think of sleep, the word association is automatically lullabies. The lullaby has existed since ancient times and is a soothing song played or sung to young children to help them sleep. Lullabies are used to pass down cultural knowledge or tradition. Lullabies also tell stories, especially in India where the baby Krishna, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu the protector of the universe in Vedic traditions, is the quintessential target of the song. Lullabies help to develop communication skills, describe emotions and capture the undivided attention of babies and kids.
The most important uses of lullabies is as a sleep aid for children. So the music is often simple and repetitive. Lullabies tend to be paired with the rocking of the child in a cradle. This is repeated in the rhythmic swinging beat of the music. The image of the cradle—in reality or in the gestures–during the singing of lullabies, helps the infant and the viewer of music and dance performances to associate the songs with falling asleep and waking up.
In classical Indian music the lullaby is an important feature of both music recitals and dance performances. Folk music has a great deal of lullabies in its repertoire as well. The soothing effect of music on the foetus has been talked about in the classical literature (story of Abhimanyu in Mahabharata) and has been re-discovered by modern day scientists and medical research. All the great Bhakthi singers and poets like Surdas, Kabir, Meera, Tulsi, Bharathi, Purandaradasa, the Carnatic trinity have written beautifully tuned and evocative lullabies. Lord Rama and Krishna have been the characters on whom the most emotional and soothing lullabies have been written.
In Indian music certain ragas have been identified for curing sleeping disorders by working on the nervous system of patients. For instance Neelambari, according to the Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology (1998), has sleep promoting qualities. Most lullabies in south Indian classical music are based on this raga. Mohana raga cures headaches and induces sleep in the process.
The following is a lullaby from an Indian movie…it is sung by the son on his mother’s death anniversary. He was alienated from his father because he wanted to take up music as a profession. He leaves home and comes back years later and sings…if somebody would sing a song, a lullaby, I would just drop off to sleep.
So, for people with sleep disorders, soothing music especially lullabies are Rx-ed!!