  right|thumb|lullaby by  a lullaby is a soothing piece of music, usually played or sung to young children before they go to sleep, with the intention of aiding that process. as a result, the music is often simple and repetitive. lullabies can be found in many countries, and have existed since ancient times.i. opie and p. opie, the oxford dictionary of nursery rhymes (oxford university press, 1951, 2nd edn., 1997), p. 6. tonally, most lullabies are simple, often merely alternating tonic and dominant harmonies. ==characteristics== "wherever you go in the world, women use the same tones, the same sort of way of singing to their babies".perry, nina. "the universal language of lullabies", bbc news, 20 january 2013 rhythmically, there are shared patterns. lullabies are usually in triple metre or 6/8 time, giving them a "characteristic swinging or rocking motion," says sally goddard blythe of the institute for neuro-physiological psychology. this mimics the movement a baby experiences in the womb as a mother moves. ==therapeutic value== studies conducted by dr. jeffery perlman, chief of newborn medicine at newyorkâpresbyterian hospital's komansky center for children's health, find that gentle music therapy not only slows down the heart rate of prematurely delivered babies but also helps them feed and sleep better. this helps them gain weight and speeds their recovery. a study published in may in the journal of the american academy of pediatrics under the aegis of the beth israel medical center in new york city found that the type of music matters. therapeutically designed "live" music â and lullabies sung in person â can influence cardiac and respiratory function. another study published in february 2011 in arts in psychotherapy by jayne m. standley of the national institute for infant and child medical music therapy at florida state university suggests that babies who receive this kind of therapy leave the hospital sooner.clark, daniel and humphries, rachel. "lullaby medicine for premature babies", abc news, 18 june 2013 many lullabies, regardless of the meaning of their words, possess a peaceful hypnotic quality. others are mournful or dark, like a lament. the gaelic lullaby "ba, ba, mo leanabh beag" was written in 1848 during the potato famine, which caused much hardship in the scottish highlands. the song mentions, soft potatoes, the mother's situation, and her fears for her child."lullabies and dandlings", foghlam alba in t
Lullabies Song_forms