Did
you know:
That new born babies need 16 -21 hours sleep a day?
That a three-month-old baby usually sleeps between 13-15 hours per day?
That from 6-12 months your baby usually sleeps between 12-14 hours per day?
When
a young baby isn't sleeping at all well it can affect the whole family. Through
lack of sleep, babies become stressed and irritable. When your baby is more stressed
out then muscles tense up and blood vessels are constricted.
While your baby is sleeping his or her cells are being
regenerated, so the quality and amount of sleep is very important in the development
of your infant. Constant waking up can disturb this process.
Often
over-stimulated babies calm themselves by looking away, yawning or sucking on
their lips - this self-relaxation increases their parasympathetic activity and
reduces sympathetic nervous activity. In
plain English the
parasympathic nervous system chills us out and the sympathetic nervous system
stresses us out.
Our
music has been designed especially to help soothe, relax and calm your baby -in
the womb and after birth.. Babies recognise music that has been played before
their birth and will calm down on repeated listening. (see Dr. Alexandra Lamont's
quotes -'studies' below and in 'the Effect')
You can use our CD when giving birth - music played during childbirth can relieve
expectant mothers' anxiety, help release endorphins and reduce the need for anaesthesia,
play it when breast-feeding or when you and your family just want to relax.
Calmtime
is a natural, safe and effective way to soothe the whole family. The warm, intimate
humming brings comfort and relaxation to mother-to-be, baby and everyone else. Gentle
music combines with natural sounds and the tempo of relaxed breathing. Our music
acts on an emotional level - as your baby relaxes, it's easier for you to relax
too.
Calmtime
blends music, science and natural sounds with the lullaby effect - the intimate
sounds of melodic humming - and warm, gentle music to create an atmosphere of
calm and comfort that anyone can use.
A survey of 2,000 new parents and 2,000 people aged
55 to 65 was carried out by Mother and Baby and Yours magazines.
It
found today's parents try all kinds of things to help get their babies to sleep
through the night, including taking the infant into their own bed. In contrast,
parents in the 1960s and 1970s tended to say their babies had slept peacefully
in their own cots.
This story is sadly typical of the toll taken
by sleep starvation.
Calmtime's
vocalist Daphne Nancholas, who sees many new mothers in her practice as a homeopath,
says it's a familiar subject. She
describes other symptoms such as clumsiness, extreme irritability, panic attacks,
melancholy and feelings of isolation and despair that can sometimes continue over
many months, having devastating effects on the mother's relationship with her
child and the rest of the family. The
parasympathic nervous system chills us out and the sympathetic nervous system
stresses us out. The two systems work side by side to create a flow in the system.
In this culture, with all its inherent pressures, people's sympathetic systems
very often stay on guard, unable to give in to the softer, more gentle flows of
the parasympathetic system. If
we're used to being tense we might not even think it is a problem if our baby
is also tense - and, as with adults, a chronic state of tension leads to stress
related symptoms and illness. Dr.
Thomas Verny and John Kelly write in the Secret Life of the Unborn Child: 'A
four or five month old foetus respnds to sound and melody and responds in very
discriminating ways. Put on calming music and even the most agitated baby relaxes. At
the very least, a pregnant woman who spends a few minutes each day listening to
soothing music could make her child feel more relaxed and tranquil' A
study from Leicester University has shown that babies can remember sounds they
heard in the womb more than a year after birth. Dr.
Alexandra Lamont, from the University's music research group, said; 'This
provides new evidence about the influence of nurture in early child development.
Babies can remember and prefer music that they heard before they were born.' Therefore
when you play Calmtime while you are pregnant, you and your baby learn to relax
more easily. With repeated listening your baby will feel calm and relaxed whenever
you play our music. This
can help with the birth itself, breastfeeding, teething and colic - basically
anytime your baby seems stressed out. The result is relaxation for the whole family
- rather like the Mozart effect. There
are several related articles on the Articles page: How
Relaxing Helps You and Your Baby - from Pregnancy onwards Sleep
Problems - Helpful Tips for your baby and you Pregnancy,
teething and colic - Helpful Tips Breastfeeding
- Helpful Tips During
pregnancy, especially the final trimester, there can be anxiety about the impending
birth. Regular listening to Calmtime to help create a relaxed state during pregnancy
can actually help during the birth itself. By
the time your baby is born, your body will have learned to relax even more deeply
to the music, as a conditioned response.
Mothers-to-be are encouraged to play music to their
unborn babies because research has shown babies can respond to music and be soothed
by soft music before and after birth.
According
to Dr. Thomas Verny, author of 'The Secret Life of the Unborn Child' your baby
can kick in time to music from 25 weeks.
You may be experiencing mixed feelings as the birth
is approaching and wondering how you will handle the birth and motherhood. One
thing that can help is to find a way of relaxing on a regular basis. With Calmtime
you are not only relaxing yourself but also your baby. This can prepare your baby
for something familiar after birth.
It has been recognised by many researchers,including
the Royal College of Midwives, that music is very useful during labour as a distraction
therapy.
It
breaks the vicious circle of fear-tension-pain. Music therapy is rapidly gaining
acceptance in the UK as the evidence of its benefits grows. Regular
listening during pregnancy strengthens the effect during labour. In hospital delivery
rooms music is often used to reduce a woman's need for medication during childbirth.
When a young baby isn't sleeping at all well
it can affect the whole family. Obviously with new born babies disruption is expected
but when the problem persists, sometimes for years, the results can be devastating. The
right musical stimulation can enhance development, encourage sucking and promote
weight gain in newborn babies. Premature
babies gain weight more quickly when the right music is played for them.
For first time mothers this can be a very stressful
time. Some babies just seem to know what to do straight away, others, for whatever
reason, don't.
Anxiety
can affect the milk, how much is produced and the quality. Playing Calmtime during
breastfeeding can have a very relaxing effect for both mother and baby. Relaxation
aids successful feeding.
Here are some responses from mothers and fathers of
young babies who have been using Calmtime:
pregnancy
'I bought a copy of your CD and just LOVE it, as do the
couples in my antenatal classes. I've used the CD with couples having hypnosis
for birth sessions and they loved it! They found the rhythmic ebb and flow of
the music very soporific and perfect for getting into a state of calm and tranquility.
Alice
Kirby, Cornwall Birth Support 'During
my last trimester Archie
was very active, which caused a lot of discomfort. I started playing the Calmtime
CD regularly and we both calmed down. Before, he had been kicking me a lot. I'm
sure it helped with my labour as well. We both sailed through!' June, Cardiff,
UK 'When
I was heavily pregnanct I started to play the CD, most days. I'm sure she could
tell. It seemed to calm her down straight away. It was a great relief for me.'
Sally, Bristol sleep
'Just
to say 'thank you' again for Calmtime. We play it every night and it's fantastic
for setting a calm atmosphere for story time and then sleep.' Lindsey, Gloucs.
'Since playing the Calmtime CD when I put Molly down, the difference is amazing.
Before, she would do anything to avoid getting sleepy and my husband and I rarely
got more than a few hours sleep a night. Now she either drifts straight off to
sleep or lies there dreamily and eventually gets off to sleep.' Sarah, Reading,
''The
girls had not been sleeping well with the heat and it was taking ages to get them
off to sleep. I played them Calmtime the last couple of nights and they are sleeping
well again.' Cynthia, Bristol The
first couple of weeks after she arrived were hellish (colic and reflux) so nobody
got much sleep. I played soothing classical music and other recommended CDs but
nothing really worked except Calmtime. She's now a year old and we still play
the music at stressful times such as illness and teething. At these times I play
it on a continuous loop through the night in my daughter's room and it really
settles her. I
just want to say a big thank you. I love the CD, and so does my daughter!!'
Paula, South Wales 'The
first time we tried it out my wife fell off to sleep herself. Over the same period
bed-time has been notably quicker and calmer. Thanks very much.' Hamish, Bristol,
UK, 'Calmtime
makes me sleepy' Jasmin, age 4 'Thank
you for the CD. My baby sleeps well with it playing in the background'. Barbie,
USA breastfeeding
'I
put it on in the evenings for his last feed and baby and I relax as we listen
to it. I definitely find it to be very relaxing. I particularly like the track
where you can hear the waves as I can imagine myself on an exotic beach somewhere.
Many thanks'.
Jo,
Nottingham
'Zoe is my first child and breastfeeding was very painful. Often I was so tense,
the milk wouldn't come. Now I put on Calmtime first, which relaxes both of us
and feeding her is now an enjoyable experience.' Leslie, Bristol
'I have played it every time I breast-feed my baby and for both of us it calms
and relaxes.' Jacinda, Melbourne, Australia.
family
"Apart from Calmtime helping settle my baby, it also relaxes the whole family.
Now, as soon as we hear the beginning of the CD we start to chill."
Chloe, Bristol
stress
'We play Calmtime every day at tea-time and what used to be a chaotic
and stressful time is now calm and relaxed. And we enjoy the music.' Cynthia,
Bristol 'I
enjoyed listening to Calmtime - and I'm not one to go out and buy a "new
age" album - but, more importantly, it works. We were in the process of moving
house and feeling pretty fraught. I put it on in the background without saying
anything and we all became much calmer.' Zoe, Brighton a
truly wonderful gift
'Thank you so much for the superb CD. We play the
music to Anthony at bedtime and it soothes him beautifully. The only trouble is
that we tend to drop off as well! I am amazed by the effect it has - a truly wonderful
gift - thank you.' Sarah and Alex, Lanner, Cornwall 'I’ve
just had a baby and my sister bought me your Calmtime CD as a present. Not only
is it a unique and thoughtful present, but it really works.
Jo, Nottingham irritability
"When Tom is really tired and irritable Iput the Calmtime CD on
quietly and it relaxes him. He'll then play quite calmly and be much less demanding."
Linda, Bristol. |
