As comforting as a hug, mom's voice provides an immediate sense of well-being. It is particularly effective for relaxing a child, helping them sleep, and reducing their anxiety.
So if you’re searching for how to relax a child before bed, the answer may simply lie within your own voice.
Have You Ever Heard of the Superpowers of a Mom’s Voice?
Safe, comforting, and relaxing, mom’s voice can have real soothing powers that are scientifically recognized. Therefore, it can have true impacts on a child's relaxation routine.
Until now, we knew that the physical contact of a mother with her sad or anxious child had a calming effect: a kiss on a skinned knee, a warm embrace, a gentle massage, etc. However, according to a recent scientific study, the simple sound of a mother's voice could be as comforting as her hug.
Her voice could therefore also be a useful tool to help a child relax before bed.
What Are These Superpowers?
Observations have shown that 97% of the children were able to recognize their mother's voice within one second. And their brains were much more reactive when they heard this voice rather than that of a stranger.
Brain areas involved in emotion, self-awareness, reward circuitry, and facial perception and recognition were activated when these children heard their mother's voice.
The study also showed that the strength of the connections between brain regions can predict children's social communication abilities. The stronger the connections, the easier it will be for them to interact with others, and the less likely they will be to feel anxious.
The loop is closed: it’s then possible for a child to relax before going to bed.
How Does the Magic Work?
When a child hears their mother's voice, even if only over the phone, it generates oxytocin, the love hormone. Soothing and anti-stress (linked to social relationships, synonymous with pleasure and affection), it reduces the level of cortisol (stress hormone), creates a bonding relationship, and helps expectant mothers to tolerate the “exquisite” pains of childbirth thanks to its anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects.
It is therefore easy to understand how whispering sweet nothings in your child's ear can help relieve pain, especially for premature babies and infants.
Singing to your child, reading him a story, or simply talking to them could be considered as a real balm for the heart and the body, whose healing power would be as effective as a painkiller or an anxiolytic!
It is a powerful relaxation tool for children that is both inexpensive and available at all times.
Under What Circumstances?
For moms who are having trouble finding the right sleep routine with their kids, or whose kids are showing signs of anxiety, or for those who feel guilty about being away from their kids for a period of time, these tips are helpful and good to know
If you want to calm a child down before bed, try the following: call your children or record a special message for them to listen to when they need to. Your voice could greatly help your children relax and feel better before bed.
This is also good to know if you are going through a difficult phase and can't see your own mom, because yes, it works for adults too!
A mom’s voice can also be effective against insomnia for example.
Note that it is indeed her voice that has such a magical power, no matter how many smileys she includes in a virtual conversation, the impact will not be the same at all.
We’re Human After All!
This study is a beautiful reminder filled with wisdom: it is true that the human aspect is a major factor in medicine: health care consists in helping patients fight diseases, difficulties, and trauma... but human contact truly acts as a powerful cure.
A voice, and in particular that of our mother, has the capacity to calm, reassure, transmit love and support us in the most difficult of moments.
So whether you’re looking to prevent or heal pain, don't forget that nothing can replace a mother’s voice.
