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  5. The 14 Best Bedtime Songs for Kids

The 14 Best Bedtime Songs for Kids

By Molly Shea
Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.
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mom singing lullaby
Credit: Africa Studio/Shutterstock

Looking for a sweet lullaby for your little one? We rounded up the 14 best bedtime songs for sleepy kids and parents. Give them a try when words fail you.

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"Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Based on a nineteenth-century poem, this song has the same melody as "The Alphabet Song."

"Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are! Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky!"

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"You Are My Sunshine "

You Are My Sunshine
Credit: Pete Seeger's version gives "You Are My Sunshine" a folk spin.

A beloved lullaby and a hit song for musicians like Ray Charles and Bing Crosby, this melancholy tune has a memorably sentimental chorus:

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy, when skies are gray."

  • RELATED: Nursery Rhymes and Lullabies

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"Rolling in the Deep"

adele singing in houston tx
Credit: Adele/Instagram

Adele's ballads make for surprisingly great sing-along songs. Croon it yourself, or play the baby-fied version from Modern Lullabies: Pop Songs for Babies.

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Disney Movie Love Songs

Disney Movie Love Songs

Many parents use Disney movie ballads as bedtime songs, including "You'll Be in My Heart" from Tarzan, "Once Upon a Dream" from Sleeping Beauty (inspired by a Pyotr Tchaikovsky ballet!), and "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" from Cinderella.

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Yo Gabba Gabba! Songs

Yo Gabba Gabba

This colorful show for tots is filled to the brim with hip tunes, such as "Party in My Tummy" and "Sleepytime."

  • RELATED: The 50 Best Movies for Kids

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Frere Jacques

mom singing lullaby
Credit: Africa Studio/Shutterstock

With lyrics in both English and French, this short, classic lullaby gets right to the point: Are you sleeping? Sing it until the answer is finally — finally! — yes.

In French:

"Frère Jacques, Frère Jacques,

Dormez-vous? Dormez-vous?

Sonnez les matines, sonnez les matines

Ding ding dong, ding ding dong."

In English:

"Are you sleeping, are you sleeping?

Brother John, Brother John?

Morning bells are ringing, morning bells are ringing

Ding ding dong, ding ding dong."

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"Hush Little Baby"

Hush Little Baby

This charming cause-and-effect song about a parent trying to calm their baby with gifts is full of silly accidents and sweet intentions:

"Hush, little baby, don't say a word,

(Mama's/Papa's) gonna buy you a mockingbird.

And if that mockingbird won't sing,

(Mama's/Papa's) gonna buy you a diamond ring."

It's also a great song for improvisation ... a few lines in, you'll probably need to make up some rhymes of your own!

  • Buy this CD!

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"All of Me"

John Legend and Luna
Credit: John Legend/Instagram

Sure, John Legend's chart-topper was written for wife Chrissy Teigen. But the star reportedly sang it to their daughter, Luna, and the love song works just as well as a lullaby.

"Cause all of me

Loves all of you

Love your curves and all your edges

All your perfect imperfections"

  • RELATED: 3 Spanish Nursery Rhymes to Teach Your Child

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"The Alphabet Song"

The Alphabet Song

Talk about mixing learning and fun! "The Alphabet Song," sung to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," is short and easy to remember.

"A-B-C-D-E-F-G,

H-I-J-K-L-M-N-O-P,

Q-R-S-T-U-V-W-X-Y and Z.

Now I know my A-B-Cs,

Next time won't you sing with me."

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Beautiful Boy

Songs by The Beatles

Written for his son, Sean, John Lennon's sweet song is a comforting ode to the love between parent and child. Sing or play it to soothe a crying baby — or your own new-parent nerves.

"Close your eyes

Have no fear

The monster's gone

He's on the run and your daddy's here

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful

Beautiful boy

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful

Beautiful boy"

  • RELATED: How to Put a Baby to Sleep

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Upside Down

Curious George illo
Credit: Usa-Pyon/Shutterstock

Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies for the film Curious George, Jack Johnson's album of songs from the 2006 film, is jam-packed with soothing tunes that are fun for parent and baby alike. Stream the whole set, or learn the lyrics to Upside Down, the catchiest of the bunch.

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My Love, My Life

Mamma Mia
Credit: Sarunyu L/Shutterstock

ABBA's ballad may not have been one of the Swedish band's greatest hits, but the tear-jerker stole the show in this summer's "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again." Sung by the two main characters and a back-from-the-dead Meryl Streep, this ode to their children is as sweet as it is catchy.

"Like an image passing by, my love, my life

In the mirror of your eyes, my love, my life"

  • RELATED: Sleep Training Your Baby: 7 Tips for Success

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Isn't She Lovely

Stevie Wonder
Credit: Kobby Dagan/Shutterstock

Stevie Wonder's hit song, celebrating the birth of his first daughter, is the perfect melody for awe-struck parents. The sweet lyrics echo Wonder's thoughts as he watched his girl sleep:

"Isn't she lovely

Isn't she wonderful"

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Brahms' Lullaby

mother with sleeping newborn
Credit: Natalia Deriabina/Shutterstock

First performed in 1868, Wiegenlied, know as Brahms' Lullaby, remains a classic bedtime song for babies. Stream the orchestral version, or sing it for yourself.

"Lullaby, and goodnight, go to sleep little baby…"

  • RELATED: Baby Bedtime Mistakes to Avoid

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    1 of 14 "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"
    2 of 14 "You Are My Sunshine "
    3 of 14 "Rolling in the Deep"
    4 of 14 Disney Movie Love Songs
    5 of 14 Yo Gabba Gabba! Songs
    6 of 14 Frere Jacques
    7 of 14 "Hush Little Baby"
    8 of 14 "All of Me"
    9 of 14 "The Alphabet Song"
    10 of 14 Beautiful Boy
    11 of 14 Upside Down
    12 of 14 My Love, My Life
    13 of 14 Isn't She Lovely
    14 of 14 Brahms' Lullaby

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