Patterson, E. C. (2011) The Effect of Lullaby Music Versus Rain Sounds on Inducing Sleep in the First 20 Minutes of Daycare Nap Time. PHd thesis, Florida State University.
This study found a positive correlation with the use of rain sounds versus lullaby music in a day care setting, and the proportion of children who fell asleep, on the first day it was tried. The study ran over three days and empirically for all days the number of children falling asleep to rain sounds was greater than those falling asleep to lullaby sounds, although the difference was not statistically significant. The study also notes a correlation with the number of children falling asleep and class size, with larger classes related to less children falling asleep.
We suggest that the use of water sounds in Nature Stress Relief videos in your home with little other distraction (not in a large day care setting) may assist babies and young children to fall asleep at nap time.
