Take That named as mums' favourite music for helping their babies to sleep
Last updated 12/3/2008 9:15:08 AM
Take That named as favourite music for helping babies to sleep
They've enjoyed a comeback other pop acts can only dream about. And as they celebrate the massive success of their new album, Circus, Take That are enjoying another accolade - being praised for helping calm distressed babies to sleep.
The band's hit single Patience is the tune most frequently belted out at bedtime by mothers across the country as they choose pop songs over traditional lullabies, according to a survey by The Baby Website.
It was the group's first release following their comeback in 2006, reaching number one in the UK and winning the Best British Single Award at the BRITS in 2007.
Two thirds of mums, surveyed by the website, agree the ballad is more likely to send baby off to sleep than lullabies such as Rock-a-Bye Baby and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.
Its poll of 2,000 mums also revealed that former Take That member Robbie Williams' song Angels, released in 1997, was the second most popular tune sung to babies at bedtime.
Third place goes to a rather unexpected choice - I Kissed a Girl by Kate Perry, though the choice of that track may be due to the timing of the survey and its recent popularity in the charts.
A spokesperson for the site explained: "We were really surprised to find that mums would rather sing modern pop tunes than traditional lullabies. I expect most mums put the radio on when at home with baby in the daytime, and many of the catchy lyrics in today's charts make it impossible to sing anything else at bedtime."
A fifth of respondents claim their baby settles down better with a good pop song than with a nursery rhyme or lullaby, thirteen per cent consider lullabies to be too old fashioned and one in ten mums admit they can't remember the words to any of them.
Nearly half of mums sing to their little ones to calm them when they are upset and 33 per cent always lull their baby off to sleep with a song.
Other songs to appear in the top 20 list of bedtime tunes include You're Beautiful by James Blunt, Love Me Tender by Elvis Presley and Beautiful by Christina Aguilera.