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LULLA-BYE-BYE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS: ULTIMATE LULLABY DROPS TO HELP GEN-Z PARENTS SAVE THEIR CAREERS

• Three in ten Gen Z parents admit to poorer work performance after they have children, due to lack of shut eye 
• Most inventive ways to coax little ones to sleep, to date, include driving aimlessly and running the tap, with dads even admitting to trying out a noisy pub
• Aldi’s baby and toddler brand, Mamia, has developed a science-backed lullaby to help tired-parents get that all-important night’s sleep

New research from Aldi’s baby and toddler brand, Mamia[1], has revealed that more than one in four (27%) British parents’ performance at work has suffered as a direct impact of their children resisting sleep. This is particularly prevalent amongst Gen Z, as three in ten young parents struggle to maintain peak performance in the workplace, 31% are often late to work while a quarter frequently miss deadlines, risking their careers stalling as a result.

It’s not just at work either; 47% said tiredness after children had taken a toll on their romantic relationships, caused arguments (46%), and put unnecessary pressure on other friendships and relationships (35%).

So, it comes as little surprise that many parents have resorted to innovative methods in their quest to send their young children to the land of nod, with one in three (35%) admitting to needlessly driving around in the car, 22% attempting to massage their baby to sleep, and 8% soothing their child with the sound of running water, by turning on a tap at bedtime.

Dads appear to be the more creative in their attempts; with 17% of them claiming that aiming a fan at their child would send them to sleep, and a surprising 6% relying on the vibrations of a home appliance such as a spinning washing machine to rock their sleepless offspring on.

Perhaps less surprisingly, more men claimed that visiting a busy location such as the pub with their child in tow had the desired effect (9% of men claimed to have tried this, vs. 5% of women).

In an attempt to help shattered parents nationwide, Aldi and scientists at the British Academy of Sound Therapy (BAST) have created the ultimate lullaby for babies after teaming up with top music producer, Sillkey, who has worked with artists including Craig David, Mabel and Wiley – with an ambient, ethereal soundscape called ‘Drift’.

Through scientific research it was found that the perfect formula to get little ones off to sleep should be an instrumental piece at least five minutes long at around 50 beats per minute. It should also be composed of white noise and womb-like sounds, be in a low frequency and include drifting chords that repeat.

Lyz Cooper, founder of The British Academy of Sound Therapy, said: “The ancient art of the lullaby is largely forgotten, and Drift aims to bring it into the 21^st century.  It’s an ambient musical soundscape containing many of the magical ingredients or ‘sonic vitamins’ of a traditional lullaby.

“While many of the lullabies we remember from our childhood featured vocals, the research found that lyrics can distract and overwork the brain. Songs without vocal elements were more relaxing so we’ve created an instrumental piece featuring sounds that were found to be calming. The length was also important, and five minutes has been shown to be the minimum time to induce relaxation.

Top-10 producer Sillkey, who created the track based on the British Academy of Sound Therapy study, added: “With two young children of my own, sleepless nights are certainly something I can relate to. Even though lullabies aren’t my usual style, when Aldi asked me to create one, I leapt at the chance. It’s a challenge to turn research into something sonic but I think we did it justice. I hope that this helps parents, I just wish I thought of it first!”

This lullaby is just one of the many ways that Aldi is making life easier for parents. From award-winning nappies, excellent value baby wipes to snooze inducing lullabies, the much-loved Mamia brand is always there for parents when they need it. Shoppers can find Mamia products in-store or via Click and Collect. 

[1] Research conducted by Censuswide, April 2023

Drift is available to stream here: https://ditto.fm/drift-sillkey-featuring-lyz-cooper

-ENDS- 

For further information, images or further commentary from The British Academy of Sound Therapy please contact the Aldi press team on: alditeam@clarioncomms.co.uk  

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