Does Listening to Classical Music Make Your Child Smarter?

Cute little child play with book and glasses while sitting at table, isolated over white
We all know that the soothing sounds of classical music from composers like Beethoven, Mozart, Handel, Schubert, Vivaldi, Pachelbel and Bach help people relax and even fall asleep. But what if the same relaxing music that helps children and babies sleep also made them smarter while they slept?

Over the years, a few studies have been done measuring the effects of classical music on intelligence and behavior. How did they come out?

“New research showing a link between listening to classical music and enhanced brain development in infants.” – CNN

“Babies are born with a tangle of neurons, kind of like spaghetti right after you dump it out of the pot, and the more stimuli that you provide to a young infant, the more connections those noodles make.” – Dr. Karen Dewling

Some even believe that starting babies on classical music before they are born can have even more dramatic effects on their intelligence:

“Listening to Mozart and other classical music while pregnant has made my children unbelievably smart.” – Helena Bonham Carter, Actress

So if it helps put kids to sleep (something all parents can use some help with, amiright?) and makes them smarter, maybe you should be looking at playing classical music for your kids at night, or even for a pregnant soon to be mother.

Our favorite way to do this is a classical music night light. Chicco makes a great baby nightlight that both plays soothing classical music and projects some nice stars on the wall or ceiling for baby to look at. They are available at Amazon in both blue for boys and of course pink for girls.