Nearly five million children born in Syria since March 2011 have known nothing but war and conflict, and in many parts of the country, children and families continue to live in fear of violence, landmines, and explosive remnants of war. The sounds of war are heard all around them, from everyday conversations, to actual conflict and constant radio broadcasts featuring news of war and propaganda.

Children living in these stressful and traumatic environments are denied the privilege of peaceful bedtimes, which has adverse effects on their sleep - leading to long-lasting mental health issues.

As a brand that believes every child deserves the best start in life, Babyshop a leading retailer for babies in the Middle East, sought a unique way to provide comfort to children suffering from trauma and help them get the sleep they deserve.

For more than 10 years children in Syria have been going to bed to the sound of war – often heard on the radio around bedtime in war news coverage and even propaganda.

To help children get the sleep they deserve, Babyshop took over the airwaves in Syria every night at bedtime, to replace the sounds of war with a scientifically backed Arabic lullaby,

The lullaby was created with a team of neuroscientists and music therapists, specifically composed to calm the nerves and provide comfort to children traumatized by war.

Babyshop turned radio into a soothing experience that gave families an effective tool at bedtime.

The lullaby played on Syria’s two largest radio stations, and loudspeakers in refugee camps at 8pm. every night, bringing this experience to millions of families.

The lullaby was created as a permanent tool for families across the Middle East, helping children get the sleep they deserve.

For many children in Syria, there is no respite from the stresses of war, even at bedtime, with radio content characterized by news of war and propaganda. As a brand that believes every child deserves the best start in life, Babyshop decided to help these children, by creating a permanent tool for children and families in the form of a scientifically backed Arabic lullaby that could calm the nerves and help children get the sleep they deserve.

To reach families, the lullaby played on Syria’s two largest radio stations at 8pm. every night, as well as speakers in refugee camps, interrupting radio listening time for adults at bedtime with soothing and effective experience for children.

Using radio allowed Babyshop to reach families and refugees on a large scale, turning radio into an experience that could really help bring comfort to children every night at bedtime.

To create an effective lullaby we collaborated Syrian singer songwriter Ghaliaa Chaker, and a team of neuroscientists and music therapists to ensure the song followed musical principles proven to calm the nerves of children, including: a gentle rhythm, simple melody, slow tempo, repetition and short intervals.

The full lullaby played on Syria’s two largest radio stations, and on loudspeakers in refugee camps, every night at 8pm. from March 2023 onwards, serving as an effective daily tool for parents and children, and reminding adults that children are listening too. Using radio, Babyshop reached hundreds of thousands of children daily, encouraging a routine for families to put their children to bed.

Families could also listen to the song on Anghami or a special radio Frequencies of Peace FM that plays the lullaby 24/7. The campaign was further amplified through extensive global news coverage reaching millions more around the world.

The lullaby interrupted radio listening time for adults, to help children fall asleep peacefully, while reminding adults that children are listening too.

The lullaby played on Syria’s two largest radio stations every night at 8pm. from March 2023 onwards, and will continue to air as an ongoing initiative. Through radio the lullaby reached over 4 million radio listeners across Syria every night.

By creating this scientifically backed lullaby, Babyshop gave families a permanent tool, to help children affected by conflict across the Middle East for as long as they need it.

The initiative was amplified on TV news networks and publications across the world including Sky News, CNN, Euro News and more – reaching a total of 147,860,000 people.

The song is permanently available for families on Anghami, the Middle East’s leading music streaming platform, and a permanent radio station Frequencies of Peace FM, created to play the lullaby 24/7.