Alexa Lullabies to aid sleep

[y0rkiebar]

Hi,
I've created a skill for Amazon Alexa devices which plays Lullabies to help children fall asleep. It has three Lullabies, one of which lasts for 2 hours. If need be the Lullabies can be set to continually loop.

It's called Baby Bedtime Lullabies and can be accessed/enabled at www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0764L3T5F?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

It's in the "Kids" category of the Alexa skill store so you do need to enable kids skills in the Alexa app (Settings/Alexa Account/Kids skills) to use it.

Hope somebody finds it useful, any questions please ask.

( Positive review comments in the Alexa skill store are appreciated )

[y0rkiebar]

Just a thread bump for anyone who's received an Alexa device for Christmas and might find the Lullabies skill useful.....

[y0rkiebar]

A bump for the thread, plus I've added a new Brahms musicbox style lullaby.

Anyone using the skill ? Some feedback would be great.

[Daffodil2018]

I just wanted to let you know that I use this skill every night for my baby and she loves it! It sends her right off to sleep. Thank you!

[y0rkiebar]

Hey that's great. Good to hear people find it useful 😀 Thanks for the feedback! If you have any suggestions as to how it could be improved, let me know

[Daffodil2018]

The only thing I'd really like is to be able to download it to my phone so that I can play it to her even when we're away without WiFi. I can't find a way to do that on the Alexa app and guessing it's not possible..?

[y0rkiebar]

It's possible to do exactly what you want using the Alexa App.

Fire up the App and click on the little Alexa icon (see attached image) at the bottom of the app. The app is now listening on the phoen microphone and acting exactly like an Alexa device. So you can say "Alexa, play baby bedtime" and the lullabies skill will start. If it asks you if you want to resume the last track or start from the top then just say "yes" or "no" as appropriate. The lullabies will then play through the phone speaker. It will work on mobile data or Wifi.

[Daffodil2018]

Thanks, I'd worked that one out and did use the app lots while we were away on holiday. It was great, except when the WiFi cut out! Which was annoyingly often. What I was looking for is the option to download it onto my phone so I don't need WiFi or 4G to play it.

[y0rkiebar]

Ah, I see.

No, it's not possible to download a local version of the skill. All the skills live in the Amazon cloud, the code never gets downloaded to an Alexa device. In Baby Bedtime's case, the code is running in an Amazon datacentre in North Virginia!

[Daffodil2018]

Ok, no worries and thanks!

[y0rkiebar]

Quick thread bump for anyone who might find this useful getting their young children to sleep....

Info above but in short I've created an Alexa Skill to play lullabies to help children rest/sleep. Just say "Alexa, enable Baby Bedtime".

[y0rkiebar]

Hi,

Another thread bump for parents who may have received an Alexa device for Christmas and would like to use it to help their children sleep.

Info above but in short I've created a free Alexa Skill to play lullabies to help children rest/sleep. Just say "Alexa, enable Baby Bedtime".
(you do need "Kids Skills" enabled to use it, it's a setting in the Alexa app)

Comments/feedback/enhancement requests welcome

[y0rkiebar]

Out of interest, is anyone on here using the skill ? Interested to hear if it's helping getting your children off to sleep.

[JLou87]

We do! Our little one likes it. What is the song that plays on loop? I recognise it but can’t work it out! Thanks

[EMILYSSTAR]

Have just enabled this to give it a try.

Adam aside does anyone know if there is so. Etching similar that I would be able to put on alexa that does shushing or hairdryer noises. These 2 in particular help my DS.

I also wish I could record my own hairdryer and play it on loop through alexa as this is the best soother lol.

[y0rkiebar]

Hi,
For anyone using Baby Bedtime and who would like to start the lullabies from a different room to where Alexa lives, I have a solution.

The following google document details the steps such that you can use the Alexa app to start the lullabies playing on an Alexa device of your choosing.

docs.google.com/document/d/1WU4NHdQNKoHKKqZmTeHBFEPy6JoyldfncytGAHgqBBQ/edit?usp=sharing

Unfortunately you can only start the lullabies using this method, not stop them. That's a work in progress (they will stop after all the lullabies have been played).

For anyone wondering what this is all about, it's an Amazon Alexa skill I created which plays lullabies to help baby sleep.

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0764L3T5F?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

[Lorna198]

You my friend are a life saver. This lullaby lulls my little one to sleep every night. What an absolute star you are 💙 happened to come across this thread on a google search.

[y0rkiebar]

@Lorna198

You my friend are a life saver. This lullaby lulls my little one to sleep every night. What an absolute star you are 💙 happened to come across this thread on a google search.

Hi,
Thankyou for your kind words, I'm glad that the skill helps you and your little one!
If there are any tweaks/improvements which you think would make the skill better/easier to use then please let me know here and I'll see what I can do.

Thankyou.

[y0rkiebar]

Oh, forgot to mention...

If you could spare the time to leave a review in the Amazon skill store then I'd appreciate it

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0764L3T5F?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

[y0rkiebar]

A bump for anyone with an Alexa who could use this skill to get baby to sleep.

[y0rkiebar]

A June bump for anyone looking to give children a relaxing bedtime.

[knownentity]

Hi,
For anyone who uses Baby Bedtime Lullabies on Alexa, the lullabies are moving.
To start the lullabies you will now need to say "Alexa, open sleepy lullabies".
The new skill will play the same four lullabies. The original Baby Bedtime skill will soon stop being available so please move over as soon as you can.

Thanks.

[MuMMyGe]

I’ve been playing this to my baby for the last 7 months and have tried accessing it through sleepy lullabies and it was not the same music playing. Please can you confirm if that is just me? We adore the baby bedtime lullabies and would be happy to buy it if it it can be downloaded

[knownentity]

@MuMMyGe

I’ve been playing this to my baby for the last 7 months and have tried accessing it through sleepy lullabies and it was not the same music playing. Please can you confirm if that is just me? We adore the baby bedtime lullabies and would be happy to buy it if it it can be downloaded

Hi,
It's definitely the same four lullabies. If you say "Alexa, open Sleepy Lullabies skill" exactly like that, they Alexa should start my lullabies skill (which is the same as Baby Bedtime).
Can I ask, how do you currently start the lullabies playing ? (baby bedtime lullabies I mean). And what type of Alexa device are you using ?

Thanks.

[MuMMyGe]

Hi,

Thanks for your reply.

Since using your exact phrase it works! We have an Alexa echo show (and an echo dot) and have been saying “play lullabies” and your music would play. We came across it by chance when we were looking for something soothing to play and ever since have used it to help our daughter get to sleep (and invariably us too!)

A couple of days ago we saw the image said “open sleepy lullabies” which we tried and it would play every other lullaby/piece of Disney music which wasn’t what we wanted (some so called “lullabies” are horrific and would wake you up more than put to sleep)! It must have needed “skill” added to the end.

It works by saying “open” or “play” sleepy lullabies.

You have created a very lovely compilation and we are very grateful to you!

[knownentity]

Marvellous!
Great to actually find a "real" user out there!
Can I just ask you to let me know which phrases work and which don't ?
i.e. What do the following do ?

Alexa, open Sleepy Lullabies
Alexa, play Sleepy Lullabies

I wasn't sure if they just work for you or if you have to add "...skill" on the end ?

Amazon don't make this easy for us 🙂

The original Baby Bedtime will keep working for a week or so but then I will remove it, so best to get used to "Sleepy Lullabes" instead.