1:1 complexes of four crown ethers with (H+, Li+, Na+) cations were studied by FTIR spectroscopy in chloroform solutions. In the spectra of the H+ complexes, with the crowns built up only by O-atoms, intense continua are observed. They demonstrate that the proton tunnels in circular multiminima potentials whereby the minima are located near the O-atoms. The systems show large proton polarizabilities due to the tunneling of the proton. If one N-atom is present in the crown, the proton becomes localized at this N-atom. In the 1:1 complexes of Li+ with crown ethers, the far-infrared continua indicate also Li+ tunneling in geometrical circular multiminima Li+ potentials whereby the minima are located between the O-atoms. Due to the larger mass and diameter of the Na+ cation in the Na+-crown ether complexes only the system with six O-atoms in the crown shows large Na+ polarizability due to tunneling of the Na+ ion in a circular multiminima potential. In hydrogen bonds of the form AH ... B (A, proton donor, B, proton acceptor) the proton potential is modulated by hydrogen bond vibrations. In the 1:1 complexes of crown ethers with cations, the cation potential is modulated by skeleton vibrations of the crown. Therefore, the skeleton vibrations take the role of the hydrogen bond vibration.