News

Study finds the fastest way to soothe a crying baby

Published

3 years ago

September 16, 2022

Scientists say they have found an effective way to stop a baby from crying in the middle of the night

Scientists have found nearly half of all crying babies will fall back asleep within five minutes when their mothers are nearby.

The research looked at four methods: mothers holding their baby while walking; rocking them in a pram; holding them while seated; and laying them down in a cot.

They found moving babies back and forth in a pram has a similar calming effect but to a lesser extent.

“I have raised four children, but I couldn’t foresee the key results of this study until the statistical data came up,” said Dr Kumi Kuroda from Riken Centre for Brain Science.

Researchers found walking around with babies for five minutes without any abrupt stops or sudden direction changes, and then sitting down while holding them for another five to eight minutes is the secret formula.

“The first five to eight minutes of sleep is shallow sleep,” Dr Kuroda explained.

During periods of shallow sleep, or rapid eye movement (REM), breathing becomes fast, irregular, and shallow.

As the name suggests, eyes tend to move quite rapidly, and muscles become immobile.

“So if you immediately place their infant down after they’re asleep, you’ll hit the shallow sleep, they’ll wake up and you’ll be unsuccessful. That’s why you want to wait for five to eight minutes after the infant falls asleep.”

“This roughly 15-minute method is worth trying before they start seriously worrying about what’s wrong with the baby,” Dr Kuroda said.

Sylvia Song contributed to this report

News

Ukraine and Russia set for U.S.-brokered peace talks in Abu Dhabi

Published

9 hours ago

February 2, 2026

Harvey Vargas

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has confirmed that new peace talks with Russia will take place in Abu Dhabi later this week. The discussions are part of U.S.-led efforts to find a path toward ending the ongoing war.

Zelenskyy emphasised that Ukraine is prepared for meaningful dialogue aimed at achieving peace. The announcement comes after weeks of uncertainty over the timing of the meeting.

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff described prior discussions with Russian officials as productive, though major disagreements over territorial issues remain unresolved.

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News

Tensions rise as Iran threatens conflict and U.S. increases naval forces

Iran warns of regional conflict, labels European armies terrorists; U.S. boosts naval presence as both sides consider negotiations.

Published

10 hours ago

February 2, 2026

Harvey Vargas

Iran warns of regional conflict, labels European armies terrorists; U.S. boosts naval presence as both sides consider negotiations.

Iran has warned of a potential regional conflict if the U.S. launches an attack, while labelling European armies as terrorists. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei insisted that threats from President Trump will not intimidate the Iranian people.

The U.S. has ramped up its naval presence in the Middle East in response to mounting threats, amid speculation over Iran’s next moves. Iranian officials have denied claims of imminent naval exercises in the Strait of Hormuz, adding to global uncertainty.

#MiddleEastCrisis #IranUS #Geopolitics #NavalTensions #Trump #AyatollahKhamenei #EuropeanUnion #GlobalConflict

News

Carlos Alcaraz becomes youngest man to complete career Grand Slam

Carlos Alcaraz, at 22, stuns tennis by winning the Australian Open, defeating Djokovic, and celebrating with a kangaroo tattoo.

Published

10 hours ago

February 2, 2026

Harvey Vargas

Carlos Alcaraz, at 22, stuns tennis by winning the Australian Open, defeating Djokovic, and celebrating with a kangaroo tattoo.

Carlos Alcaraz has stunned the tennis world by winning the Australian Open, becoming the youngest man to complete a Career Grand Slam at just 22 years old.

The world number one beat Novak Djokovic in a thrilling four-set match, finishing 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5. Djokovic missed out on claiming his 25th Grand Slam title. To mark the milestone, Alcaraz revealed he plans to add a new tattoo of a kangaroo on his leg, joining his existing Eiffel Tower and Wimbledon strawberry tattoos.

#CarlosAlcaraz #AustralianOpen #GrandSlam #TennisHistory #NovakDjokovic #SportsNews #TennisTattoo #YoungChampion