When kids cry too much, it signals a need for help with emotional regulation, potentially leading to social issues like being seen as immature or bullied, missing out on learning, and developing long-term stress/attachment problems if needs are consistently ignored. While occasional crying is normal, excessive crying can point to a lack of coping skills, underlying depression or anxiety, or even unresolved medical issues, requiring parental support to teach emotional management or professional help if persistent.
Infants normally cry about 1 to 3 hours a day. It is perfectly normal for an infant to cry when hungry, thirsty, tired, lonely, or in pain. It is also normal for a baby to have a fussy period in the evening. But, if an infant cries too often, there might be a health problem that needs attention.
Bad Effects of Crying on Health
But for some, the act of crying can cause medical complications. It can lead to fits or can cause acute shortness of breath. For those with severe heart conditions, there can be a cardiac pain. Crying can take a toll on your body if you have certain medical conditions.
Prolonged crying can disrupt vagus nerve function, impair the stress-response system, and contribute to anxiety, digestive disorders, and emotional insecurity later in life. Rather than teaching independence, “cry it out” may breed mistrust and emotional withdrawal.
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Nonstop crying lasts more than 2 hours. Your child can't be consoled using this Care Advice.
Depression and Anxiety
Frequent crying can also be a symptom of underlying mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety. In depression, emotions often become overwhelming, and individuals may cry for what seems like no reason at all.
None of those studies found any significant association between leaving an infant to "cry it out" and insecure infant-mother attachment, calling the generalisability of the Ainsworth findings into question. However, there are still few studies on this topic overall, and more longitudinal studies are needed.
' Often, when we've experienced trauma, our nervous system becomes more sensitive and reactive, recalling past pain even when our conscious mind doesn't. Crying in anger can become an overflow of emotions, where anger, fear, sadness, and helplessness mix, pulling us back into intense past feelings.
Mood Enhancement: Research has found that crying triggers the release of oxytocin and endogenous opioids – aka endorphins, your body's natural feel-good chemicals. So, don't be surprised if you feel a sense of relief and even a mood boost after a good cry.
This approach to sleep training is considered one of the gentler ones, as many parents believe it teaches babies to self-soothe without feeling like they're leaving them alone in their cribs. "We do the pick up/put down method," says What to Expect Community user Szmama. "It works well for us.
Stress-relief techniques like meditation, mindfulness, yoga, or even regular exercise, such as a daily walk, can make a big difference. Maintain a balanced lifestyle: Sometimes, crying spells happen when there's an imbalance in your daily routine.
'Crying for long periods of time releases oxytocin and endogenous opioids, otherwise known as endorphins. These feel-good chemicals can help ease both physical and emotional pain. Once the endorphins are released, your body may go into somewhat of a numb stage. Oxytocin can give you a sense of calm or well-being.
Physical symptoms include:
In children with ADHD this often looks like a quick temper, low frustration tolerance, long recovery after upset, sudden tears or anger, and mood swings that interfere with daily functioning. These are not character flaws — they are expressions of brain and skill differences that can be taught and treated.
Other common side effects of crying are quivering lips, a runny nose, and an unsteady, cracking voice.
Your child can learn a response other than, or in addition to, crying. Validate her feelings, but remove the attention from crying. Focus instead on redirecting her behavior towards the goal, and ignore additional outbursts. Lavish praise for attempting or accomplishing the goal.
There are times when crying can be a sign of a problem, especially if it happens very frequently and/or for no apparent reason, or when crying starts to affect daily activities or becomes uncontrollable.
Emotional response: sadness, grief, happiness, frustration, or even relief. Tears are produced in response to heightened feelings, and the act of crying can serve as a cathartic release, helping to alleviate tension.
A sudden emotional release (crying, laughter or anger) is common. These feelings may be present without a clear trigger and surface as you release pent-up feelings. Allowing these emotions to flow can lead to a sense of relief and emotional clarity, helping you process and integrate past experiences.
Pseudobulbar affect (PBA) is a neurological condition that causes outbursts of uncontrolled or inappropriate laughing or crying. These episodes don't match your internal emotional state. PBA develops as the result of a brain injury or underlying neurological condition, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
The 5 core signs of PTSD fall into categories: Re-experiencing (flashbacks, nightmares), Avoidance (staying away from reminders), Negative Changes in Mood & Cognition (guilt, detachment, loss of interest), Changes in Arousal & Reactivity (hypervigilance, easily startled, irritability), and sometimes Physical Symptoms like chronic pain or headaches, all stemming from a trauma, though the exact symptoms vary.
Besides the typical fight, flight, freeze, and fawn, there are a few more responses you may not be familiar with. Fright, flag, and faint are a few of the lesser-known trauma responses that are theorized by professionals of this field.
Ask your child to name 3 things they can see, identify 3 sounds they can hear, and move 3 different parts of their bodies.
They advocate for a collection of seven practices they call the Baby Bs: “birth bonding, breastfeeding, baby-wearing, bedding close to the baby, belief in the baby's cry, balance and boundaries, and beware of baby trainers.”
But it's important to note up front: The cry-it-out method has not been found to be harmful to babies. “There is no evidence to show that children have any social-emotional issues or resentment toward their parents later in life for letting them cry for a few minutes at nighttime,” Dr. Schwartz reassures.