Do some babies just cry before they sleep?

[ZabM]

My DD is 14 months. She really fights sleep and has always cried before she goes. Day and night. In the car, in the buggy, in our arms and in the cot.

It got to the point that with my back problems couldn't handle any more hours of rocking her to sleep so now we leave her in her cot when she's really tired but she often cries for about 10 minutes before sleeping. I feel really mean although its a lot less crying than she did in our arms. I thought that with controlled crying it was supposed to teach them to not cry at all but its been several months now, on and off. We've tried the disappearing chair but it only lasts a week before she starts wanting more and more cuddles.

Do some babies just cry before they sleep?

My daughter used to cry before she went to sleep - like you I found it hard, but I think it was just her way of winding down and saying I am really tired and grumpy now. I really wanted her to drift peacefully to sleep but even when I put her to bed earlier she still did it. I have to say it was a phase and now she is 5 and loves going off to sleep with her cuddly

There is a theory that some babies cry to release tension, while others become more tense when crying.

It sounds to me as if your baby is a tension releaser. Apparently they will often cry even when being rocked/fed to sleep (and often cry more this way). See here for more on tension releasers / tension increasers.

Does she cry less if you put her down a bit sooner?

My dd is very similar. Like you OP I tried various things, holding her in my arms, giving her cuddles, rocking her, all to no avail. Last week I walked for miles with her in her pram and even though she was yawning madly and rubbing her eyes desperate to sleep she kept screaming for about 15 mins til she fell asleep in her pram.

I actually think I was making her more upset when I spent ages trying to comfort her. She would give off all the signs of being exhausted, then start crying cue me trying to comfort her which led to her getting more and more upset. She seems to prefer being put in her moses basket, has a good cry for 5 mins and then drifts off. At first when I put her down (being 100% sure that she wasn't hungry, didn't need changing etc) and she started crying I would stay with her, rub her tummy, make eye contact to let her know I was there but this seemed to make her even more upset. I now liken it to an adult who is exhausted and is desperate to get to sleep but keeps having an annoying person touch them, talk to them etc when all they want to do is sleep!

Thanks, that is very reassuring. My DD goes to bed about 7.15 usually and any earlier she tends to cry more so I think we have the right time. In the day she has to be exhausted to go for a nap and if we put her down sooner she just cries and doesn't go to sleep.