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Crying is a common human action, and it can be triggered by many different emotions. But why do humans cry?

Researchers have found that crying can benefit both your body and your mind, and these benefits begin at birth with a baby’s first cry.

Keep reading to learn more about the hea...

Along with helping you ease pain, crying, specifically sobbing, may evenTrusted Source lift your spirits. When you sob, you take in many quick breaths of cool air. Breathing in cooler air can help regulate and even lower the temperature of your brain. A cool brain is more pleasurable to your body...

Crying may also help babies sleep better at night. In a small study on infant sleep, 43 participants used graduated extinction, also known as controlled crying, to put their babies down to bed. With controlled crying, babies were left to cry for a set number of minutes before intervention from th...

Grieving is a process. It involves periods of sorrow, numbness, guilt, and anger. Crying is particularly important during periods of grieving. It may even helpTrusted Source you process and accept the loss of a loved one.

Everyone goes through the grieving process in different ways. If you ...

There are three different types of tears:

1. reflex tears

2. continuous tears

3. emotional tears

Reflex tears clear debris, like smoke and dust, from your eyes. Continuous tears lubricate your eyes and help protect them from infection. Emotional tears may have many health ...

A baby’s very first cry out of the womb is a very important cry. Babies receive their oxygen inside the womb through the umbilical cord. Once a baby is delivered, they must start breathing on their own. The first cry is what helps a baby’s lungs adapt to life in the outside world.

Crying al...

Crying doesn’t only happen in response to something sad. Sometimes you may cry when you are extremely happy, scared, or stressed. Researchers at Yale UniversityTrusted Source believe crying in this way may help to restore emotional equilibrium. When you’re incredibly happy or scared about somethi...

Crying for long periods of time releasesTrusted Source 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 ...

If you’re feeling blue, crying is a way to let those around you know you are in need of support. This is known as an interpersonal benefitTrusted Source. From the time you were a baby, crying has been an attachment behavior. Its function is in many ways to obtain comfort and care from others. In ...

Crying in response to something that makes you happy or sad is normal and healthy. Don’t shy away from shedding tears if you feel the need to release. Excessive crying is something you should chat about with your doctor, however. If crying starts to interfere with your everyday activities, it may...