All babies are different, all babies are individuals. But generally speaking there are certain behavioural cues which usually mean the baby is beginning to become tired and would benefit from going to sleep.
However the more tired a baby becomes, the more cortisol - the stress hormone - is produced and eventually this can make it harder for the baby to fall asleep gently. And that means a lot of crying, and can also mean that the baby wakes quickly after only a short sleep.
The trick is to use whatever gentle sleep associations you have established when you see the early or mid cues, rather than waiting until the late cues!
Watching your baby and learning his or her personal behaviour traits is very important!
Always observe official safe sleeping advice.