14 mth old freaking out about bed

[Tenochtitlan]

Up until about 10 days ago, my 14 mth old was fairly ok about going to bed. He has suddenly started freaking out about it, refusing milk, cuddles, anything else that would normally calm him down. We have started to bring him back downstairs as that calms him a little, although this evening not even that worked. We had to just put him on floor until he started to calm because picking him up and trying to calm him actually made him worse. Putting waybuloo on finally brought him round, in fact he was quite happy, so probably being manipulated for him to stay up. Don't know why this started or how to end it. I know you shouldnt bring back downstairs once done bedtime routine but shrieks are head splitting and his big brother is trying to sleep in next room. Any advice?

do you think eh may becoming more aware of whats happening at bed time the routine what happens next that sort of thing and has decided nope don't want to do that much more fun to stay up with mum and dad.

the resisting comfort which he knows would send him to sleep suggests he may want to expand play time .

maybe make being up boring, no stimulation no TV. sorry prob not much help

When our DS was that age neither DW nor I were working, so 'time' didn't matter that much. DS was usually OK about bed, but did go through a phase when the only thing that would get him to sleep was driving him round in the car for 15 minutes!

If possible try and go with his 'timetable' but I realise for most families that probably isn't possible. Obviously, as they mature and start to understand more of the world and their place in it, their needs and wants change and evolve. Avoiding confrontation is probably best, but also I suppose they need to learn they have to abide by parents' rules, but maybe that comes a bit later.

Try changing his bedtime, either bringing it half an hour forward or back - sounds like he isn't tired at the time you're trying to put him to bed, either still too awake, or overtired/overstimulated (I'd lean towards the second if he didn't want to be calmed.)

Or he could be teething? Hungry? Developmental leap imminent?