unsettled 12monther - arrrrghhhhh help

[ipod]

He is just over a year. He slept brilliantly for the first nine months of his life, now it is a nightmare.
The only way we get any sleep in our house is if one of us sleeps in a bed with him.
He screams if left alone in his cot, in his room and if he wakes up in middle of night, screams to let us know his distress or displeasure.
I won't do controlled crying (didn't bring him into world to do that) but am at end of my tether. we are both so exhausted.
have tried pick up/put down..... no go.
have tried letting him moan while sitting on floor of his room and shh shhing him... no go.
Know we shouldn't have started such a bad habit, but we both work.
Could it be a touch of sep anxiety, he's a bit clingy and yappy during day.
What did you guys do? I want my sleepy baby back.

i was a real cow and just let them cry..... it wasnt controlled crying, because as long as i knew that there was nothing wrong (by the type of cry), i just left them......none of the timing or anything.....

i know a lot of people wouldnt agree with me, and i dont expect them to, but as a result, i have 4 kids that sleep through every night!!

x

Oh I totally sympathise. My son is 18m, and is going throught his second inexplicable bad sleeping spell.

We thought we had it all down pat - Baby Whisperer "E.A.S.Y" routine was working a charm, and then for no reason we could discern, at around 12m he suddenly takes an average of 2 hrs to settle at night, and wakes again in the early hours.

I'm still baffled as to what the trigger is, it's not the bedtime being too early, as we vigilantly wait for the right signs of tiredness. Maybe now he's old enough to have nightmares he's scared of something at night? Maybe this second bout is down to difficulty sleeping in summer heat?

Hopefully it will settle down again like it did last time, I wouldn't worry too much for the time being.