12mo suddenly a nightmare at bedtime

[SilveryMoon]

Ds2 will be 12 months this week and over the past few weeks has become really 'difficult' at bedtime and also nap times.
He has always been really good and could be put in his cot wide awake and would fall asleep on his own pretty quickly.
He stopped feeding during the night at around 3 months.
Now, when I put him down, he really screams, almost like he is in pain.
Tbh, he isn't actually that bad at bedtime, but if he wakes at any point in the night (and sometimes at bedtime)
He will fall asleep in my arms, but will not be put down.
Even if I resort to giving him a full bottle, he still won't be put down.
Not sure how best to deal with this.
I would like him to be able to self-settle again.
Any tips?

We have just come through a phase like that with dd2. It started when she was 8 months and we are pretty sure it was all to do with teething, and maybe separation anxiety.

The settling technique that worked was basically what you are doing but persevere with the putting him down to sleep.

Do you think he is actually in pain?

It's developmental and very, very normal.

It's because their brain is busy learning how to stand/walk/talk. It's normal, normal, normal.

And not their fault or a whim or a choice. They lose the ability to self settle, wake more and cannot switch off.

You'll get through it. Don't despair. And your child will self settle again.

All of the above of course assumes no pain or illness.

we have this atm, 12mo dd screams like she is being tortured when she is put to bed, is very hit or miss with naps and when she does go to sleep it's only for twenty minutes. putting her to bed at night has turned from a bath bottle and kiss to a bath-bottle-hour long struggle with interlude in the living room... glad to hear it's normal and hoping that means she'll go back to going to sleep easily again soon.

Thanks.
No, I don't think he's in any serious pain, maybe a bit of teething, but I give gels to cover that base and sometimes even calpol just to make sure.
Ds1 went through a stage similar to this too, but would remain calm if I stayed with him, ds2 just doesn't care!
Thank you for the reassurance though, I'll just ride it out and stop putting him in bed with me