10 month old resisting bedtime

[BedtimeWorries889]

My 10 (almost 11) month old has figured out that when we go to his room, it's bedtime. He loves his bath so he happily goes in. Normally after his bath we do some stories/quiet play, a feed, sleep sack and it's bedtime. Used to work brilliantly. Now, after we get him out the bath, he gets extremely hyper and tries to escape the room. Literally spends the next 30-45 minutes trying to run out (he can walk but cannot open the door). Gets really distressed especially after I turn off the main light and only the dim light is left.

We've tried letting him out, having a "reset", play in another room, but then he gets extremely overtired. And we're back at square one anyway when we bring him back to his bedroom.

Now he does the same at nap time, as soon as I start walking him up the stairs to him room, he starts wriggling and crying and tries to run in the other direction.

Any ideas?

How much day time and night time sleep are you going for? I have recently gone through something similar with a 13 month old who suddenly worked out that running round and round the cot at bedtime was an option.

@OtterMummy2024 he sleeps 2.5 hours in the day in total over 2 naps and 11 hours at night. He is definitely tired and anything less, he would be overtired. When I convince him to go to sleep, he does go to sleep. Sleep itself is not an issue. It's just that 30 - 45 minute of running around after him is exhausting. I can't even get a nappy on him, then trying to put PJs on is another battle. And he just screams until you let him out of the room!!

DH is going away for 2 weeks so I won't even have an extra hand, DH is usually quite good at convincing him to read a story.

I had to cut daytime sleep sleep down for mine by half an hour and also change the bedtime routine. I would have said overtired too but actually getting them more physically tired in the day helped.
Mine is still in a cot so that way least controlled the carnage. Could you put a gate on the bedroom door?

Yes, he is in a cot. Once he's in bed, he's contained and goes to sleep. It's the build up to it. He recognizes that he will need to go to sleep and just has FOMO!!

Not sure what we can do to change the routine as it will still involve his bedroom 🤔