What's gone wrong with bedtimes?!!

[alipotter]

ds, 15 months has had the bath, milk, bed routine from day 1 and, apart from the usual blips it's worked fine. Over the last couple of weeks it's been a real struggle to get him to sleep, the moment he goes in his cot he screams. He stops when either me or dh pick him up, or if he's really tired, when we stroke his head! This goes on for minimum half an hour, sometimes an hour. He looks shattered when we start the bedtime routine, so we assume he's tired, but why won't he go off to sleep anymore?
Any suggestions? Any fellow sufferers?

Is he teething??

DD1 is 14 mths in a couple of days and has been doing htid for a while and 2 left molars are just poking thru. Hoping when they are hru she will settle better again.
Ihave been putting Anbesol on them then reading a story and also a long cuddle and some back patting etc. Will also hum our bedtime song, or ssssssssssshhhhhhhhh, as I slowly inch my way to the door and out. Takes about 5 mins, usually works but some nights she screams, or nap times so I stroke som emore and try again.

I wondered about teething. He had an awful week about a month ago where he was all over the place and waking every couple of hours which we put down to teething but then nothing appeared in his gums!!! We had a week of 'normality' after that but trouble since. He's fine during the day - as normal really, it's just this unusual behaviour at bedtime!

yup, same here. A couple of times I thought she must be teething and NOTHING, for a week or so then back to normal. Then starts again.
This time she actually cut 2 molars so it sounds exactly the same. Do what you're doing and it should pass, tho try my techniques to see if they work, might be a bit quicker. Can sometimes take her 20 or 30 mins to settle completely, during which I check regularly and sssssshhhhh etc if she is very upset.

It takes a long time for the teeth to descend down the gums, which bothers them, and drives us potty

Thanks, will do. It's always good to know that we're not alone in what's going on, and it's not something I'm doing wrong! Pesky teeth!