Any Insight into 18 Month Old Not Sleeping, but Standing and Screaming...?

Get them the book by Dr. Ferber - how to solve your child's sleep problems. Assuming there are no medical problems, they probably are giving in just enough to make him continue his crying. The Ferber method is loving but very specific. I used it for my second child. The first one I let her cry it out - I fed her at 11 and then did not go in at all until 6 AM. She cried for 4 nights for 4 hours straight but then slept through the night. The Ferber method takes longer, but seems less abrupt. But my 15 year old and 12 year old are both fine, do not not remember either method.
http://www.amazon.com/Solve-Your-Childs-Sleep-Problems/dp...

Ok so he is 18 months ... Yes he is able to understand. Start off by sitting down with him and letting him know, not mean but stern that u love him and its bed time now ask if he wants a favorite stuffed animal or picture or even a nightlight sleep with to comfort him, u should then give him a hug and a kiss and put him back in his bed, leave the room and stand outside the door for a few min, if he get back up keep putting him back in his bed ”quietly” eventually he will get tired of the same routine and he will fall asleep. Its frustrating but works. Had the same issue with my +now 3y/o when she was 20 months

Two things come to mind (I have three children btw)...night terrors (not unusual...you just have to ride it out and go comfort them to calm them down to sleep) and ears. If they are infected or bothering him, it could hurt to lie down. You could try elevating one end of the mattress to see if that helps. Since he can sleep in his bouncy chair, that would be my thought. You could even try putting his carseat in his crib to sleep in at night and see if that helps.

Poor parents and poor little guy. My older daughter was EXACTLY like that around that age. I think some kids just have more active/racing minds and need help learning how to turn off their brains for sleep.

I had to start her bedtime routine really early. We would have dinner, play a while, snack if needed, then bath. After bath we would brush teeth and then head to her bedroom for lots of quiet/winding down activities. I would only turn on her little bedside lamp and we would not leave the room once we finished the bathroom activities. We would read books, listen to her lullaby CDs and sing along, rock and feed her babies... Anything that was quiet and calm but still made her feel like we were playing. After a while she was ready to snuggle in my lap for another book or two. Then l'd turn the light off, put her in her crib and sing a few lullabies. She would still stand up and cry when I left but not nearly as long (maybe 10 or 15 minutes instead of an hour).

Also I found some herbal nighttime tea for kids and that seemed to help. She would drink it from her sippy while we were playing or reading. After a couple weeks she associated it with bedtime and would get sleepy faced as soon as she started drinking her tea. I know hot nighttime tea works for me so I thought she would like it too!!

We weaned off the extra play time and now only do bath, teeth and a couple books. For us the key was consistent (tho for a while long) bedtime routine and plenty of time to wind down before bed. Shes 2.5 now and still fusses a little when I put her to bed but NOTHING like before. She's asleep around 8:30 every night and sleeps solidly until at least 8am. We also leave on a fairly bright nightlight (not sure if she's scared of the dark or not but thought it couldn't hurt). Hope your friends get some sleep soon. Those all-nighters are a killer.

Is there any possibilitys that he has an acid problem? Usually babies that will sleep sitting up but not lying down are having a gatro problem. Maybe try some Mylanta and see if they see any difference. Or, Zantac and Prevacid. I know that we had to use these for my son, but he started that way, didn't grow into it. I would ask the doctor. It also could be an allergy to a food, often a milk allergy will make a baby want to stand up instead of lie down.

I haven't really heard of this. Could be anything - growth spurt, attachment issues, he could have seen something that scared him, early 2yo molars...

As always, diet can factor in here, too. If he's eating things that contain refined sugars or artificial colors / flavors, that can affect his whole system, esp if it's right before bed.

I would try Rescue Remedy. (There's also a Rescue Sleep) It's homeopathic and completely safe - no contraindications or side effects. Put 7 drops in a little bit of water. It's very calming. Lavender and chamomile, either taken internally as teas, absorbed in lotions or even having the scent can help.

Melatonin taken at a very low dose to start, can assist the body with its natural production of this sleep-inducing hormone. This is completely natural and safe as well.

Poor little guy.