Please tell me I'm not alone!

DS slept wonderfully up until about a month ago...8 months. He would have no issue putting himself to sleep for naps and he would sttn. Then all of a sudden the change began. He would only sleep in his crib after falling asleep on me or DH or anyone who was watching him (tried cio numerous times but ds refused to lay down). Then, every third day or so he would wake up in the middle of the night screaming with big tears streaming down his face. We tried to let him cio but it didn't work (the most we let him cry was 1.5 hours). We had to take him out of the crib...sometimes it took 20 minutes, sometimes 2 hours+ to get DS back to sleep. I don't know what to do anymore.

At first we thought teething...his bottom 2 teeth came in at 7 months with no issues/complaints. I definitely see the shape of his front teeth in the top gums but there has been no progress for months. Often he wakes up in the middle of the night chewing his hands like crazy so I assumed it was teething and I have tylenol or Motrin.

But now I'm starting to think it's some sort of separation anxiety.

Any advice? Anyone else in the same boat?

Please tell me I'm not alone!

Is he hungry? When dd went through growth spurts she would wake up starving. Occasionally at 2 she will wake up hungry and ask for milk.

Please tell me I'm not alone!

I haven't tried any food because we are able to get him back to sleep without it. And then he sleeps the rest of the night until his normal morning wake up between 630-7am