C.B.
Hi S.,
At your child's age, seperation anxiety can be a factor. My son started waking like crazy around 17 months, I mentioned it to the pediatrician and she said that at around 9 and 18 months, there are two surges of seperation anxiety. Bed sharing did the trick for us but if that is not your thing, I would suggest giving him the extra comfort until the wave passes, and then revisist the idea of sleep training. I could never do cry it out, there are methods in between. I loved the "sleep lady" book, "Good Night, Sleep Tight" http://www.sleeplady.com/, and there is also "the no cry sleep solution" by Elizabeth Pantly, and the Baby Whisperer books (I don't like them for everything, but I found her suggestions about sleep teaching to be very helpful!). Your child might be too young for the cry it out method (Ferber). I would highly recommend you read up on it first, since it is meant to be done very methodically. If you try it while your son is feeling extra anxious, it could really backfire.
Some kids just do not have the temperament, and for them it will always backfire.
It's frustrating and exhausting, but with my spirited son, the gradual and emotionally responsive methods paid off in the long run. It's really a fine line between building trust and letting your child know you are there on the one hand, and setting rules that are very much in the child's best interest.
Doctors will always suggest the cry it out since they know how important consilidated sleep is. I agree, I just think there are kinder ways.
All the best!
C.