There is another possibility for the crying, especially where you said that he would stiffen and scream louder if you tried to hold him. It is called "night terrors" and it is basically nightmares that small children get. My kids have both had them and they are a nightmare for the parents also because the kids just cry and scream and carry on and nothing seems to settle them down. The one thing that I have found to be common in all of the episodes my kids have had is being "overtired." If they have missed a nap, have not slept well because of illness, etc. or have played really hard all day or been up later than their normal bedtime, they are more likely to have night terrors. And, just so you know, the reason they will resist you holding them when they are having one is because they aren't actually awake. Their eyes might be open or they seem to be awake, but they really aren't. When that has happened, we usually just try and lay them back down, snuggle them with their blanket, and then leave the room. Usually after just a few minutes, they have gone back to sleep. I hope this helps.