Sleep regression or whatever that hell is?!

My baby is almost 12 month, she’s been an awesome sleeper, we were religiously following the sleep time routine and never had any issues. She’d fall asleep at 7pm and wake up around 7 am. Until about a week ago - she is waking up around 1-2 am, like fully waking up ready to play, sitting and screaming in her crib until we come and pick her up. She is not hungry, not teething (at least nothing came out yet) , she just wants to either get to our bed (which we don’t like and never do) or have us sit with her and cuddle her in the crib. The second I take my hand off her - she is screaming, sitting up or standing in the crib.

Last night we got exhausted of all the rocking /cuddling her in bed/ carrying her around for an hour - we just put her down in her crib, she started screaming and passed out literally 30 second later!! Whaaaat?! Should I have done that right away?! Just come in, give her pacifier and leave her screaming until she is back asleep? For those going through the same phase - how long it lasted?! Is there a hope my baby will get back to her normal sleeping?!