6 year old with sleep problems/nightmares

[YoureAllABunchOfBastards]

dS1 is doing my head in with this.

He can't get to sleep. He keeps imagining things. (Vivid imagination). He hears noises. He is too hot. He has nightmares.

I am convinced that 80% of it is excuses. He wants to sleep in our bed with us. He shares a room with DS2 (4) and has top bunk, so getting him back to bed is a bugger.

He is too intelligent for monster spray, has had sleep cream/lavender rub, has tried worry dolls and special toys.

I am at my wit's end. I need some time in the evening to have my tea and do some work piss about on Mumsnet.

Help!

[GreenOlives]

He sounds like my 5 year old!! Driving us absolutely mad at the moment with night wakings! He's slightly different to your DS in that he goes off to sleep like a dream at about 7.30 but then anywhere from midnight onwards he wakes several times shouting us and is not satisfied until we go into his room. We've also got a 6 month old DS2 (who sleeps thru now!) so we tend to go into DS1 quickly to avoid him waking his brother. I think his problems started with being unsettled with his new sibling and he had lots of anxieties/nightmares/night terrors but these have subsided and I think it's now mostly habit/behavioral. He even threatens to shout more at night when he doesn't get his own way in the day! We too have tried everything - dream catcher, worry dolls, white noise, night light etc etc etc! It's making his behaviour really bad in the day as he's tired and grumpy (and my ability to cope with him and DS2 is massively affected by the sleep deprivation! ) So DH and I have decided we need to bite the bullet next week while we're on holiday and try a kind of cc technique. We will go to him when he first shouts and reassure him but warn him that if he continues we will just ignore him. If he comes to our room then we will just put him back in bed without talking (and do this as many times as necessary) I have no idea whether it will work but we have to try something different as it's ruining family life! Do you reckon it might work or am I deluding myself?!