Thank you to those of you who already gave advice, but due to my sleep-deprived brain I had to delete the whole thread because of an inappropriate word and someone saying they wouldn't have any sympathy with my plight because of the word I used. (That person obv not knowing my circumstances very well.)
Ds is 5. He's a bad sleeper but he CAN sleep through. He'll often go through phases of waking up but then we'll crack it and he'll sleep through again.
This phase is the longest lasting. He is waking every night. Sometimes twice or 3 times. It can be for a drink, but more often it's nightmare related. Not night terrors note, but nightmares.
He used to sit in bed and cry, getting louder until one of us would go to him (usually me). I thought that if he came into our room when he had a nightmare, that'd save me getting out of bed at least. That worked for a while, but now when I send him back to bed, he'll sit on his bed and sob. He does seem genuinely upset.
He has a light shining in his room (because he doesn't like the dark). I've put things under his pillow to keep the nightmares away, I've lined up his superheroes to look after him, I've threatened him, I've devised a reward chart. None of this works.
Coming into our bed is NOT an option. This is exactly what he wants and will only encourage him.
I need a plan.