Not sure if this helps - and it looks like you are well on the way to succeeding anyway, but here goes anyway...
We have a 6 month old girl. For the 1st 5 months she slept in our bed (she wouldn't sleep anywhere else - and we rather liked it anyway for the first 2 or 3 months). She would also not sleep without a dummy as a comforter. Therefore, whenever the dummy fell out (after a while sleeping) when she awoke she would cry until it was replaced as she couldn't go to sleep without that prop. Also, she wouldn't go to sleep until about midnight so we had no time to ourselves at all. At breaking point (no exageration!) we tried a sleep clinic called Millpond. They were very helpful and suggested ways of improving the sleeping in stages. However, given the state we were in, we just couldn't cope with a long drawn out programme (although we tried for a couple of weeks or so). Eventually they recommended controlled crying (we had previously said we didn't want to try that unless absolutely necessary - hence their other staged programme).
The results were (and still are) quite astonishing. 1st night she cried for 1 hour then went to sleep and slept for 11 hours, only waking once for about 10 mins. The 2nd night she cried for about 6 mins then slept through the night for about 12 hours. Third night she fell asleep as I left her bedroom and slept all night for about 12 hours. 4th night she cried for about 10 mins but then slept all night and form that night to this day she has been going to bed and straight to sleep first from 7.30pm but now from 7pm until about 6.45am to 7.30am every day. She has never had her dummy (day or night) since day 1. Our life has changed completely. Although this is not an advert for Millpond (I am not connected with them at all - we just subscribed to their service) nor should anything I say be taken to be their advice (we altered it very slightly and their advice was specifically intended only for our child given our circs), we would never have done controlled crying, or if we had we would certainly not have done it correctly, but for their suggestions and support.
Our system was as follows: First night put the baby to bed whil still awake, but as calm as possible (a routine is essential - feed then bath then stories then (and this was my addition which didn't seem to cause probs - a cuddle and rocking to calm her). After 5 mins of crying go in to check and reassure her she was not abandonned - just a few calm words which must always be the same - I did 2 shhhh's, said good girl twice and then night night twice. No eye contact and no touching, just reassurance without leaning over her, then leaving the room. If she continued crying then 10 mins later repeating the process. Then again after a further 15 mins, then a further 20 mins (in other words, increasing the period 5 mins each time - so checking at 5, 15, 30, 50 mins etc) up to a max of 25 mins gap for the 1st night. The 2nd and subsequent nights extending the checking period by 5 mins each day, so night 2 would be 10,25,45 mins etc.
Our baby was not even slightly traumatised by the process (she was 5 months though - we wouldn't have done it when she was much younger). In fact she appeared very pleased with herself the next morning and was bright and happy and fresh each day - she also naps during the day at the appointed times (which means she is not overtired by evening).
Sorry for the lengthy description, but if any of this helps it will have been worth it. I don't expect it would work for every child, but we were amazed at how quick and relatively painless it was. I should say that I am dad, not mum, and mum had to leave the house for the first 2 or 3 days because she could not listen to the crying - whereas my hormones (or lack thereof) meant I didn't suffer as much!