Toddlers sharing a bedroom

[DialMforMummy]

We have decided to make our DC share a bedroom in our new house. tbf it was always going to be challenging as within the same week we have had to: move house, adjust to a significant time difference and move DC2 from his cot to a toddler bed.
What we are struggling with at the moment is the fact that DC wake up much earlier when they are together, between 5.15 and 5.45ish. Prior to that it was more around 6.30. They actually go to bed a bit later than usual these days (about 30mns) and judging by their mood, they ARE tired.
DC2 in particular is very tired and has become unsettled at night as well; he has woken up twice in the last 2 days at 2am declaring that he wants to go downstairs and was struggling to get back to sleep threw an almighty tantrum.
What I would love to hear right now is success stories from people who persisted and maybe a few suggestions as to what I could change or do differently. DC are 2 and 4 and prior to this, were excellent sleepers.
Thank you

My girls are 18 months apart and have always slept in the same room. There were times when one woke the other, when they could not settle back to sleep, but to be honest that all blurs away into the past now - so it can't have been that bad, or lasted that long - I love my sleep.....

We put them to bed at the same time - teeth then story, for which they had to lie down all tucked up in bed - I don't think it would have worked if we did one at a time. But can't think of anything special we did?

Same here. There are 18 months between my DDs and they shared a room from the time DD2 went in to a cot (6 months ish) until they were about 7 and 9. They never/rarely woke each other up when they woke up individually in the middle of the night, and woke about the same time in the mornings and played together in their room most of the time until we woke up.

It may be the lighter mornings that's unsettling your DCs at the moment. It might get better as the mornings get darker. Are there any birds singing outside at dawn, or is there a milkman that's waking them up?

PS - what shop girl said - we didn't treat them any differently according to age. Same bed times, same stories, same routine every evening. Neither of them ever questioned that there ought to be a difference according to their age.

We actually put them in bed separately and wait until DC2 is asleep before DC1 goes. Il we put them together, DC2 gets quite disruptive and starts messing about.
I have put DC2 in bed earlier tonight. We'll see how it goes….
No disruptions, the room is pretty dark and where we are is very quiet.