It's an old story - long haul from middle America, 6 hour time difference, and now DS is waking up at 2am-3am, etc., ready to play. He is going down at 9pm or so (slightly later than normal), but he wants to watch TV and have apple juice in the middle of the night (both of which are not conducive to relaxation and sleep). I try to keep him in bed (we co-sleep) but it becomes quite a battle so the last three nights we've taken turns coming downstairs and watching TV for an hour, then taking him back to bed when he starts yawning and rubbing his eyes.
Because we co-sleep this is a difficult challenge - perhaps if he was in his own cot we could let him have a little fit and cry, but eventually he'd go back to sleep once he could see no one was coming. I've considered putting him in a travel cot when he wakes up to drive the point home that he either stays in bed with us or he sleeps on his own so there is no more exciting alternative (like TV and apple juice). Other ideas are perhaps getting up with him but no TV and only warm milk.
I am very tired and tomorrow is a work day for both DH and I, so I'd be grateful to hear any suggestions. TIA!