Hi there- I too had a child that did not fall asleep easily- life is too exciting!! Even as a newborn he fought sleep and wanted to stay alert to observe/learn. He is also a very spirited little guy and has been sensitive to light.
What helped me tremendously was 'The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems' by Tracey Hogg. The baby whisperer philosophy just resonated with me- honoring your child's temperament and gradually helping them to become independent sleepers. Many people who have 'angel babies'- happy, docile, restful kids don't need to look for solutions, but I didn't have that kind of child.
My LO finally sleep through the night at 14 mos- we had night terrors, sleep walking/crawling, multiple wakings at 6 mos due to a pacifier addiction- needed to be 'replugged' up to 8 times a night. That is what led me to this book. It talks about gradual withdrawal from the room, and other techniques that can be effective without having your LO cry it out. They will cry with frustration/overtiredness, but the difference is that you are supposed to be in the room, and help them learn how to settle and gradually reduce the amount of help from you.
Hugs- it is hard to have a wakeful child. Now my LO turned 4 yo, he wakes at 7AM, if there is no nap, he'll finally go to sleep at 8PM. If there is any kind of nap, then he's up till 10-11PM. argh.
melatonin has been helpful for adjusting his sleep clock, as he does drift later naturally, but we only use it maybe once every 5 mos, as there are some warnings about it.
Blocking out all light- with black out drapes was helpful, using the same bedtime routine- bath, massage with lavender cream, books, same song and into bed. We use a fan for white noise year round.
HTH- just one more perspective.
