dear nate: sleep please

Let's talk about Nate.  Nate is going through a serious 18 month sleep regression.  Unlike when Abigail was this age we do not find ourselves with abundant time to consult baby sleep books, etc.  So we turn to our bloggy friends and family to complain (a little) and look for advice.  Let's take the last 24 hours, which were particularly unusual: Nate was awake and screaming from about midnight - 2:30am on and off (this is not the unusual part...this is the new normal).  If we go into his room he stops crying immediately and is quiet as a mouse and seems to be sound asleep...until you try to leave the room and return to your own bed.  In other words, it seems Nate would like some company in his room all night long.  This has led to one of us sleeping on the loveseat in his room some nights, to shush him every time he cries out.  It has also led us to try the old cry-it-out plan, which is painful for everyone.  After Nate's choppy choppy night he slept in until 11am (that is the unusual part of this story...Natester usually wakes up around 8:30am).  Woke up, chowed down, and was like "what's the big deal?"  He went down for his nap at 3pm (usually would be 1pm) and we had to wake him up for dinner at 5:15 (usually would wake up on his own at 3ish).  He was happy to see us, happy to eat a little dinner, and eager to play in the sandbox.  In an attempt to get back to normal sleep schedule, Jamie put him in bed around 7:30, and he is still in there wide awake and chatting to himself and talking about choo choos.  It's now 9pm.  What will the night be like? No one knows..... Send advice, please.