Sleeping Dilemma

So, lately sleep time has been not-so-good around here. I expected it with Isaac home all day, but this really started way before then. Here is the dilemma. If I put Isaac and Bryce to bed at the same time they play. I tried leaving the door open - they get up and close it.

I tried putting Bryce to bed first. He plays, when he finally goes to sleep and I put Isaac to bed, Isaac wakes him up and they play. If I put Isaac to bed first, after he plays, he goes to sleep. When I take Bryce to bed, Bryce screams and wakes up Isaac.

So this is what I have been doing - which I really DON'T want to start! The last several days I have gone in a patted Bryce's back until he falls asleep. It usually takes about 15 minutes. Then I pat Isaac's back until he falls asleep, which usually takes 30+ minutes.

It is not that I don't want to have the time with them, I don't want them to get dependant on me patting their back everytime they are suppose to go to sleep. I have worked very hard since each one was born to make sure they learn to put themselves to sleep, but I don't know what else to do. I have thought about having them go back to all of them sleeping in one room and having the other room as a playroom. That would not help with the problem of them waking each other up when put to bed, but it would end them getting up to play all the time! On the other hand, they are all getting to the age (especially Caleb) where they want privacy and they want to play with their own toys on their own! Caleb has really loved having his own room!

If you ask the kids what to do they say that we should let them stay up until they pass out because they were so tired. I would not mind doing that SOMETIMES, and we have done it with Caleb before, but he was not allowed to come out and he had to be quiet! He did put himself to bed and we do that now when he does not have school. He stays up and reads, and when he gets tired or finishes the book, he turns the light off and goes to bed. I think if I let them all do that though, we would have WWIII. I would not get my much needed somewhat quiet time in the evenings and I would probably go insane!

So to sum it up - there is really no solution that I have found (and can do at the moment) to take care of this!!