Yes I find the end of the day a bit of a disaster usually, but DD needs her dinner and some attention and then before you know it it's her bath time etc....
I think it's worth trying the early BT one day, in fact I read somewhere recently if you're considering whether to do a late nap or an early bedtime you should always choose the latter. I mean, I can't see him getting up for the day before 5am, his body clock should manage that much, and maybe a longer night would give you a more rested baby to start the day with and try to push the A times a bit? Maybe try it on a Friday night so you aren't worryinng about school routine etc and can resettle if needed on the Saturday?