Need help with a new kitten!?

My girlfriend, whom I live with, has just recently adopted a new calico kitten; 5 months old. She's a great kitten, but her nighttime escapades drive me up a wall. All the experts say you have to ignore her cries or you'll teach her that meowing loudly in the middle of the night gets her food, attention, etc. They say allow her to roam the house to keep herself occupied. The problem is, we have roommates. The kitten stays in the same room as us, but we can't just ignore her cries that can be heard throughout the house! In order to be courteous roommates, we have to find a way to keep her quiet, and that way is often sitting miserably and playing with her at 3 AM. The lack of sleep is killing me, but there are no empty rooms to keep her in throughout the night where she won't wake somebody. These things occur despite the two hours we've been setting aside before bed each night just to play with her in the hopes she'll sleep though the night. I know she's a kitten and will quiet down as she grows up and matures, but please, anyone who has owned a kitten knows the boiling fury that builds in your stomach when she pounces on your toes in the middle of the night and you have work in the morning. Does anyone have any advice or solutions they could offer? My girlfriend loves this thing and it makes her very happy. I want to love it too, but changing its sleep schedule is very hard when keeping it quiet takes priority over training it. Please help.