Does a cross-country need to be completed in the course of 1 day.

No.
This problem is also solvable by the way you log it. Many times I just log
the date of my trip out, but include my trip back home in the same log
entry, logging the total hours for the entire round-trip flight.


Sub-para (4)(ii) [relating to solo flight experience] "5 hours in night
VFR conditions with 10 takeoffs and 10 landings...at an airpott with an
operating control tower."

Are these really two separate requirements? One being 5 hours of night
VFR, and another for 10 TOs/Landings at a controlled airport?

Yes. For my commercial requirements, I had plenty of night VFR solo time, I
just needed a few more TO/Ls at a towered airport, so I simply flew up to
CWA one night and did about 8 TO/Ls. Controller started asking me if I was
"done" yet.

If you're still in WI and plan on going to Duffy, let me know, I'll dig up
my Commercial check ride report and post it for you.

Jim