My son is just over 3.5. He has always been an early riser but in the last few months this has gone from 5.30 back to more like 4 / 4.30. We have a Gro Clock, and this keeps him in his room but once he has woken up in the morning there is just no getting him back to sleep. I had hoped that starting pre-school would have tired him out sufficiently to make him sleep a bit longer, but at the moment he is just getting worse.
It affects his behaviour massively - we have started down the route of getting him assessed for possible SEN but I suspect a lot of his issues are caused, or at least made worse, by the lack of sleep.
He goes to sleep fine (he's exhausted!) and generally doesn't wake in the night, or if he does, he comes to me and I take him straight back to bed and he goes back off again. It is not light-related, because its dark in the mornings now, and it is not connected to any noises etc.
He is still in nappies at night - I am trying lifting him for a wee in the middle of the night in case he wakes because he has a full bladder, but so far no change.
I am considering using a sleep clinic / specialist (Millpond etc.).
Has anyone else had a similar experience and managed to crack it? Any help would be much appreciated. Am also going to post in Behaviour.