3 year old sleep issues

[boymuma]

Morning all,
Our three year old has regressed in sleep. He keeps waking in the night or waking up at 430am. He's then exhausted all day and very emotional and destructive. He's not a great napper and the only way to get him to sleep is to take him for a long drive.

Any ideas on how to get him back to sleep at 430? How to get him to nap? Stop him wandering into our bed in the middle of the night?
I just want some sleep!!!!!!!!!!!!

Your 3 year old still naps? I'm so jealous. Only thing I can suggest is Consistency, unless there is special needs 3 is old enough to understand it is still time for bed. When he wakes put him back into bed, repeatedly. Make sure when he does wake you and his surroundings are as boring as possible so there is nothing to stimulate him. We used a gro clock, it changes colours at your set time and give an indication if it's an OK time to get up. Good luck op.

My 3 year old just gets put back to bed and told it’s the middle of the night if she’s up too early (which is any time before 7 in our house!).

We put him back to bed but he's just so loud he wakes the entire house up including the baby.

Put him back to bed, tell him it’s night time and tell him to be quiet. Blackout blinds. No fuss or activity on waking. Just a back to sleep message.
Maybe consider developing a Pavlovian response to a certain playlist - very gentle lullaby music put on each and every time he goes to sleep ‘his sleep music’. Develop the internal link between the music and sleep. Then at 4:30 back to bed, it’s the middle of the night, music on.

How far past 3 is he? ie just 3 or nearer 4?
How long is he napping for?

He's 3 and a week. He rarely naps. It's once in a blue moon. He will occasionally have a 40 min snooze if we go out in the car.