I'm so happy I found this thread! My just turned 3yo had been a great sleeper, but for the last 4 weeks has woken up early and decided to get out of bed (which he has always been told not to do). Started with him just getting up and opening the door, but for the last 10 days or so he wakes up at 5ish (or even earlier, once it was 1am) and screams and cries horribly. Sometimes he's gotten out of bed and then can't find his way back in (his room is very dark) and gets distressed, but sometimes I go in and he's just sitting or lying there yelling. And it is so hard to convince him it is still night time and not time to turn on the light and read books (which was what we used to say, as that wasn't too bad!). He's completely irrational about it and it wakes everyone else up - horrible when I usually have to get up twice to the baby (yes, she used to sleep better too.....) and it means my husband gets angry and can't go back to sleep either. We discuss it every day in a calm time, talking about what the right behaviours are, and he can tell me what to do, he just doesn't do it. He's also very sensitive so if either of us gets angry or upset this winds him up even further.
I don't know what to do, but I'm hoping someone can help. I am struggling anyway at the moment with PND and some other life issues so I'm not so resilient and resourceful as usual. Has a night light helped anyone? I'm losing the will to survive this struggle.
There was a similar ish thread recently, and some people wrote that that they gave their little ones an alarm clock. One was a specific kids alarm clock that had a different picture (a day picture), that came up at a certain time- so you could set it for 7 and the kid can play on their bed and is allowed to get up when the day picture comes up. Another suggestion was just a digital alarm with the minute numbers covered up, but they taught the kid what a 7 looks like, and when there was a 7 on the clock then they were allowed to get up out of bed. I thought they were good ideas and filed them away for future ref.
Well... she seems to be breaking the habit... BUT NOW I CAN'T!
I've been awake since 5.30am... Jazz is still asleep!
Go figure, but the lighter it seems to get, the longer she sleeps. Maybe she's been waking at the same time and because she can't see anything she gets a bit scared and cries, but now its lighter she's opening her eyes, seeing shes in her room, and going back to sleep? I tried a night light but Shel kept turning it of because she thought it would wake her up.
I will keep that alarm clock in mind though, sounds great for her if she continues...
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because she thought it would wake her up. 
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