I also have a 4 yr old girl who has similar sleep issues.
As you can see from other responses your not alone. Not that it helps at 3am when you've been awaken & then cant get back to sleep when she has her foot in your face even tho you keep moving it!! =)
I have 3 girls. 9-7-4 . the 1st 2 have never had a big issue with this. But once they were both out of the crib they were in a bed together. (they got up every once in a while, but nothing regular)
NOw my youngest started getting up when she was 3. She was in a toddler bed. She started telling me it was b/c she wanted to sleep w/someone! SHe had realized that mom & dad sleep together, her sisters sleep together & she was the only one who did not have a sleeping partner!! I felt compassion for her b/c felt this was a valid reason! she was only one alone, in her own room.
So, many nights she came in & we just didn't do anything about it, b/c #1 we were too tired to care. That is until re realized how much moving around she does in the night. Even in a king size bed! ONe night it would be me, the next my husband. SHe is crammed up against you & not always the right direction!! =) SHe has "HIT" me in the face sevral times on accident by flinging her arms!
I can deal with it most nights b/c I can fall asleep pretty easy. MY husband however has a horrible time going back to sleep once he is woken up! so this became the biggest problem for him. Especially since we already have issue w/our neighbors dogs keeping him awake!!
ANyway, we have tried using sticker charts for how long you can stay in own bed then at the end of a certain time period. (would get longer each time) I would take her to dollar store or something & she got to pick out something!
this worked well. but only for a few months! after it had been a little while since used the chart , it would happen again!!! BUt the time it worked was WONDERFUL!!
SO give this a try!
We still struggle with it now. but off and own & we make a really BIG deal about her staying all night in her own bed. Not neccesarily with "objects" but lots of praise to everyone we see that day !!
We talked my 9 yr old into getting her own room & bed back in Dec. & thought by putting my 4yr old in the same bed w/her other sister would totally solve the problem. But really hasn't.??
Definitly has helped some, just not solved it totally.
SO hang in there.. mine has gotten to where she sneaks in and crawl in the bed w/out us even knowing sometimes.
I will say, sometimes she will call out to us in the night (you as the parent of course have to decide what kind of cry this is from your child- don't always ignore them!) and we recognize it as the same thing- we won't answer & alot of times she will go back to sleep & not even remember it in am.
Even sometimes we say "what?" and she'll say "I'm scared" (this is her new reason for why she gets out of bed) and we'll say "it's okay" but thats it & then she'll go back to sleep then too.
ANyway, try a chart or something like that, or maybe like other response posted, somehow limit the nights if can get kid to agree (although mine would not) but maybe at 1st let em come in on the weekend or something ???
IN other words.......
I HAVE NO ANswers!!! LOL
Good luck!