Sleep: Where Art Thou?

I am an early bird by nature.  Generally up prior to 5:15 in the morning with no help from an alarm clock, although it is set for 5:20 just in case.  However...for the past several weeks I have been in a battle, albeit a losing one, with my feline companion Puff. 

Puff....what can I say?  He will not and I repeat not stop pawing at doors at night.  Won't do it!  I have looked into this problem that others have had with their cats as well.  General consensus is one of two things, 1. It's a scratching issue and a scratching post should be used.  Well let's just say, my cat hasn't had nails for over 13 years and doesn't walk around scratching anything.  I see him stretch his fingers on my front door rug maybe once a day.  Or the other popular reason for this annoying behavior is 2. Territorial.  They (the cats) want into a room for no other purpose than because it is their territory and they want access.  Okay, I can buy into that.  Honestly I can!  We are all territorial creatures by nature.  My only issue is that my cat, the beloved Puff, paws at a door that is open.  Well he doesn't just paw at that door but it's been his favorite the past two weeks. 

He goes into our third bedroom, which is by and far unused although furnished, and sits in front of the open door  and paws it!  This doesn't just go on for a minute or two, that I could deal with.  This goes on for 1/2 and hour or more before my sleepy aggravated self starts to get frustrated.  As soon as he hears the squeek of my bed frame, knowing that I am going to get up, he waltzes into my bedroom smug as a bug and sits down or jumps up on my bed for a bit.  I fall back to sleep and we play this game all over again.

He has been known to paw at my daughter's bedroom door at night as well, which she keeps closed, but for whatever reason he gives up after 10-15 minutes and that is it for that door for the night.  Puff has also learned to be really funny (not) by closing my bedroom door which always remains open.  He will grab the door with his hand to close it and then nudges it till it is nearly all the way closed, then will sit there and paw at the backside of that door as if he now wants to get out.  Here comes the "funny" part.  As soon as I would sit up to open the door to let him out, he will grab the door with his paw...pull it open enough and slip out.  Ha ha ha!  He is a funny funny cat!

My patience is wearing thin and my sleepiness is getting the best of me.  If I could pay someone to keep him awake all day long while I am at work it may well be worth it, just so he knows how it feels and then is forced to sleep at the same time of day that I do.

Anyone have thoughts or suggestions?