Danny Dichio broke his duck with his first league goal for Preston in 42 appearances when he scored after 18 minutes, he was unmarked at the far post and met Graham Alexander's right-foot right-wing cross to head the ball from six yards into the bottom right-hand corner of the net.
Dichio was booked for celebrating and Nyron Nosworthy was also booked for a foul on Danny Pugh after 20 minutes.
Sunderland captain Dean Whitehead fired a 25-yard free-kick over the bar and Stanislav Varga was booked for a foul on David Nugent as the Black Cats began to show the fighting spirit needed to get back into the game.
The referee pointed to the penalty spot after half-an-hour when Nosworthy tripped Simon Whaley and Alexander hit a right-foot penalty which the keeper got a hand to, but it still went over the line to make it 2-0 to Preston.
Preston made it three when Nugent fired over a dangerous right-foot right-wing cross which Whitehead could only slide into the back of his own net.
Grant Leadbitter hit a 25-yard right-foot shot towards the Preston goal right on half-time but Carlo Nash saved well to keep his side's three-goal lead intact.
After the restart Nugent was lively and hit the bar with a shot.
David Connelly had a shot on the turn saved by Nash, who palmed the ball away to be cleared by Alexander after 50 minutes.
Sunderland boss Roy Keane Ross Wallace replaced Tobias Hysen after 52 minutes.
Whaley made it 4-0 to Preston after 55 minutes when he hit a 20-yard right-foot shot into the bottom right-hand corner of the net, via a slight deflection.
Varga pulled a goal back for Sunderland when he met Liam Lawrence's left-wing corner with a bullet header which bulged in the roof of the net, but this was only a consolation goal for the visitors.
Both teams made further changes towards the end but the home side had done more than enough to have the game won in the first half.