Help! I need ideas...

[HIU8]

My 23 month old DD has boycotted naps. She has never napped at the sitters house (she goes there 3 days a week while I work). Yesterday she would not nap at home. She is always exhausted now. She was going to bed at 7:30. I changed that to between 6 and 6:30. No matter what time she goes down though, she gets up like clockwork at 5 am. Anyone have any ideas? I don't mind the 5 am but I would like DD to nap and not be a beast starting at 4 pm until I can get dinner done and get her in bed.

[egoldber]

Are you sure you don't have Amy's twin?

[HIU8]

Oh man. I didn't see this coming. I'm exhausted! DD's exhausted and a beast in the late afternoon's because of it. Wednesday DD is home with me. I'm hoping she goes down for a nap and Sunday was a fluke. I get why she doesn't nap at the sitter (to much going on, and she naps in a pnp in the family room (away from the other children, but can still hear them). However, I really really need her to nap at home. She is only getting 10 to 10.5 hours of sleep a day when she does not nap.

[Melaine]

Yikes, I would say hang in there. My kids went through this weird period where they wouldn't nap, but now they are back to napping again. I had another friend who had the same experience of about 6 weeks with no napping, then falling back into napping schedule again.
I know some kids give up naps, but some still need them, so don't give up hope yet!

[Jen841]

I force (and so does daycare) a rest time. That really helps the witching hours. In our house (and at daycare) you don't have to 'sleep', but you do have to stay in your spot and you can read. In freak occassions he will sleep due to pure exhaustion.