Toddler Nap Strikes

Have a daily routine for naps and pre-nap. Everyday.
Let her wind-down first before nap.
If overstimulated, some kids can't nap.
If over-tired, it can also make them unable to wind-down and nap and they have a harder time falling asleep and wake more.

Tell her "YOU" are going to "nap" too... then with her, make everything quiet and calm and dark. Tell her to "help" you... then you lie down. Even if in her room or on the living room floor. Let her put anything/blankets down to get comfy. Then you tell her "this is nap time... quiet time..." and then do so. Turn off everything.
That is what I have done with my kids before, and it worked. And that way I actually got rest, too.

At this age, the often have sleep/nap tweaks. Its a phase. Thus, keep to your routines. Because they still do need a nap.

And if possible, put the baby down for a nap at the SAME time. That is what I did with my kids too.... and it worked. And I still do that. My son naps everyday still. And my daughter, for her age, will still nap sometimes too. We do it all together. I tell them nap time is ALSO Mommy's rest time too...

Don't "reason" with her. Just tell her... and you lie down too. Telling her this is not play time.... "this is the quiet room."
My kids, know that certain rooms are "quiet rooms" and others are "play rooms." It helps them to 'know' what goes on... it is patterning them and cuing them... and through repetition.. they will learn.

All the best, just some ideas,
Susan

I have a little guy who is 2 and will be 3 in July. He has recently stopped taking a nap. But, I realized that he was getting 11-12 hours of sleep at night, so he was getting everything he needed. He still gets 'quiet' time in the afternoon. Normally, that includes watching a short show like 'Chuggington'. It REALLY helps him get a little rest and 'still' time.

It's tough when they start to drop naps... especially when a tired mom with a tiny baby needs quiet time! :)

You could try shortening her sleep at night a bit more and then maybe she'll be tired enough to drop off to sleep at naptime. However, maybe she's getting enough sleep at night and just needs a little quiet time in the afternoon... It's tough to say... Each kid is a little different. You'll have to go with your gut instinct. :)

~ Ann

We do naps right after lunch. We eat at 12-12:30 and she goes down right after lunch. We do a mini version of our bedtime routine. Read books, turn on her music and she goes down. If I wait too late... say 2:00, she won't go down. We then put her to bed at 8 or 9. I know 9 sounds late but sometimes we are just out and busy. She usually sleeps until 7:30 or 8.
Hope this helps!

Maybe an afternoon nap isn't the answer. Have you tried putting her down for a morning or lunch-time nap to see if that makes it any easier? Initially, my son was a morning napper, and it took months to slowly move him back to an afternoon nap. Even now, sometimes he wants to nap in the morning (and if he doesn't get to, he'll refuse his afternoon nap, making him very unpleasant, probably because he's overtired by then). I hope this helps.