Hi Beth,
I have a 2 1/2 yr old boy who will at times not have an afternoon nap and me like you do miss this time out.The night time thing I feel is normal.My son goes to bed around 8pm usaully doesn't go to sleep till about 930pm he just lies in his bed and talks to himself.But he also is back up the next morning about 6.30-7am.We had problems with seeing monsters for a while but with told him they were just trying to cuddle and kiss him goodnight,and that they were his friends.This seemed to work well for us.My boy also saw Monsters Inc and we haven't had any problems so I don't think it is that. My only other idea is if you have moved something in his room lately that could cast a new shadow at night.Maybe this could be scaring him.
Good luck,
Christina.

DS is also 2 1/2. He still takes his naps and sometimes he's ready for them and the next day he isn't. His bed time isn't until 11pm. He's more of a night owl and this is just what works with him and always has. Well, he went to be earlier when he was younger but the earliest was probably 9:30. He gets up around 9am every day unless he had a busy day the day before. We've got him to go to bed by letting him take whatever toy he wants to bed with him~some nights it cars and sometimes a toy gun or sometimes a stuffed animal. He did have troubles sleeping awhile back and he told me it was dark when he closed his eyes~the little smarty pants! We talked to him and he told us one day that there was a big baby bear in his room at night. We've just added some differnt lights that we turn on until he doses off and then I shut it off. He has just a candle light beside his bed and then MIL gave me one of those ball shaped lights that she bought at Christmas time. She just wanted one to decorate outside with and they came in a pack of two. So it's hanging in his room and it brightens the room enough to make him comfy until he dozes off. I remember my other MIL (divorced family) used to hang colored Christmas lights around her closet when the other grandkids would come and stay. They loved the lights and they weren't too bright to sleep with.

Good luck to you. It may just be a stage for now. They have those.

~Leslie~

My daughter was 3 in September. She usually takes about a 1 hour nap in the afternoon. She goes to bed about 7:30 and goes right to sleep. Now....our problem is that she is up like 3 - 5 times a night crying that she doesn't like her room. We rub her back or read a book and she goes back to sleep. But in the meantime hubby and I are not EVER getting a full nights sleep. Then at about 3:30am she is up and can't go back to sleep. We are all exhausted. She has a nightlight, sleeps with a blankie and a couple of her favorite toys. We leave her door cracked open. We have tried to put her to bed later, but she falls asleep on couch or floor or wherever she is. Same goes for trying to stop naps. When she gets too tired she will just fall asleep wherever she is. Any ideas for me as well??

Sorry, I have been of no help to you...bsouth. :)

the4toofs....
I have a friend that started sleeping on the floor of her Daughter's room because her 3 year old wouldn't go to sleep and if she left the room and her Daughter woke up, the whole Family was awake until the Daughter got Mommy to lay on the floor next to her bed again. Does this sound crazy to you???? I think you have to nip this in the bud. Hopefully, you already have since you posted this in January. If she wakes up and gets hugs and stories each time, of course she is going to keep doing it. She needs to find a way to get herself back to sleep. Of course all advice goes out of the window if she is waking up because of night terrors. If that is the case, see your pediatrician. Parents need their sleep just as much as the kids do. Good luck!

I am with you as far as going to bed. My daughter has "bugs" in her bed at least that is what it is this week. We have gone through the bed scares me. The dog wakes me up and everything to get her to go to sleep. So now we let her listen to her radio with a cassette in it with a story and usually by the time the first side is over she is sleeping. Nap time we let her sleep in our bedroom with a movie playing and if she doesn't fall asleep she is to stay in bed for 3 hours. At least she gets some time to settle down even if she doesn't fall asleep even though she usually does.