My Son will not go to sleep at night!!

[Angelique]

My son is one month shy of turning 4 years old.  Every night we have trouble with going to bed.  We read 2 stories and then I sing 3 songs and tickle his back to wind down.  I then leave the room and he stays awake for the next 2 hours!! 

He wakes at about 7am and is in daycare during the day.  He naps from 1pm - 2:30pm and then I TRY to get him to bed for 9pm which already seems late to me. 

How do I get him to settle down and go to sleep?? 

[Katet]

at almost 4 naping 1.5hours, I'm kind of thinking that you have the answer. My 3y 4mo won't be asleep before 9pm & up at 5.30am if he naps for more than 45mins, if he naps for 30-40mins I can get him to bed by 8pm & up at 6/6.30, but if he goes to the hour mark we get about 9.5hours night sleep. Most of the children who we are friends with have given up naps because their night sleep suffered too much.