Emma-
My DS dropped his nap around the same time. I kept doing w/d, closing shades and putting him in his crib (and eventually bed) for about another 6 months....hoping, even praying for a nap, but he rarely did. BUT I know the "lights out" time was good for him. He was using his mind in different ways...imagining, singing, talking to himself, etc. But he's vary boundry sensetive and even though he never slept, he never got out of his bed.
Eventually, when he was approaching 3 he was getting REALLY loud laying in his bed (to the point of waking his baby sister), so I introduced "quiet time." If you can be quiet, you can play in your room (shades open, etc. This is when we stopped the w/d). If you get too noisy, you'll have to lay down in your bed. This provided him opportunity for quiet, solo play. I still left him there 2 hrs like normal...beacuse mommy needed the time!
Now, even at 5, on days he is not at school he has quiet time. Same rules apply...must be quiet! We have some things he can play quietly, but mostly he reads. If I can tell he is really wiped and likely to nap I strike a deal....if you lay down with your head on your pillow in the dark, you only have to stay 1 hour. If you want to play, then it's 2 hrs. Usually on those days if he chooses to lay down he will fall asleep.
