Help?!

Little Man has been trying to give up his nap since his paci went bye-bye 6 months ago. Starting from that very day. I expected him to miss his paci, but I thought that after he adjusted he'd be able to nap without it. No.

I know that some children stop napping earlier than others, but trust me, he still needs a nap. He is whiney and crying well before dinner if he doesn't nap. But he won't fall asleep. Shortly after paci went bye-bye I made a deal with him. If he wasn't asleep by the time his sleep music stopped (about 40 minutes) he could get up and play in his room until I came to get him. This worked GREAT in getting him to lay still long enough to fall asleep. For about a week. He happened to stay up the whole time once, and then he "knew" the music. After that he would lay there just waiting for the final song.

I have sometimes gone upstairs and turned his sleep music on AGAIN (which he hates) and he has finally fallen asleep during the second go-round. But that is hard for me to be always watching the clock and trying to time it just right.

Last week my wonderful hubby burned a CD of our two favorite lullaby CD's ~ he combined them onto one CD. It is 79 minutes long. Same deal as before ~ if he's still awake after 79 minutes he can get up and play in his room until I get him. It has worked twice. He will often fall asleep if I stay in the room with him, sitting in the rocking chair, or bring him into my bed and nap with him. But I can't do this every day, much as I would love to!

It wouldn't really matter to me whether he sleeps or not, as long as he gets a rest time, but the evenings are a BEAR if he doesn't sleep.

Help! Does anyone have any other ideas? Do I just accept that naptime is over? If naps are over, how do we make it until bedtime without having a hissy fit?