If she doesn t get a chance to try, her body may lose its natural napping rhythm. Make the transition to nap consistent. All of the activities that lead up to nap can help a child begin to relax and prepare to sleep. If those activities are familiar from day to day, they will help clue your daughter that it is close to time to sleep. Songs, stories, nursing, rocking and music are some of the things that families have discovered which help the resting process.
Human bodies have rhythms.
Even young children develop a pattern for their days and nights and an expectation of that pattern in their bodies. Even though some children in some families sleep well just by going down whenever they are tired, if you are trying to help a resistant napper sleep, it is useful to keep the time consistent every day. If you feel like she needs to change her nap time, observe her for a few days to see when she seems to be getting sleepy. You can then try to adjust her naptime to a more appropriate time. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for personal medical attention, diagnosis or hands-on treatment.