2.6 year old not settling at night - playing, shrieking, giggling in dark until 11pm...

[wildstrawberryplace]

...even if he doesn't have a nap that day.

Often he'll be put to bed with eye lids drooping, then within 10 mins he'll be chirruping and jumping around in his cot bed, giggling and shouting. He seems to playing with an imaginary friend or something.

Freaked me out tonight because it really sounded like he was actually playing with someone else, fooling around and being tickled, with pauses in his talking which was presumably the imaginary friend.

He gets so wired and overexcited. It is a few weeks now and he is always really wakeful for 2 - 2.5 hours after being put to bed - even if we drop his usual nap, and even if he's been tired and cranky before his bath.

Does this sound at all familiar?

Have to say it's not something I've struggled with, but couldn't post without saying something. Sure someone helpful will come along.

My DD was (is still sometimes) like that at 2.5 just before she definitely drop her day time nap. When she was not asleep within 10 min, she will talked, sing (sometime v. loudly), move around....for 2 hours or more. I drew the line at getting up and jumping, she has to lay down or she would be punished. But as long as your son stays in bed, you should be happy that he can entertain himself.
I read somewhere that if you have children who speack to themselves at night you should enjoy it because it won't last for long... You must admit it is very funny, sometimes we stop making noise in the house to listen to what DD has come up with (new song or story) and we do laugh
Mind you she doesn't have an imaginary freind, she does talked to her kindergarden freinds as if they were there.
It became rare when she totally drop her nap as she would fall asleep instantly most of the time.