I've noticed a few posts on sleep and we all know how important it is to make sure we get enough. But what about when you are trying to get your sleep in and have a newborn as an hourly alarm clock? Work requires that you get good rest but when you add a baby to the mix (especially when you are a nursing mother) it's even more important.

Most parents have baby sleeping in the same room for at least the first few months. While this does make your trip to the baby a lot shorter, you still have to completely wake up to tend to your little one's needs. It is highly not recommended, and for good reason, to not have baby in bed with you. This can end up in ultimately hurting the baby. However, there is a way around it; the co-sleeper. It's like having your newborn's bed in your own.

These beds are completely portable and easy to fold up and put under the bed when they are not being used during the day time. Each one has a solid frame around it (with padding built in for you and the baby sleeping in and next to it) to keep the baby in one spot and keep you or your spouse from rolling on top of it. Mothers who are nursing have the option of purchasing one that has sides that zip down so you have even easier access to your baby without having to lift them all the way out of it. Plus every one I have ever seen comes with a built in, battery operated nightlight. The lights all have a soft glow to them but still give off enough light to be able to navigate around your bed and baby.

If you still aren't comfortable with the baby being directly in the bed with you, there are co-sleepers available that attach to the side of your bed. The baby is protected from anyone rolling onto them in the night but you still have easy access to them. The downside is that they aren't as easy to store away and they can take up a decent amount of room at night when they are in use.

Figuring out what which one will work best for you is going to work miracles on your sleeping needs. The closer baby is to you with the least amount of effort needed to cater to their nightly needs the quicker you are going to be able to doze back off into dreamland and head into a morning of feeling more refreshed and energized.

Co-sleepers can be found pretty much in any store that sells baby products like Target, WalMart and Babies R' Us. They come in all different types of variations and as always, price. The simplest co-sleepers are decently priced and will get the job done just fine. If you are expecting and haven't had your baby shower yet, make sure to put this one on your gift registry as a must have!