Encouraging Baby's Best Sleep

Before you had a baby, you likely took sleep for granted; it was something you did about eight hours a day, and if not, well, you'd catch up on the weekend. Enter newborn, and suddenly all bets are off. Newborn sleep -- and for that matter, baby sleep and toddler sleep -- bears no resemblance to the simple adult ritual to which you've become accustomed.

Children's sleep needs and the actual structure of their slumber -- how much they dream, how deeply they sleep -- is growing and changing along with their brains and bodies. Here's everything you need to know about your new baby's sleep habits. Hopefully, a little knowledge and some simple tips will help all of you rest easier.