My husband designed and built a co-sleeper that was level with our bed. With our second child I tried and tried to get her to sleep in her "little section". It didn't work. She wanted to snuggle. After the horrible time we had under gone with our first child, when my second slept for 6 hours tucked in with me at like 2 weeks old, I said co-sleeping is great! She was in our bed for the first 21 months! We have her out now, but she still comes back to bed sometimes when she wakes during the night. I think co-sleeping is totally okay and great. When she was little (6 months & under?) I kept her between me and the co-sleeper. That kept her from rolling off, but away from my husbands heavy hands & tossing and turning. After she was old enough and my husband had adjusted to her being in the bed, she slept between us. The co-sleeper then became a safety measure so Mommy didn't fall (or get pushed) out of bed! The headboard and footboard would have been great for me - once Aeryn got mobile she would slip away from my husband without a sound in the mornings. (I leave for work before they wake up.) Just learn to sleep alittle lighter, be ready to get cramped, willing to get kicked, and sleep like never before with a little warm, loving body snuggled in next to you!