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HANNIBAL, MO. -- We've all heard how important sleep is.

It can lead to serious conditions like heart disease, stroke, and possibly diabetes.

But there are some other things a lack of sleep can cause and the mere thought of them may keep you up at night.

If you're like me, your bed is one of your favorite places. A good night's sleep can do your body wonders. It's a chance for your body to recharge itself for the next day. Adults should get between six and nine hours of sleep every night. If not, you'll feel it for sure, but your body may begin to show the effects too.

"You're 30% more apt to be overweight if you sleep less than six hours a night," says Mary Duesterhaus with the Hannibal Regional Hospital Sleep Lab.

It has to do with the way your body metabolizes and certain hormones that are released at night. Mary Duesterhaus with the Hannibal Regional Hospital Sleep Lab says sleep is just as important as diet and exercise. She also points out everyone has times when we just can't sleep, but if it lasts more than a month, you should bring it up to your doctor. It could be an underlying condition like sleep apnea.

"If you snore, if you wake up with a headache, that's a symptom of not getting enough sleep. If you're drowsy during the day, if you're irritable," says Duesterhaus.

Fixing insomnia may be as easy as cleaning up your sleep hygiene, or changing your habits before going to bed.

Duesterhaus also offers this tip, if you have a lot on your mind before bed, she says write it all down. That will help get it off your mind so you can sleep better.

One other thing that can happen with lack of sleep, it can actually age your skin. You know how it feels to wake up un rested, look in the mirror and see the puffy eyes, but chronic sleep loss can lead to fine lines, dark circles, and just ugly skin. The reason, when you don't get enough sleep, your body releases more of the stress hormone cortisol. In excess amounts, cortisol can break down skin collagen, the protein that keeps skin smooth and elastic. Sweet dreams.

www.WebMD.com has a section on coping with excessive sleepiness, and on there is a list of ten things to hate about sleep loss.

Check it out, it's a pretty interesting read.

And while you're online surfing, check out our Parenting Tips page.

Back in June, we spotlighted how important sleep is to your children.

It can actually affect how they grow, so log on and check it out.