For the two out of three Americans who are overweight, a good night's sleep is already hard enough—due to things like stress, heartburn and hypertension.

With your busy schedule, you may think you have no choice but to skip some Z's. But think again. Especially when it comes to weight, better sleep may be your secret weapon. Recent studies show that sleep is directly tied to hormones and other factors that help regulate your weight.

Take control. Before the problem gets worse, find out how many hours you need, and how to make your bed (and your schedule) work for you. Help is here with the iVillage Community's personal tips.