This Monday, health care rates for 2016 were announced for Covered California, the California health care exchange set up as part of the Affordable Care Act. Overall, the projected rate increases are a mixed bag. While the statewide average increase is only modest, certain regions of the Golden state--particularly in Northern California--may see double-digit increases in their health insurance rates.

It's common knowledge that going for a while without sleep can make you moody and irritable. But a new study proves that grouchiness isn't the extent of the problem. Sleep deprivation doesn't just mess up your emotions; it reduces your ability to assess and react to the emotions of others. In other words, it decreases your emotional intelligence--your EQ.

Amanda Peterson, star of the 80s classic Can't Buy Me Love, passed away earlier this month.

The actress began her career in 1982 with her role as an orphan in "Annie" and a few other jobs before finding her break-out role opposite Patrick Dempsey. Though she had cut back on acting by 1994, Amanda did not step out of the Hollywood lifestyle.  Over the course of 12 years, she was arrested five times for various alcohol and narcotic related charges.  But no: the 43-year-old's unfortunate death does not appear to be the result of a drug overdose.

Instead, the actress's family attributes her death, at least partially, to her sleep apnea.

It's normal to snore occasionally – perhaps when you are suffering from a cold or after you’ve had a few drinks at a party before going to sleep. But what if you, like millions of Americans, snore regularly night after night? Are you suffering from a debilitating sleep disorder that can significantly affect all aspects of your life, or are you harmlessly sawing logs?

If you're reading this blog, odds are, you're looking for more information about sleep and sleep disorders. That's good news for you, because the goal of this blog post is to give you an answer to ALL of your questions relating to sleep apnea, sleep studies, and the treatment that you can get afterwards. 

(Seriously, we've answered so many questions that they won't all fit in this blog post. Read on!)

Sleeping pills like the prescription medications Restoril, Ambien, and Desyrel have a wide variety of side effects, but one of the most common effects is drowsiness. That makes sense, given that these pills are meant to sedate you in order to give you a full night's rest. However, according to a recent study it seems that this drowsiness is more than a simple inconvenience; it doubles users' risk of car crashes for the first year of use.

Have you ever wondered how well Americans stack up to recommended sleep guidelines? Or how your sleep patterns compare to the rest of the country? 

Thanks to a study conducted by Sleep Number, you can now find out. The company collected data from members of all 50 states including average sleep duration and whether or not people felt like they got enough sleep. The results are a real wake-up call! 

We all know someone who needs coffee to function. They may spend 5-6 hours per night in bed. When they wake up in the morning, the first thing they need to do is find a cup of caffeine. They might consume 3-4 cups of coffee or energy drinks per day to keep them going.

But over time, this cycle of insufficient sleep and excessive caffeine consumption can take a serious toll on your energy levels and your overall health. So this 4th of July, it's time to gain independence from your reliance on caffeine!

It is well-known that sleep apnea is linked to a variety of serious physical complications, including diabetes and heart disease. However, research shows that untreated sleep apnea can have mental and emotional consequences as well. In particular, sleep apnea can increase the chance of developing depression. 

Insomnia is the inability to fall asleep, or to stay asleep for an appropriate amount of time. It's a real condition, and it affects nearly half of Americans at some point or another¹. While taking sleeping pills might seem like the simple solution for fighting insomnia, there might be an easier, more permanent way to tackle this sleep disorder that doesn't involve the drowsiness or chemicals of medication.