About Melissa Chefec

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Entries by Melissa Chefec

‘Quad God’ Ilia Malinin on the ‘Invisible Battles’ That Cost Him a Medal

By Mandy French, Feb 18, 2026 “Historically, we believed the ‘right’ amount of anxiety was like a U-shaped curve — too little, not good, just enough — ideal, and too much also not good,” said Alex Dimitriu, MD, double board certified psychiatry and sleep medicine specialist, and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine. “More […]

Is This the ‘Golden Age’ of Treatments for Sleep Disorders?

By Tara Haelle, Feb 16, 2026 For those who cannot find a therapist, the prescription-only digital therapeutic app SleepioRx was cleared by the FDA in 2024 and “offers an accessible, evidence-based CBT-I option,” said Alex Dimitriu, MD, a psychiatrist and sleep medicine physician at Menlo Park Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine in Menlo Park, California. Click HERE for […]

Wearable Trackers May Help Detect Depression Relapse Before It Occurs

By Mandy French, Feb 16, 2026 “This is a great study, and [a] theme which wonderfully presages the upcoming AI analysis of biometrics to determine human mood and health states,” said Alex Dimitriu, MD, double board certified in Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine, who was not involved in […]

Study challenges negative cannabis stereotypes, claiming link to brain benefits

By Melissa Rudy, Feb 15, 2026 Dr. Alex Dimitriu, who is double board-certified in psychiatry and sleep medicine and the founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine, reiterated that this study is an “outlier,” as most previous research has shown “detrimental effects” from cannabis use. “Given the widespread use and legalization of cannabis, it would be […]

Attention, Parents of Bedrotters: Sleeping in Is Actually Good for Teens’ Mental Health

By Lisa Mulcahy, Feb 8, 2026 “Teenagers can be distracted by technology, screens, and social media,” says Alex Dimitriu, MD, a double board-certified psychiatrist and sleep medicine specialist and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine in Menlo Park, CA. “Unlike adults, their still-developing brain, specifically their pre-frontal cortex, may cause reduced impulse control. So […]

Short Afternoon Nap May Boost Brain Health, Improve Learning Ability

By Mandy French, Feb 6, 2026 “Short afternoon naps, or ‘power naps,’ can significantly enhance alertness, mood, and reaction time. They serve as an effective tool for overcoming the mid-afternoon circadian dip,” said Alex Dimitriu, MD, double board certified psychiatry and sleep medicine specialist and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine, who was not […]

Forcing an early wake-up time could harm your health, sleep doctors warn

By Khloe Quill, Jan 14, 2026 “The main drawback to shifting any schedule is the loss in overall sleep duration,” Alex Dimitriu, M.D., a sleep medicine doctor and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine in New York, told Fox News Digital. “Changes should be made slowly and maintain an emphasis on getting those […]

Restoring Intimacy: Navigating Sexual Dysfunction in Schizophrenia and Your Treatment Options

By Elizabeth Millard, Jan 12, 2026 This is not a personal failing, emphasizes Alex Dimitriu, MD, psychiatrist and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine in California and medical reviewer for Everyday Health. “The disease itself likely has impacts on sexual function, and medication for schizophrenia can also play a significant role,” he says. “For example, […]

Treating Sleep Apnea Could Reduce Parkinson’s Risk

By George Citroner, Jan 5, 2026 Why Sleep Quality Matters for Brain Health. Dr. Alex Dimitriu, who is double board-certified in psychiatry and sleep medicine and is the founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine, and was not involved in the study, called the research “fascinating” and said it supports what he sees daily […]

Navigating the Holidays with ADHD: Prioritizing Self Care

By Sarah Choi, Dec 22, 2025 Alex Dimitriu, MD, has worked with individuals with ADHD for over a decade. He says you should say “no” more often than you say “yes.” “Be more picky,” he says. “The future you will be happy you did.” Click HERE for the full article.

Heart attacks and the holidays

By Georgette Gouveia, Dec 22, 2025 A new study recently made headlines indicating that regular melatonin use was linked to nearly double the risk of heart failure over five years in a large observational cohort (American Heart Association). The authors acknowledge they don’t know if melatonin is the culprit – or if it’s simply a marker […]

Major cannabis study finds little proof for popular medical claims, flags big dangers

By Khloe Quill, Dec 17, 2025 The review found that evidence supporting most medical uses of cannabis or cannabinoids is limited or insufficient, the release stated. “Whenever a substance is widely used, there is likely to be a very wide set of outcomes,” Alex Dimitriu, MD, double board-certified in Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine and founder of Menlo […]

How to Get More Deep Sleep: An Evening Routine That Works

By Jennifer Chesak, Dec 16, 2025 “While sleep is the most restorative thing you can do for your brain, deep sleep is the most restorative part of sleep altogether,” says Alex Dimitriu, MD, a physician double board-certified in psychiatry and sleep medicine and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine. Sounds blissful, right? You get to shut out […]

Restless leg syndrome may increase Parkinson’s disease risk, study finds

By Jessica Freeborn, Dec 11, 2025 Alex Dimitriu, MD, double board-certified in Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine, likewise not involved in the study, told us: “I am not sure I agree with the authors that dopamine may not be the single agent responsible for the [restless leg […]

How Sleep Changes With Age

By Kelsey Kloss, Dec 10, 2025 “As infants, we need almost 20 hours of sleep, with a lot of slow-wave sleep and rapid eye movement [REM] sleep,” says Alex Dimitriu, MD, double board-certified in psychiatry and sleep medicine and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine in California.  Slow-wave sleep is the deepest phase of […]

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