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Entries by Melissa Chefec

6 Tips for Sleeping Better When You’re Sharing a Bed

Bt Moira Lawler, May 2, 2026 You may love a soft, plush mattress, while your partner may prefer a firm one. It’s a difficult compromise, but you don’t have to toss and turn on an uncomfortable surface. Instead, consider buying two twin XL mattresses, one in each partner’s firmness preference, and placing them side by side […]

Do You Dream in Fear or Joy? The Answer Could Affect Your Morning Mood

By Mandy French, May 2, 2026 “It has been proposed that REM sleep, in which dreaming occurs, is almost a virtual therapy or sandbox environment,” said Alex Dimitriu, MD, double board certified in Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine. Dimitriu wasn’t involved in the study. “In the dream state, […]

AI May Be Making Workers Less Confident In Their Own Decisions, Study Finds

By Jessica Rendall, Apr 22, 2026 Other themes that came up from participant responses in the study were a perceived trade-off between “speed and depth” and a reduced sense of ownership over ideas. “This is a huge deal,” says Alex Dimitriu, M.D., a psychiatrist and sleep medicine specialist and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep […]

Tracking Your Sleep Could Backfire If You Have Insomnia. Here’s Why

By Mandy French, Apr 21, 2026 “In sleep medicine, there is something called orthosomnia, which is when people get anxious about sleep metrics, and in turn sleep more poorly from having that data. This study is in line with that concept,” said Alex Dimitriu, MD, a double board certified psychiatry and sleep medicine expert and founder […]

How to manage sleep apnea while traveling — experts share what to prep and pack

By Becky George, Apr 19, 2026 “Travel should be no different from home,” says Alex Dimitriu, MD, double-board certified in Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine. “My patients do best when they sleep in a similar position as at home, with the CPAP on the same side. “You can also use […]

What ‘Emotional Flooding’ Really Means—And How to Handle It

By Angela Haupt, Apr 10, 2026 Dr. Alex Dimitriu, a psychiatrist in Menlo Park, Calif., says the body’s baseline state plays an essential role. He uses a skiing metaphor with his patients: Your psychology is your technique, and your biology is the slope. “When the terrain is gentle, almost anyone can stay upright,” he says. […]

Can Eating More Fiber Help You Sleep Better?

By Kelsey Kloss, Apr 10, 2026 The gut-brain connection is the network of nerves that allows your brain to communicate directly with your digestive system. Fiber helps promote this dialogue by producing short-chain fatty acids that help regulate sleep-inducing neurotransmitters, says Alex Dimitriu, MD, a double board-certified sleep medicine doctor and the founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry […]

1 In 3 Americans Use AI For Health Advice. These Online Services Are A Better Option

By Jessica Rendall, Apr 9, 2026 “The internet, and even more so AI, is an echo chamber,” says Alex Dimitriu, M.D., a psychiatrist and sleep medicine specialist at Menlo Park Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine. Chatbots are also notorious people-pleasers, for example, which can be dangerous in a setting where health information is being exchanged. On the other […]

When We Trust Wearables More Than Our Own Bodies

By Sarah Campise Hallier, Apr 9, 2026 A growing phenomenon known as orthosomnia describes this pattern: people become so focused on improving their sleep metrics that the stress of doing so begins to interfere with sleep itself. Dr. Alex Dimitriu, a double board-certified physician in psychiatry and sleep medicine, told The Epoch Times that he […]

Depression Treatment: When to Consider TMS or Ketamine for Partial Response

By Elizabeth Millard, Apr 3, 2026 “Unlike antidepressants that target serotonin and dopamine, ketamine increases synaptic plasticity, essentially helping the brain rewire and form new connections quickly,” says Alex Dimitriu, MD, a psychiatrist and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine in California, and a medical reviewer for Everyday Health. “When someone feels horrible or […]

Depression Treatment: How to Add ‘Booster’ Meds Without Breaking the Bank

By Elizabeth Millard, Apr 1, 2026 Which you choose will depend on what issues need to be resolved, says Alex Dimitriu, MD, a psychiatrist and the founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine in California and a medical reviewer for Everyday Health. “Common examples include aripiprazole or lithium to stabilize mood, or thyroid hormone to improve […]

2 to 3 Cups of Coffee Daily May Help Lower Stress, Improve Mental Health

By Mandy French, Mar 30, 2026 “These findings are consistent with the pharmacologic effects of caffeine, in addition to the possible benefits of polyphenols in coffee,” said Alex Dimitriu, MD, double board certified in psychiatry and sleep medicine, and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine. Dimitriu was not involved in the study. “A moderate […]

Why ‘Better’ Isn’t Enough: Bridging the Remission Gap in Depression Treatment

By Elizabeth Millard, Mar 25, 2026 What Is Response? Response to treatment means you’re feeling notably better, says Alex Dimitriu, MD, a psychiatrist and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine in California and a medical reviewer for Everyday Health. That can be quantified in several different ways, including your own perceptions about how you feel […]

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