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Entries by Melissa Chefec

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 […]

If You Struggle To Fall Asleep, You Might Want To Try This Absurdly Simple Hack

By Ash Jurberg, Dec 10, 2025 Sleep specialist Alex Dimitriu confirms the evidence gap. “While some research supports eye movements as a means to induce calm, this technique has not been studied specifically for sleep. Currently, this approach is anecdotal,” he said. Compare that to other methods: “There is substantial evidence supporting box breathing, progressive muscle […]

Sleep Better With Sjögren’s Syndrome

By Elizabeth Millard, Dec 4, 2025 Unfortunately, getting enough sleep with this chronic condition can be tricky, since its symptoms can be disruptive, according to Alex Dimitriu, M.D., a sleep medicine specialist and the founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine in Menlo Park, CA. “Because this condition is characterized by dryness and discomfort, that can […]

This Common Vitamin Deficiency Could Be the Reason You’re Always Tired, Experts Warn

By Beth Ann Mayer, Dec 2, 2025 Yes, vitamin B12 deficiency could be a reason you’re always tired. However, that blood test might reveal you aren’t vitamin B12 deficient, which is why it’s crucial to get one rather than self-diagnose. “It’s important to realize that most people living in the modern world are not vitamin deficient, with the […]

Why Using Your Phone at Night May Not Be as Bad as You Think

By Rebecca Schneid, Nov 20, 2025 Dr. Alex Dimitriu, a psychiatrist and sleep medicine doctor in Menlo Park, Calif., calls the study “fascinating, because it goes against a very large established body of research which suggests a clear effect on sleep quality from screen use,” citing the 2025 American Cancer Society study as an example. […]

When You Zone Out, It Might Just Be ‘Microsleep,’ According to New Research

By Korin Miller, Nov 10, 2025 It could also be your brain trying to play catch-up from a bad night’s sleep, says Alex Dimitriu, M.D., a psychiatrist and sleep medicine physician, and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine. When you’re in a deep sleep at night, your brain’s glymphatic system “washes out” leftover byproducts from […]

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