About Melissa Chefec

This author has not written his bio yet.
But we are proud to say that Melissa Chefec contributed 693 entries already.

Entries by Melissa Chefec

Scientists Find a Sleep Duration Sweet Spot for Healthy Aging

By George Citroner, Jun 6, 2026 Dr. Alex Dimitriu, who is board-certified in psychiatry and sleep medicine and was not involved in the study, told The Epoch Times these findings confirm what he’s observed in his practice: Both too little and too much sleep are associated with worse health outcomes. “It reinforces that 7 to 8 […]

How Exercise Can Help You Manage Bipolar Disorder

By Elizabeth Millard, Jun 3, 2026 In addition, exercise calms the stress response and strengthens emotional regulation, says psychiatrist Alex Dimitriu, MD, the founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine in California and a medical reviewer for Everyday Health. Exercise serves as a way for the body (including the brain) to practice handling stress, leading to a […]

This Ancient Practice Could Save You From an Awful Sleep

By Lauren Vinapol, May 31, 2026 Dr. Alex Dimitriu, a psychiatrist and sleep medicine specialist, agrees that no matter what you call it, NSDR or yoga nidra, it is definitely not comparable to real sleep, let alone four hours of it. On the other hand, that does not mean that non-sleep deep rest is bad; […]

This Common Sleep Habit Could Be Raising Your Blood Pressure Overnight, Doctors Say

By BethAnn Mayer, May 31, 2026 Dr. Alex Dimitriu, MD, a board-certified psychiatrist and sleep medicine doctor and the founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine, points out that mouth breathing is not ideal. We’re designed to breathe humidified air through our noses. Mouth breathing is a flag and risk factor for high blood pressure. […]

5 Ways to Recharge When You’re Living With Bipolar Disorder

By Elizabeth Millard, May 28, 2026 Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that can create difficulties in many aspects of your life. Many people who have the condition struggle with spikes and dips in energy, making them feel depleted, says Alex Dimitriu, MD, a psychiatrist and the founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine […]

When CPAP Doesn’t Work—A Potential Pill for People With Sleep Apnea

By George Citroner, May 24, 2026 The urgency behind the search for alternatives to CPAP is underscored by the serious health consequences of untreated sleep apnea. Fundamentally, sleep apnea isn’t really a sleep problem, Dr. Alex Dimitriu, a double board-certified psychiatrist and sleep medicine expert and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine, told The […]

Want to Slow Your Biological Aging? Sleeping 6.4 to 7.8 Hours a Night May Help

By Mandy French, May 16, 2026 “Short sleep is often more associated with stress of a busy lifestyle, and anxiety. It can lead to elevated blood pressure, cortisol, and blood glucose levels, which all have detrimental effects over time,” said Alex Dimitriu, MD, a double board certified psychiatry and sleep medicine specialist and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry […]

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

By 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 […]

Enable Dark Mode