About Melissa Chefec

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Entries by Melissa Chefec

Is Your OSA Treatment Working?

By Stephanie Booth, Mar 2026 “Untreated OSA is strongly linked to increased cardiovascular risk, hypertension, and cognitive impairment,” says Alex Dimitriu, MD, a sleep medicine doctor and psychiatrist in Menlo Park, California. “Put more simply, poor sleep is terrible for your brain and your body, as well as your moods.” When your doctor diagnoses you with […]

Why That ‘Drama Queen’ in Your Life Could Make You Age Faster

By Mandy French, Mar 13, 2026 “We resonate with people, and when someone creates problems, ideally, we would leave such a situation,” 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 the study. “Dealing with a hassler definitely takes […]

5 trendy sleep products experts say to skip — and what to try instead

By Kinsley Searles, Mar 12, 2026 Subjectively, the Reviews team loves sunrise alarm clocks for their soothing warm light, and our testers have reported feeling refreshed while using them, so we’re glad to see that our experience is backed by the experts. Dimitriu said that morning light at 300 lux — a standard level of […]

Should You Lower Your Bedroom Temperature for Better Heart Health?

By Julia Ries Wexler, Mar 12, 2026 The number on your thermostat might be important for more than just your comfort. A recent study in the journal BMC Medicine linked hot nights to a string of negative health issues, including altered stress responses and changes in heart rates.  “While a cool bedroom was always considered a […]

Sleep Doctors Say This Is How Much REM Sleep You Should Be Getting Each Night

By Korin Miller, Mar 11, 2026 Deep sleep is stage 3 non-REM, which is the deepest phase of non-REM sleep, while light sleep is the initial non-REM phases of sleep, or stages 1 and 2. “Deep sleep—or slow wave sleep—is also essential, and happens more in the first half of the night,” says Alex Dimitriu, […]

Doctors warn the Gen Z ‘bedtime stacking’ trend is an insomnia trap and one-way ticket to morning burnout — here’s what they recommend focusing on instead

By Becky George, Mar 11, 2026 “Bedtime stacking is when people make a ‘command center,’ in bed — where they get to bed earlier, but still have everything they might need to finish up for the rest of the day before sleep,” explains Alex Dimitriu, MD, and double board-certified in Sleep Medicine and Psychiatry. Click HERE […]

The ‘gender sleep gap’: Why women get worse sleep than men — but need more

By Rachel Sacks, Mar 10, 2026 While the difference may not seem like much, women often bear the brunt of a lack of sleep due to a combination of biological and social factors, according to Dr. Alex Dimitriu, a double board-certified psychiatry and sleep medicine doctor. “Hormonal fluctuations throughout the life cycle, menstruation, pregnancy and menopause […]

This Is How Much Sleep You Need to Lower Your Type 2 Diabetes Risk

By Mandy French, Mar 3, 2026 “What a great study, and so good to see further evidence that the myth of 8 hours of sleep is too much. This supports a prior studyTrusted Source between the U.K. and China, which also showed 7 hours to be optimal for mental health and cognitive performance,” said Alex Dimitriu, MD, double […]

Clearing the Mist: How to Treat Bipolar Brain Fog Without Destabilizing Your Mood

By Elizabeth Millard, Feb 25, 2026 It can be an effect of the disorder itself, of medications used to manage bipolar, or sometimes both, says Alex Dimitriu, MD, a psychiatrist in private practice and a medical reviewer for Everyday Health. “Patients frequently describe this as ‘cognitive dulling,’ where processing speed slows down and focus becomes difficult to maintain,” […]

Which Magnesium Is Best for Sleep? Your Guide for Types and Usage

By Elizabeth Millard, Feb 23, 2026 Magnesium is a natural mineral that plays a role in hundreds of bodily functions, including muscle relaxation and nervous system regulation, which is why it can be helpful as a sleep aid, says Alex Dimitriu, M.D., a sleep medicine specialist and the founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine in California. “Magnesium […]

Is 7 Hours of Sleep Enough?

By Elizabeth Millard, Feb 23, 2026 When it comes to how many hours of shuteye you get on average, the common recommendation for most adults is to clock at least seven hours each night, and that’s a solid general guideline, says Alex Dimitriu, M.D., a sleep medicine specialist and the founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & […]

‘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 […]

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