About Melissa Chefec

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Entries by Melissa Chefec

Empty Nest Syndrome and Sex Can Happily Coexist

By Rachel Crowe, Aug 4, 2022 “You may think you know your long-term partner inside and out, but make time to connect and have new things to talk about so that your relationship—and life—doesn’t get stale,” said Emily Heard, M.F. T., a mind-body wellness coach at Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine in California. “Enjoy your second honeymoon!” […]

9 top-rated travel pillows for long trips

By Mili Godio, Aug 2, 2022 “Not everyone is an equally deep sleeper, and people with any sleep issues at baseline will often have a harder time sleeping in a louder and less comfortable environment — such as an airplane,” added board-certified psychiatrist Dr. Alex Dimitriu, a sleep medicine specialist. He noted that posture plays a big […]

5 pillow colors to avoid – why these popular colors are harming your sleep schedule

By Megan Slack, July 31, 2022 Alex Dimitriu, who has a double board-certified in Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine and founded Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine, explains that some online reports suggest that red and purple may be invigorating colors that are best avoided. Meanwhile, he notes gray may feel depressing. ‘[However], I believe personal preference is the […]

Fitness Trackers Can Motivate You to Walk Up to 40 Minutes More Each Day

By George Citroner, July 25, 2022 Individuals experiencing moderate and severe anxiety disorders may want to use WATs with caution, said Jeff Leininger, NP, a psychiatric nurse practitioner with Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine in California. He said that neuroscience points to a “dysregulated serotonin system” for people with active eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder […]

Should I or Shouldn’t I: Knowing When to Break Up

By Ally Sweeten, July 25, 2022 Emily Rose Heard, a mind-body wellness coach at Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine in California who is completing her master’s degree in integral counseling psychology, recommended asking yourself several questions to evaluate a relationship: Are we willing to compromise equally to meet each other’s needs? Are we helping each other grow […]

3 Common Power Dynamics in a Relationship and How to Resolve

By Susan Fishman, July 22, 2022 According to Emily Heard, MFT, a marriage and family therapist in Menlo Park, California, power imbalances in relationships often arise around specific themes, including:  finances sexual intimacy decision making duties and responsibility When trying to handle these or other power imbalances, Heard explains three common dynamics can play out: demand/withdrawal distancer/pursuer […]

Movement and your mind

July 2022 Alex Dimitriu, MD, founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine (Menlo Park, California) weighs in on the connection between your mind and body. • We were born to move. Any exercise is a nod to one of your basic needs. That can naturally make you happier. • Sleep is the spa of […]

What Do Dreams About Someone Dying Mean?

By Ann Pietrangelo, July 13, 2022 “The goal ultimately may not be to avoid having such dreams, but rather approach them with curiosity to better understand them,” Dr. Alex Dimitriu, of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine in California, told Healthline. Recurring dreams about death can be the result of ongoing stress and unresolved issues. Try to identify the […]

Latest Study Says 7 Hours Magic Number for Healthy Sleep

July 12, 2022 Dr. Dimitriu was published in Psychology Today in an article titled: Latest Study Says 7 Hours Magic Number for Healthy Sleep When it comes to sleep, seven may be the new magic number. Authors of a large population study, published in an April 2022 issue of Nature, indicated seven hours of daily […]

Drinking Alone as a Teen May Foreshadow Future Alcohol Problems

By George Citroner, July 12, 2022 Jeff Leininger, NP, with Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine in Menlo Park, California, said that for some people, drinking during the pandemic was another cycle in existing abuse patterns. “The baked-in circuitry regulating dopamine, serotonin, gaba and glutamate transmission was already there, and the pandemic just added fuel to the […]

Depression Treatment: How Genetic Testing Can Help Find the Right Medication

By Eileen Bailey, July 12, 2022 There is a place for pharmacogenetic testing when treating people with depression, according to Dr. Alex Dimitriu, an expert in psychiatry and sleep medicine and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine in California and BrainfoodMD. Some situations that might call for genetic testing include treatment-resistant depression and more complex cases. “It […]

Brad Pitt has ‘Face Blindness.’ Here’s What That Means

By George Citroner, July 8, 2022 Dr. Alex Dimitriu, who is double board certified in Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine and is the founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine, as well as BrainfoodMD, told Healthline that this condition results from abnormalities or damage to a part of the right side of the brain called the fusiform […]

Scientists Looking at ADHD Drugs as Potential Treatments for Alzheimer’s Symptoms

By Eileen Bailey, July 6, 2022 “As a sleep specialist and psychiatrist, I cannot underscore enough the power of restorative sleep, especially for people with [Alzheimer’s]. I have seen some substantial improvements in cognition by improving sleep quality and duration,” said Alex Dimitriu an expert in psychiatry and sleep medicine and the founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry […]

Study Finds Being ‘Hangry’ is a Real Thing

By George Citroner,  July 5, 2022 “I’m not surprised at these findings,” said Dr. Alex Dimitriu, an expert in psychiatry and sleep medicine and the founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine in California as well as BrainfoodMD. “In the end, we are biological creatures and are programmed to get our needs met,” he told Healthline. […]

Painsomnia Steals 51.5 Minutes of Our Sleep Every Night. How Do We Cope?

By Lisa Marie Basile, June 30, 2022 “Pain does not have to be extreme to keep us awake,” says Dr. Alex Dimitriu, MD, founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine and a SleepFoundation.org medical-review board member. “Even milder forms of pain can result in varying degrees of insomnia, resulting in trouble falling or staying  asleep.” […]

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