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Entries by Melissa Chefec

You Actually Burn Calories While You Sleep. Doctors Explain How It Works.

By Rozalynn S. Frazier and Erica Sweeney, Sep 12, 2024 “The body is always burning calories,” explains Alex Dimitriu, M.D., a double-board certified physician in psychiatry and sleep medicine and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine. Even during total inactivity or sleep, the body’s basal metabolic rate (BMR) reflects the number of calories your body needs at […]

The 2 Most Obvious Signs of an Unhealthy Parent-Adult-Child Relationship

By Beth Ann Mayer, Sep 9, 2024 “A healthy parent-child bond serves as a model for the child’s future relationships,” says Dr. Alex Dimitriu, MD, who is double board-certified in psychiatry and sleep medicine and the founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine. Unhealthy parent-child relationships can affect how children see themselves, others and the world. However, […]

The Relationship Between Caffeine and Sleep

By Lauren Panoff, Aug 23, 2024 Alex Dimitriu, M.D., double board-certified in Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine, tells Sleepopolis that caffeine is a blocker of adenosine — a substance that relaxes your blood vessels and affects your heart rhythm. “Adenosine builds up in the brain as we get through the day, and when levels are higher, […]

Does Trintellix cause sexual side effects?

By Sarah Bradley, Aug 19, 2024 According to Alex Dimitriu, MD, psychiatrist, sleep medicine specialist, and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine, certain antidepressants—particularly SSRIs, which affect your serotonin levels—can cause a decrease in sex drive because they block specific receptors in the brain that contribute to sexual arousal. Additionally, increasing serotonin levels with SSRIs […]

The Best Cooling Bedding to Help Hot Sleepers Chill Out in 2024

By Jessica Kasparian, Aug 19, 2024 Everyone has their own preferences in the bedroom—how firm your mattress should be, how much background noise is acceptable, and how dark it is are all deeply personal decisions. But if you’re a hot sleeper, your p.m. setup isn’t just about comfort—losing sleep can lead to a host of health issues. […]

Does Mercury Retrograde Affect Sleep? Here’s Why We’re All So Tired

By Danielle Sinay, Aug 9, 2024 According to a recent study, when you sleep matters more than the amount that you did. “Sleep loves rhythm and regularity, and part of that regularity is having a predictable sequence of events that starts telling the brain to slow down and get ready for bed,” says Alex Dimitriu, MD, a […]

Is 7 Hours of Sleep Enough? Experts Share the Truth

By Beth Ann Mayer, Aug 9, 2024 “Optimal sleep is important because getting the right number of hours of sleep ensures good sleep architecture and healthy patterns for staying and falling asleep,” says Dr. Alex Dimitriu, MD, a double board-certified in psychiatry and sleep medicine and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine.  Click HERE for the full article.

The best sleep mask for 2024, tested and reviewed

By Heidi Borst, Aug 5, 2024 Comfort is a key feature in eye masks, but breathability and material quality are also important, says sleep medicine expert Dr. Alex Dimitriu. “It should feel good on your face, especially for extended periods,” he says, adding that the headband should stay in place without being too tight. Click HERE […]

What Can a Sleep Study Tell You About Your Mental Health?

By Sarah Sheppard, Aug 1, 2024 “The brain recharges and does a fair amount of emotional and memory processing at night,” says Alex Dimitriu, MD, founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine, who considers sleep to be a vital sign, along with blood pressure, heart rate, and respiration. We all need sleep; it’s essential. But […]

10 Common Medications That Can Affect Sleep

By Ashley Garling, Pharm.D, July 30, 2024 “Anything that alters sleep architecture [normal sleep patterns] can cause muscle-related sleep disruptions, or acting out dreams,” says Alex Dimitriu, M.D., who is double board-certified in psychiatry and sleep medicine and the founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine in Menlo Park, California. “Common substances include alcohol, […]

10 signs you’re dealing with a sociopath, according to therapists

By Erica Sweeney, July 29, 2024 The individuals are selfish and self-serving and use subtle or frank manipulation to get their way, says Alex Dimitriu, M.D., a double-board certified physician in psychiatry and sleep medicine and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine. “They’re antisocial because they don’t care about society or others, they care […]

What happens if I suddenly stop taking Trintellix?

By SingleCare Team, July, 26, 2024 Trintellix belongs to a class of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which prevent neurons from reabsorbing serotonin once they release it into synapses (the space between two connecting neurons). “Trintellix is a serotonergic antidepressant, similar, but somewhat different from the more typical SSRIs—like Zoloft (sertraline), or Prozac (fluoxetine),” says […]

Healthy lifestyle choices may lower risk of depression, dementia, and stroke

By Jessica Freeborn, July 25, 2024 “Clinically, these are good reminders for areas where anyone can improve. All of us scanning this list will find some areas where we know we can improve,” non-study author Alex Dimitriu, MD a double board-certified psychiatrist and sleep medicine specialist and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine, told MNT. “Personally, I […]

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