Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine
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I fixed my 3 a.m. wake-ups and brain fog by syncing my sleep with the rising and setting of the sun, just like the Amish — doctors explain why this circadian living works

By Nicola Appleton, Jul 29, 2026

“Circadian means ‘around the day,’ and for humans and almost every other living thing on earth, it’s aligned with the sun and controls two of our most fundamental states of being — sleep and wake,” explains Dr. Alex Dimitriu, a doctor double-board certified in Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine. “At the core of the circadian system is sleep and wake,” says Dr. Dimitriu. “Sleepiness is reset by sleep, and builds up the more hours you are awake.”

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Eat dinner at 5 p.m., take a 5-minute dance break and drink coffee — plus 6 more health tips to help you have a great week

By Rachel Grumman Bender, Jul 26, 2026

Eating dinner around 5 p.m. — a trend that’s been on the rise in the U.S. — doesn’t just make it easier to snag a coveted reservation, but it can also help you sleep better. Choosing the early bird special “improves sleep by reducing digestion while asleep and minimizing acid reflux, both of which can be disruptive to a good night’s sleep,” Dr. Alex Dimitriu, a psychiatrist and sleep medicine specialist, tells Healthline. But keep in mind that the exact time isn’t as important as wrapping up eating and drinking — particularly caffeine and alcohol — about three hours before bedtime.

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Can being a night owl increase the risk of weight gain?

By Jessica Freeborn, Jul 20, 2026

Alex Dimitriu, MD, double board-certified in Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine, likewise not involved in this study, also noted that it “confirms a lot of what we have been hearing. Indeed, late evening types tend to eat less healthy foods after sunset, have a shorter period of fasting during the night, and also have a higher BMI and body fat percentage than people who go to bed earlier.”

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How Exercise Can Help You Manage Sleep Apnea

By Elizabeth Millard, Medically Reviewed by Dr. Alex Dimitriu, Jul 13, 2026

Although continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is considered the gold standard for sleep apnea treatment, lifestyle habits can also make a significant difference. A key example is exercise, which can improve sleep apnea severity and support mental and physical health as well. 
Click HERE for the full article.

Your Mental Health May Be Paying the Price of Working From Home

By George Citroner, Jun 20, 2026

“People who tend to isolate naturally, due to introversion, anxiety, or personality style, may find remote work comforting,” Dr. Alex Dimitriu, double board-certified in psychiatry and sleep medicine and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine, told The Epoch Times. “But it may not be the best thing for them.”

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I was struggling to fall asleep, yet waking up at 3 a.m. — until an expert made this simple change to my routine

By Nicola Appleton, Jun 10, 2026

For this borderline insomniac who frequently wakes up at 3 a.m., this was unprecedented. However, according to Dr. Alex Dimitriu, a dual board certified psychiatrist and sleep doctor, it’s entirely expected. “I tell my patients they need to be vertical by day, so they can sleep better horizontally at night,” he says.

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Shaquille O’Neal Shares How Zepbound Helped with Sleep Apnea and Weight Loss

By Cathy Cassata, Jun 10, 2026

Zepbound may help with moderate to severe OSA by addressing obesity, which plays a significant role in OSA, said Alex Dimitriu, MD, founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine. “Excess weight, especially around the neck, can narrow the airway and increase the risk of collapse during sleep,” he told Healthline. “Clinical evidence suggests that weight loss is highly effective in reducing disease severity.” Losing 10% to 15% of body weight can reduce OSA severity by as much as 50% in people with moderate obesity, Dimitriu said.

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5 Ways to Cope With Isolation and Loneliness if You Have Postpartum Depression

By Elizabeth Millard, Jun 10, 2026

One of the most crucial steps in alleviating postpartum isolation is recognizing which emotions are difficult and addressing them with a partner, friend, or health provider, says the psychiatrist Alex Dimitriu, MD, the founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine in California and a medical reviewer for Everyday Health. “There can be a cycle of silence, especially if you’ve withdrawn from others because you feel like you might be judged, or because you’re seeing other people return to their own busy lives,” he says. “But acknowledging how you feel is part of self-care.”

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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 hours is the sweet spot for most adults,” he said. “It’s a modifiable risk factor we can control.” Dimitriu added that it’s also good to know that 7 hours may be sufficient for most adults. “So we stop beating ourselves up about not getting 8 [hours]. Just don’t let that become a slippery slope, and start sleeping 6 hours!”

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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 more efficient stress response over time. “This can improve sleep quality and act as a natural mood stabilizer for those with bipolar disorder,” says Dr. Dimitriu. “It can also be an excellent tool for countering metabolic side effects such as weight gain, which is often associated with mood stabilizers and antipsychotics.”
Click HERE for the full article.

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; it’s just being misrepresented online. “Yoga nidra is not a replacement for actual sleep, but it is a better alternative to lying there stressed,” Dimitriu explains. 

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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. “The simple truth is that not breathing well causes adrenaline spikes—norepinephrine, to be exact—which raises blood pressure and heart rate,” Dr. Dimitriu says. “It’s the same thing that would happen if you were being choked. Your body reacts intensely.” Yikes. Bigger yikes: “In people with sleep apnea, this happens many times during the night,” Dr. Dimitriu says.

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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 in California. “At its core, bipolar disorder is an energy problem because it’s an amplifier in all directions, positive and negative,” he says. “During mania, sleep is reduced and energy is increased, so ideas race and moods are elevated. During depressive episodes, people sleep too much and have low motivation.”
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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 Epoch Times. “It’s a cardiovascular problem that happens at night.”
Click HERE for the full article.

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MENLO PARK PSYCHIATRY & SLEEP MEDICINE

CONDITIONS TREATED: Anxiety, Depression, Attention Deficit Disorder, Insomnia, Bipolar Disorder, and Treatment Resistant Depression

REGIONS COVERED: We serve clients of the Bay Area, including the communities of Menlo Park, Palo Alto, Cupertino, Los Gatos, Los Altos, Mountain View, Portola Valley, Atherton, Sunnyvale, and San Jose

Phone 650-326-5888
Address 1225 Crane Street, Suite 205
Menlo Park, CA 94025
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