Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine
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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, we begin to feel tired and sleepy. [Caffeine blocks adenosine], which is the reason it makes us feel awake and alert,” he says.

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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 can lower the amount of dopamine in your brain, the “feel-good” hormone tied to desire. “Very generally speaking, there is a balance in the brain between serotonin and dopamine, and for some people, increasing serotonin can lower dopamine,” Dr. Dimitriu says. “I often tell my patients that SSRIs dull the passions, bad and good.” 

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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. “It is essential for your body to be able to cool off during the night,” Alex Dimitriu, MD, board-certified psychiatrist and the founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine, tells SELF. “Research has found that [this] makes us sleep deeper and possibly longer.” And according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), not getting enough sleep can contribute to cognitive issues, a sluggish metabolism, a weakened immune system, an increased risk of heart disease, and more.

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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 double board-certified psychiatrist and sleep medicine specialist and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine in California. “A regular sleep-and-wake schedule, as well as a daily schedule for slowing down past a certain hour, is very helpful for sleep. Try not to sleep in too long on the weekends, ideally not more than an hour later than usual.”

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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. 

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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.

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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 what can your sleep habits tell you about your mental health? A lot, actually.
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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, certain antidepressants, sedatives like zolpidem [Ambien] or eszopiclone [Lunesta], and [the beta-blocker] metoprolol [Lopressor].” Antidepressants may cause REM sleep behavior disorder by altering levels of the brain chemicals dopamine and serotonin, which play a role in REM sleep.

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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 about themselves only. While most of us have been selfish at some point in our lives, in antisocial personality disorder, this is the rule, not the exception.”

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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 Dr. Alex Dimitriu, MD, founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine. “It is believed to have effects besides increasing levels of serotonin, and may possibly have some additional benefit to cognition and have lower sexual side effects.” Also, unlike some other SSRIs like paroxetine, Trintellix directly modulates serotonin receptors—although its exact mechanism of action is unknown.

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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 found this a helpful reminder of studied factors, backed by research that improve brain health. And that is a good motivator for anyone,” he added.

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What to Know About Mouth Breathing While Sleeping

By Brooke Helton, July 19, 2024

What are the causes of mouth breathing? Many children go through phases of mouth breathing that they eventually grow out of. But some people will keep the habit even past childhood. In fact, research indicates that rates of mouth breathing increase with age, especially among men. In adults, mouth breathing during sleep is usually caused by something that blocks your nose, noted Alex Dimitriu, MD, double board-certified psychiatrist and sleep specialist.

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The Best Non-Wearable Sleep Trackers To Gain Insight Into Your Nights

By Kelly O’Sullivan, July 18, 2024

Dr. Dimitriu was consulted for this article. “We spend about a third of our lives sleeping, yet it seems like many of us still aren’t sure if we’re getting the rest we need. If you want to learn more about your sleep health but don’t want to wear a gadget on your wrist or finger, the best non-wearable sleep trackers might be worth trying. These devices use advanced technology to gather data about your sleep patterns and—unlike smart watches or fitness trackers—are usually placed under your mattress or on your nightstand.”

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Best cooling comforters of 2024: How to stay cozy without overheating

By Suzy Hernandez, July 11, 2024

The top cooling comforters incorporate advanced cooling technologies, along with materials like cotton, eucalyptus, and bamboo, which Dr. Dimitriu identifies as the coolest and most effective for dispersing heat and enhancing ventilation. 

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Vraylar and pregnancy: Important safety considerations

By Sarah Bradley, July 8, 2024

Alex Dimitriu, MD, psychiatrist, sleep medicine specialist, and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine in California, says many experts compare the use of Vraylar during pregnancy to that of Abilify (aripiprazole). The two drugs are closely related, he adds, but Abilify has been around longer and studied far more than Vraylar. “In the medical literature, aripiprazole is pregnancy category C, meaning it has been shown to have adverse effects in animals and uncertain effects in humans,” Dr. Dimitriu says.

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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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