By Kristen Rogers, Apr 9, 2023

Regardless, anything that comes up repeatedly is worth investigating, said sleep medicine specialist Dr. Alex Dimitriu, founder of Silicon Psych, a psychiatry and sleep medicine practice in Menlo Park, California. “People have this kind of touch-and-go approach with things that are uncomfortable or fear-inducing, and I think dreams are, in some way, the same way,” Dimitriu said. “As a psychiatrist, I’m inclined to say that there is some message that might be trying to be conveyed to you. And the answer, then, might be to figure out what that is. And I think when you do, you might be able to put the thing to rest.”

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By Fran Kritz, Apr 7, 2023

If your usual medication is unavailable, ask your prescriber about the availability of smaller doses, or if larger doses can be divided into smaller ones, such as splitting a 10-milligram tablet into to 5-milligram ones, says Alex Dimitriu, MD, a psychiatrist in private practice in Menlo Park, California, who prescribes stimulants for some of his patients with ADHD, and a medical reviewer for Everyday Health. There may also be an extended-release version of certain medications such as Adderall XR, which may work for you, Dr. Dimitriu adds. They don’t need to be taken as frequently as other ADHD medications. If you find yourself responding differently to an alternate medication dose — or if you notice new or worsening side effects — talk to your doctor, says Dimitriu.

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April 4, 2023 Dr. Dimitriu was published in Psychology Today in an article titled:

Sleep Medications for Insomnia: Limitations and Alternatives

A study published recently (January 2023) in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease is the latest confirmation of prior scientific warnings about a potential association between certain prescribed sleeping aids, including benzodiazepines, “Z-hypnotic drugs,” and trazodone, and a significant risk of developing dementia—as high as 79 percent in Caucasian adults, ages 71-77. Additional research suggests these medications also are linked to other adverse effects, namely increased risk of falls and resulting fractures, memory loss, and confusion among older adults and safety concerns. An article appearing in a 2019 issue of Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience contends that commonly prescribed benzodiazepines for anxiety and sleep suppress the central nervous system and the brain’s awake response to danger, causing some study participants to sleep through loud fire alarms.

But if left untreated, disordered sleep, which involves difficulties falling asleep or remaining asleep during a seven- or eight-hour period, poses problems that can be as disconcerting as the effects of the drugs used to treat it. In Nature and Science of Sleep, for example, scientists indicate short-term consequences of insomnia include increased response to stress, emotional and mood disorders, and cognitive, memory, and performance deficits.

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By Patty Onderko, Apr 3, 2023

Once underlying health conditions are either ruled out or managed, your doctor may suggest cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-i) as your first sleep “aid.” “CBT-i is the gold standard treatment for insomnia,” says Alex Dimitriu, M.D., a sleep medicine specialist and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine in Menlo Park, CA. This therapy includes sleep education, stimulus control, sleep restriction, and relaxation training, explains Dr. Dimitriu. “The harder you try to fall asleep, the worse sleeplessness becomes,” he says, “so the goal of CBT-i is to make the bed a place of relaxation, associated with sleep.”

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By Nina Chamlou, Mar 30, 2023

“The primary causes of sleep apnea are typically related to physical [conditions], such as obesity or [a] blockage of the airway,” says Alex Dimitriu, M.D., who is double board-certified in psychiatry and sleep medicine and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine. “Essentially it’s a problem with the air intake and when people fall asleep, the walls [of the throat] relax and get floppy, which can result in blockage.”

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By Hannah Yasharoff, Mar 25, 2023

There are also certain people who are at-risk for a negative experience, even with the proper setting and dosage. Dr. Alex Dimitriu, who specializes in psychiatry and sleep medicine, previously told USA TODAY that anyone with any personal or family history of schizophrenia should steer clear of these substances.

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By David Rossiaky, Mar 3, 2023

Dr. Alex Dimitriu, double board-certified in psychiatry and sleep medicine and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine in California, noted that an individual’s discipline and impulse control are a factor, too. “It could well be that the people that have the discipline to get good sleep also have the discipline to stick to a weight loss program. It is a virtuous cycle where the discipline helps sleep and, in turn, sleep helps discipline (and weight loss),” Dimitriu told Healthline.

Click HERE for the full article.