By Beth Ann Mayer, May 10, 2023

“Lack of slow-wave sleep, in this case, due to sleep interruption from sleep apnea, results in effectively, a mild form of brain damage, or at least aging, by about two years for every 10% loss of slow-wave sleep,” says Alex Dimitriu, MD, who is double board-certified psychiatry and sleep medicine and founded Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine. “This is consistent with the theory that the brain needs slow-wave sleep to clean itself up and prepare for the next day.”

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By Mili Godio, Updated May 4, 2023

“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,” says board-certified psychiatrist and sleep medicine specialist Dr. Alex Dimitriu. He noted that posture plays a big role in the discomfort we feel — and as anyone who has slept on a plane knows, “the head tends to fall off to the side or forward, which is both uncomfortable and can cause neck pain, and [can] even make breathing less efficient.”

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By Chantelle Pattemore, Apr 24, 2023

“There is a close relationship between sleep and cognitive performance,” said Dr. Alex Dimitriu, double board-certified in psychiatry and sleep medicine and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine. For instance, he told Healthline, “sleep deficit is associated with increased risks of cognitive decline, as well as more immediate next-day decline in cognitive ability.”

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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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By Camille Noe Pagán,  Apr 03, 2023

It can take a while to find a treatment plan that works. You may have to wait weeks or even months before it fully takes effect. Ask the doctor who treats your schizophrenia if they feel your plan is working and you’re ready. Besides medication, you’ll want to discuss lifestyle issues. “For example, if you spend the night at someone else’s house, do you have a plan for making sure you’re able to take your medication on schedule?” says Alex Dimitriu, MD, a psychiatrist and the founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine in California. You also need think about how the rest of your life is going. “Regularity is important if you have schizophrenia, and dating can disrupt that,” Dimitriu says. If you’re dealing with another big change, like a new job, location, or treatment plan, you may want to wait until you’re settled to try dating.

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By Sara Novak, Mar 30, 2023

According to Alex Dimitriu, a psychiatrist with Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine in Menlo Park, California, there’s a level of dread that goes along with starting the work week on Monday.  Accompanying that dread may be anxiety and delaying going to bed on Sunday. “It’s a sort of fear and loathing that builds up as the end of Sunday draws near,” says Dimitriu. The Sunday Scaries are really a level of performance anxiety that tends to take over, says Dimitriu, almost like the feeling that you get before giving a speech or taking a big exam. With it comes anticipation and a sense that you need to show up and do your best work.

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