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What to Know About Sexsomnia, a Rare Sleep Disorder Where You Have Sex in Your Sleep

By Morgan Mandriota, August 19, 2019 What triggers sexsomnia? Basically anything that disrupts a normal, healthy sleep pattern—such as drinking alcohol or consuming caffeine too close to bedtime. Maintaining an irregular sleep schedule or not getting enough sleep can led to sexsomnia as well, Alex Dimitriu, MD, who is double board-certified in psychiatry and sleep medicine […]

How to Recover From a Nightmare

By Elizabeth Yuko, August 15, 2019 In fact, it’s that “realness” of dreams that causes us to continue to experience feelings from the dream—whether that’s joy, sadness, fear or anxiety—upon waking. “There is some theory that we process emotions and feelings in dreams, and in some cases if the emotions are too strong, we wake […]

IS IT DANGEROUS TO WAKE A SLEEPWALKER? (AND OTHER TIPS TO HELP THE SOMNAMBULANT PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE)

By Erin Magner, AUGUST 12, 2019 But why do people sleepwalk, anyway? Sleep medicine specialist Alex Dimitriu, MD, says it falls under the category of “parasomnia”—essentially, a glitch in a person’s sleep cycle. “These states occur when something disturbs our normal sleep depth,” says Dr. Dimitriu. “When this happens, the person awakens partially, in between sleep and wake.” […]

Will a Weighted Blanket Improve Your Sleep? Experts weigh in on the heavy covers.

by Emma Stessman, August 2019 The problem is, weighted blankets are often made with plastic pellets or glass beads, and all that extra weight can make things hot. “The body’s ability to cool off naturally at night allows us to enter deeper, more refreshing sleep,” says Alex Dimitriu, MD, a psychiatrist and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry […]

Treating Insomnia Outside the (Black) Box

Elaine K. Howley, July 29, 2019 Although nonmedical interventions have long been at the top of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) recommendations, at least one expert hopes the warnings will encourage practitioners to consider alternatives to the commonly prescribed sedative-hypnotic drugs. “Oftentimes, the hypnotic ‘Z’ drugs, such as zolpidem, are a Band-Aid or cosmetic fix […]

Am I Depressed or Just Exhausted?

July 23, 2019, by Risa Kerslake “Sleep is the tip of the iceberg for our mind’s state,” Dimitriu explains. “People find it much easier to notice sleep is off because it is objective, thus it truly opens the door to investigating if something else is wrong.” Click HERE for the full article.

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