Psychiatry and Sleep

The connection between mental health and sleep problems.

Alex Dimitriu M.D.

"I'm not anxious, I just don't sleep well"

Part 2: Anxiety comes in many different flavors, and it helps to think of it as a natural spectrum that can range from functional to mild to severe.

"I'm Too Anxious to Get Better"

Part 1: Living with anxiety is like driving a car through life without shock absorbers. Everything is a big deal.

Perfectionism and Anxiety

While perfectionism may be notoriously difficult to treat, anxiety and sleep problems can readily be addressed—offering perfectionists fewer things to worry about.

7 Hours of Sleep: The New Gold Standard?

How much sleep is needed each day for maximum performance and overall good health?

Stressed: Is It Them or Is It Me?

Psychologists agree that stress and anxiety are primary drivers of a person’s disordered mood and distorted sense of reality.

Existential Crisis: Grappling With the 'Monster' Within

An existential crisis occurs when questions of death and life’s meaning become so overwhelming that they prompt a personal conflict, resulting in stress and anxiety.

Groundhog Day: Getting Past Burnout in the Time of COVID

Coronavirus will pass. But the skills you learn now to help yourself get out of a rut can last you a lifetime.

Sleep, Mental Health, and a Viral Pandemic? It’s Complicated

Is the pandemic causing you sleep problems? You are not alone.

COVID-19: Tales of the "Good, the Bad and the Ugly"

Families are again cooking and eating dinner together, strolling through the neighborhood, playing board games and working puzzles in the evening.

Home Office Syndrome

"Home office syndrome" creates significant stress and uneasiness due to a blurring of boundaries between work and home life.

Sleep Sweeps Mind of "Monsters," Helps Fight Dementia

There is growing evidence of a relationship between lost, fragmented, and disordered sleep and incidence of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

The Erosive Power of ADHD: Tips for Adults

Adults with undiagnosed ADHD have endured years of disappointment and frustration.

New Research Shows How Sleep Clears Toxins from the Brain

When we go to sleep, our brains go to work, performing critical functions that affect cognition and memory.

Bipolar Disorder Has a Softer Side

Identifying bipolar disorder's "softer side" can be a challenge.

Is It Postpartum Depression or the “Baby Blues”?

Postpartum depression does not resolve on its own; it requires treatment by a medical professional and can have serious consequences if untreated.

Is It Bipolar Disorder or Borderline Personality Disorder?

Diagnosing psychiatric illness isn't easy. There's usually no lab test, physical indication, or quantitative measurement that can distinguish one illness from another.

Is “Ego Fatigue” Sabotaging Your Willpower?

Twenty years ago, a series of experiments demonstrated that impulse control is a finite resource that can be depleted.

Sleep and Memory: How They Work Together

New research indicates a poor night’s sleep negatively impacts brain function.

Night and Day: The Essential Role of Sleep Medicine

The effects of sleep on psychiatry cannot be understated.