Dr. Puja Thakkar, DO

Dr. Puja Thakkar is a Bay Area native, sleep medicine specialist, and Medical Director of Golden Gate Sleep Centers, where she leads a growing team dedicated to delivering exceptional patient care across Northern California.

Driven by a belief that healthcare should be rooted in compassion, accessibility, and meaningful patient relationships, Dr. Thakkar founded Golden Gate Sleep Centers with a vision of creating state-of-the-art facilities where patients receive not only advanced diagnostic and treatment options, but also the time and attention they deserve.

Dr. Thakkar completed her Internal Medicine training at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Fresno Center for Medical Education and Research and went on to pursue fellowship training in Sleep Medicine at the University of California, Davis. Following fellowship, she served United States veterans through the VA system in Sacramento/Mather, where she had the privilege of caring for those who served our country.

Under Dr. Thakkar’s leadership, Golden Gate Sleep Centers has grown into a multidisciplinary organization of more than 50 professionals with a shared mission: improving sleep, health, and quality of life for the communities they serve.

Dr. Thakkar believes sleep medicine sits at the center of some of healthcare’s greatest challenges—including cardiovascular health, mental health, obesity, longevity, and overall wellness. Her philosophy is simple: when people sleep better, they live better.

Known for her patient-centered approach, Dr. Thakkar values the physician-patient partnership and believes trust is one of the most important parts of healing. To better serve diverse communities, she speaks Gujarati, Hindi, and conversational Spanish.

Beyond medicine, Dr. Thakkar understands that health does not exist in isolation from life itself. Life can be complicated. Raising children can be challenging. Relationships require work. Caring for aging parents can be emotionally and physically demanding. The realities people face every day often become invisible burdens they carry into the exam room.

Having experienced many of life’s challenges firsthand, including navigating the realities of chronic illness, Dr. Thakkar brings not only medical expertise but also personal understanding to the care she provides. She believes these experiences have made her a more compassionate physician, a better listener, and ultimately better equipped to care for the people who place their trust in her.

In her free time, Dr. Thakkar enjoys traveling and creating memorable experiences. Though she loves making plans with her partner, she’ll admit that some of her favorite evenings are the ones that get canceled—replaced by a cheese board, comfortable clothes, and a quiet night at home.