In this week’s episode of Routes of Healing, Dr. Siri Chand Khalsa sits down with Dr. Nishi Bhopal, a triple–board-certified psychiatrist, sleep medicine physician, and integrative holistic medicine doctor who has become a leading voice in translating sleep science into accessible, actionable tools for clinicians and patients.

Together, they explore the winding journey that brought Dr. Bhopal from family expectations in medicine to psychiatry, from burnout to yoga and Ayurveda, from clinical curiosity to entrepreneurial leadership in sleep health education.

This conversation moves through identity, cultural expectations, circadian rhythm biology, women’s sleep health, long COVID, integrative approaches to insomnia, and the gaps in medical training that leave most clinicians unequipped to treat one of the most universal human experiences: sleep.

Whether you're a practitioner wanting a deeper understanding of circadian medicine, a clinician exploring integrative training, a patient navigating insomnia, or a healer attempting to reclaim your own rhythms in a fast-paced world, this episode offers compassionate, evidence-informed insight.

If you're inspired by our exploration on Routes of Healing, a physician-led podcast uplifting the wisdom and lived experience of integrative & lifestyle medicine doctors, subscribe to receive new episodes weekly.

• The origin story: How family expectations influenced Dr. Bhopal’s entry into medicine, and how curiosity, not certainty, ultimately guided her path.
• From Internal Medicine to Psychiatry: Seeking deeper human connection and more time to understand patients.
• Ayurveda, yoga, and meditation as turning points during residency and antidotes for burnout.
• Sleep Medicine: Why circadian rhythms matter more than we teach, and how modern sleep training overlooks essential foundations.
• Insomnia isn’t always insomnia: Many patients are treated for the wrong problem.
• Women’s sleep health: Why women are dismissed, underdiagnosed, and mismanaged within traditional models.
• Personalizing care: No one-size-fits-all approach—sleep timing, fasting, activity, and routines must fit the individual.
• Long COVID: How persistent sleep architecture disruptions present distinct clinical challenges.
• Entrepreneurship & medicine: The creation of IntraBalance, clinician education, YouTube content, and online sleep courses.
• CSH Framework (a practical model for unpacking insomnia)
• Circadian rhythm
• Sleep drive
• Hyperarousal
• Clinical training gaps: Most physicians receive 2–4 hours of sleep education in medical school.
• Creative practice-building: The courage to pivot, niche, and design programs that match your strengths.
• Self-discovery in medicine: Noticing what brings joy and letting your practice evolve accordingly.

00:00 — Introduction and Connection

00:58 — Technical Difficulties and Adjustments

01:09 — Healing Journeys & Integrative Roots

03:56 — Family Influence and the Medical Path

07:15 — Navigating Family Expectations

10:37 — Cultural Context and Choosing Medicine

11:56 — Medical Training: Canada vs. Ireland vs. U.S.

14:46 — The Art of Listening and Clinical Diagnosis

16:33 — Yoga, Ayurveda & Personal Awakening

19:16 — Integrative Medicine Philosophy

20:58 — Dr. Bhopal’s Current Practice & Approach

26:22 — Circadian Rhythms in Healing

28:21 — Body Clocks, Misalignment & Sleep...