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07/01/2026

Diana points out how we, as a society, view sleep issues: not as serious or detrimental to our health, but as something we should ignore and manage on our own.

She shared the changes needed from her experience with PAP recall:

1- Improve patient education on PAP device use and sleep apnea through apps, YouTube videos, or comprehensive documents, as doctors do not have enough time to explain these details.

2- Establish clear communication pathways between manufacturers, healthcare providers, patients, and regulatory agencies. We need to be better prepared for the future PAP device recalls.

3- Increase public awareness of sleep health & disorders.

4- Strengthen patient-centred partnerships in research and care. Patients and healthcare professionals should work as a team, as they bring complementary expertise. Diana finds value in being a patient partner to the Canadian sleep apnea researchers. “I give my perspective on policy and designing a research question.”

5- Improve equity and timely access to sleep care. “It’s like you really need to beg and cry your eyes out to have something for your health, you know?” said Diana while describing her sister’s experience to receive sleep-related care.

6- Improve early detection of sleep apnea.

Read her story here: https://shareyoursleepstory.ca/breathing-through-uncertainty-dianas-sleep-apnea-story-of-the-global-pap-device-recall/

Canadian Sleep Society
The Neuro
McGill University

06/25/2026

“When a nurse doesn’t give the right medication to the patient, her responsibility is to tell the patient, to evaluate the patient, the doctor needs to know, and the papers have to be signed. Philips doesn’t do that! How does it make sense?”

In this month’s story, Diana, who suffers from severe sleep apnea, shared her frustrations with Philips during the 2021 PAP recall, one of the largest medical device recalls in history.

Lack of communication and lack of accountability from the company were the biggest issues.

She says the PAP story has not finished yet!

Read her full story here: https://shareyoursleepstory.ca/breathing-through-uncertainty-dianas-sleep-apnea-story-of-the-global-pap-device-recall/

Canadian Sleep Society
The Neuro
McGill University

06/19/2026

How did the recall of an estimated 15 million Philips PAP devices worldwide, affecting patients with sleep apnea, health system leaders, and physicians, remain unknown outside the sleep community?

Diana, who is affected by PAP recall, rightfully asked, “Why wasn’t Phillips all over the news despite being a universal problem with huge consequences for patients?”

Diana’s story highlights the lack of clear communication and preparedness during the PAP recall. She asks Philips many questions and shares her experience through the recall and her role as a patient partner.

Read her full story here: https://shareyoursleepstory.ca/breathing-through-uncertainty-dianas-sleep-apnea-story-of-the-global-pap-device-recall/

Canadian Sleep Society
The Neuro
McGill University

06/03/2026

Sleep affects every aspect of one’s life and should be treated as such! Shadab shared important policy changes to better support sleep health.

🩺Sleep education for healthcare providers: Shadab’s experience with healthcare in Canada shows how timely, appropriate, and affordable access to sleep health treatments can meaningfully change people’s lives. This was possible because the first doctor Shadab saw was receptive to Shadab’s complaints and timely referred him to the sleep clinic.

🌎 BC’s healthcare model as a pioneer for sleep and healthcare issues: “In Vancouver, you see many sleep clinics in almost every locality,” said Shadab.

The system in BC allows students to access provincial coverage via the BC Medical Services Plan (MSP) after 3 months, simplifying paperwork and minimizing “out-of-network” issues.

Further, BC has expanded access to home sleep apnea test (HSAT), allowing equipment to be mailed to patients in rural and remote areas with instructions provided virtually.

📢 Raising awareness around sleep issues: Shabad advocates for improving self-awareness around OSA. Many people don’t take the first signs and symptoms of sleep issues seriously.

Remote access to home sleep apnea testing : https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/practitioner-professional-resources/diagnostic-services/polysomnography/home-sleep-apnea-testing/remote-access-to-home-sleep-apnea-testing

👀 Read full story here: https://shareyoursleepstory.ca/from-helplessness-to-control-shadabs-journey-of-sleep-paralysis-and-sleep-apnea/

Sign up for our newsletter to receive a sleep story per month to your inbox: https://the-sleep-advocates.kit.com/00d8cb000e

Canadian Sleep Society
The Neuro
McGill University

05/27/2026

“It was a long discussion, probably an hour,” said Shadab while referring to his experience with the sleep doctor.

Seldom are the symptoms of people suffering from sleep disorders taken seriously, let alone having long, satisfactory consultation hours with doctors.

Shadab’s experience is in stark contrast to the stories we have covered previously. For example, Sofia describes trying to contact clinics for 6 months to do a sleep test, Emily waited 4 years for a diagnosis, and Rebecca waited 6 years. Further, Emily and Rebecca’s clinicians' reluctance delayed their diagnoses by years.

Shadab’s story highlights how policies that enable timely, appropriate, and affordable access to sleep treatments can meaningfully change people’s lives.

Read full story here:
https://shareyoursleepstory.ca/from-helplessness-to-control-shadabs-journey-of-sleep-paralysis-and-sleep-apnea/

Read Sofia's story : https://shareyoursleepstory.ca/its-narcolepsy-not-an-excuse-sofias-story-of-resilience/

Read Emily's story : https://shareyoursleepstory.ca/unconsensual-napping-emilys-experience-with-narcolepsy/

Read Rebecca's story : https://shareyoursleepstory.ca/rebeccas-story-of-living-with-narcolepsy-and-sleep-apnea/

Sign up for our newsletter to receive a sleep story per month to your inbox: https://the-sleep-advocates.kit.com/00d8cb000e

Canadian Sleep Society
The Neuro
McGill University
Respiratory Health Professional

05/20/2026

Since 2015, Shadab woke up paralyzed or gasping for air and sometimes it is both.

“That’s when it gets a little more panicky, where I’m trying to breathe and trying to calm myself down to [wake] up, but I’m not able to do that.”

Shadab’s story follows his journey of coping with sleep disorders as an immigrant student in BC, Canada, how BC’s sleep-related policies have affected him, and his growing advocacy for the importance of sleep and the need for systemic change.

Read full story here:
https://shareyoursleepstory.ca/from-helplessness-to-control-shadabs-journey-of-sleep-paralysis-and-sleep-apnea/

Sign up for our newsletter to receive a sleep story per month to your inbox: https://the-sleep-advocates.kit.com/00d8cb000e

Canadian Sleep Society
The Neuro
McGill University

04/24/2026

In a world which believes in ‘you snooze you lose’, Liza knows that losing sleep is torture. A sleep technologist by night and a mother of two by day, the two jobs took a toll on her sleep.

Reflecting on her time – sticking wires onto her patients’ heads and elastic belts around their chests – she noted that she became her own patient.

Read full story here: https://shareyoursleepstory.ca/helping-others-sleep-while-losing-my-own-a-sleep-technologists-experience/

Sign up for our newsletter to receive a sleep story per month to your inbox: https://the-sleep-advocates.kit.com/00d8cb000e

Canadian Sleep Society
The Neuro
Wake Up Narcolepsy

04/16/2026

“You are watching people sleep, and you are tired. I felt tortured, just wanting to do what they are doing,” said Liza, the sleep technologist.

Liza’s role is a crucial piece in her patients’ journey to finally understand the cause of their restless nights …often after years of waiting.

Helping others sleep was fulfilling until Liz began losing her own, feeling burnt out and having other health issues!

Liza’s story is about her experience of sleepless nights spent staring at patients’ sleep recordings, mornings caring for her babies, and achieving balance between her passion for her work and her well-being. She also shares powerful insights on access to sleep testing.

Read full story here: https://shareyoursleepstory.ca/helping-others-sleep-while-losing-my-own-a-sleep-technologists-experience/

Sign up for our newsletter to receive a sleep story per month to your inbox: https://the-sleep-advocates.kit.com/00d8cb000e

Canadian Sleep Society
Wake Up Narcolepsy

03/26/2026

Nathalie, dont vous pouvez lire l’histoire ici :
https://shareyoursleepstory.ca/le-sommeil-de-nathalie-affecte-par-une-rupture-amoureuse/ voit la pertinence de recueillir des histoires différentes, par exemple en spécifiant la durée, la qualité et la nature de la relation qui s’est terminée, si les partenaires partageaient le même lit, si la rupture était prévisible ou non et si elle était le fruit d’un commun accord pour voir si ces facteurs influencent les retombées sur la vie quotidienne, le contenu des rêves et le sommeil.

Envoyez-nous un mot pour signifier votre intérêt à raconter votre propre histoire de sommeil en français ou en anglais : [email protected]

Canadian Sleep Society
The Neuro
McGill University

03/19/2026

Les écoles devraient outiller les adolescents quant au deuil amoureux, qu’ils en aient déjà vécu un ou pas (alliant prévention et soutien) : « La perte est quelque chose qui survient dans chacune de nos vies, et elle n’opère pas nécessairement à partir d’un âge minimal. La vivre est une chose, la comprendre et la gérer, c’est autre chose ».

Pour lire d’autres pistes de solution proposées par Nathalie : https://shareyoursleepstory.ca/le-sommeil-de-nathalie-affecte-par-une-rupture-amoureuse/

Pour partager vos idées pour améliorer la recherche et les interventions à l’intersection du deuil et du sommeil💬envoyez-nous un mot en français ou en anglais : [email protected]

The Neuro
Canadian Sleep Society
McGill University

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Montreal, QC

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https://shareyoursleepstory.ca/

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