Apnea Health Gives Back to the Community

Caring about the health of the community

At Apnea Health we believe in giving back, especially in giving back close to home. Our everyday focus is on helping patients find better health through better sleep, and just like we care about the health of our patients, we care about the health of our communities.

Medical professional speaking to a patient remotely

A new way of giving, born from adversity

The rise of the pandemic in 2020 brought huge challenges to people and businesses around the world, as everyone sought new ways to live and work safely.

Apnea Health was no exception.

We found ways to have safer interactions at our clinics, and expanded into telemedicine to help patients without direct contact. We also created a new online boutique to let patients easily and safely order the equipment they need from the comfort of their own homes.

While we found a new rhythm, we were aware of those more adversely impacted by COVID-19. Our online boutique allowed us the power and flexibility to donate a percentage of sales directly to charities of our choice, so our new way of giving was born!

Now we can all sleep a little better, knowing we’re doing our part to give back.

So far, we've donated over $2000 to support organizations that help our great communities

Chez Doris

A day shelter for women in the west end of Montreal, Chez Doris ensures “that every woman that walks through our doors feels safe, respected and welcomed.” With a spike in demand, Chez Doris switched to staying open 24/7 at the beginning of December 2020, providing beds for homeless women during the cold winter months.

For two weeks over the holidays, we dedicated $2 for every mask sold to Chez Doris.

Chez Doris logo

Centre de jeunesse de Montréal

A terrible side effect of the stresses of the pandemic has been an increase in family violence. With deaths of children due to abuse in the recent headlines, we were moved to support this organization because they work with kids who are most at risk.

$2 from every mask sold leading up to “Giving Tuesday” went to the CJM.

Fondation CJM logo

The Royal Canadian Legion Poppy Fund

With COVID-19 spreading, and with seniors more at risk, the volunteers who normally collect donations for Remembrance Day Poppies were unable to appear in public this year. That made fundraising much harder, while the need remained the same.

For our very first foray into donating a portion of online sales, we chose the period leading up to Remembrance Day and gave $2 for every mask sold to the Poppy Fund  (with a direct supplement from Apnea Health as well).

Canadian Legion Poppy Fund

YMCA of Quebec

This year, to support the YMCA and the health of our staff, we’re paying for all virtual exercise classes our staff take. We’ve also donated $1000 directly to the YMCA Foundation to support them where their need is greatest.

YMCA Quebec logo

YMCA Challenge 2021

From June 1st to the 22nd, the Apnea Health team got physically active to raise money for disadvantaged children to go to camp.

Thanks to all our friends, family and patients who helped us raise $910 for the Montreal YMCA summer camp. Apnea Health matched the donations and raised them to meet its goal of $2000.

ymca challenge sq en

Canadian Sleep Society

On March 21st 2021, the Apnea Health team had a great time walking 5km to raise awareness for sleep health. We donated $100 for each kilometre we completed, so in the end, $500 was given to the Canadian Sleep Society!

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Ukrainian Red Cross

Apnea Health wanted to provide direct financial assistance to the humanitarian organizations on the ground during the war in Ukraine.

So from March 25th to April 3rd 2022, we donated 10% from all our online sales. In the end, we were able to raise over $1200 for the Ukrainian Red Cross.

ukrainian red cross en

SPCA Roussillon

From April 22th to May 2nd 2023, we donated 5% of our online revenue to SPCA Roussillon to support the shelter’s efforts to care for cats and kittens during the busy kitten season. We are proud to have been able to contribute over $2300 to the SPCA’s mission and hope that our donation inspires others to do the same.

SPCA roussillon logo

Montreal SPCA

From July 4th to 19th 2024, we donated 5% of our online revenue to the Montreal SPCA to support the shelter’s efforts to care for animals during the summer. We are proud to have been able to contribute over $4000 to the SPCA’s mission and hope that our donation inspires others to do the same.

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Happy World Sleep Day!

It’s World Sleep Day, and we’re here to celebrate!

In case you slept through it, World Sleep Day has been held on the Friday before the spring equinox every year since 2008 and is marked by events around the globe in the name of boosting awareness of just how important good sleep is for a long, healthy, and happy life.

The World Sleep Society

Now that sounds like a society I can get behind! It isn’t some nefarious secret organization à la James Bond villain or comic book movie, but rather a group of health professionals in the field of sleep medicine, therapy and research who want to bring sleep issues into the daylight.

The annual event is all about getting people together and focusing on quality sleep, and what gets in the way of it. Whether you suffer from Obstructive sleep apnea, Restless legs syndrome, insomnia or any other condition that robs you of sleep, or you have a high-stress or busy lifestyle and poor sleep habits, bad nights inevitably lead to bad days.

World sleep society- advancing sleep health worldwide

Adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night to operate at their best.

Short-changed sleep, even by as little as an hour, can negatively impact mood and alertness. Not only can it make you grumpy and unfocused, it can make you a danger behind the wheel – sleeplessness has been proven as dangerous as alcohol impairment while driving. And if you suffer from chronic sleep loss, you’ll be at risk of other serious issues: everything from memory loss to heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and ultimately a shorter life span.

So what’s the trick to avoiding all that? Celebrate sleep! Deep sleep is when your body repairs itself from all the stresses and strains, injuries and infections that life throws at us, so World Sleep Day is a great time to look at our own sleep and see how we can do better.

man sleeping peacefully in bed

How to celebrate World Sleep Day

  1. Take a nap!

    Go ahead – take a nap. At work. With your boss watching. Tell them we said it was okay.

    Alright, perhaps not all employers are quite there in our society, but the Spanish seem to be on to something with their siestas. Sleeping on the job usually comes with the risk of imminent unemployment in North America, but if you can carve out a little window in your off-work hours, your body will thank you for it with more energy and alertness for the rest of the day.

    Just make sure to keep the nap short – a little kip of 5 to 45 minutes can give you a boost, but a longer sleep during the day can throw off your circadian rhythms and make it harder to sleep at night.

  2. The first rule of sleep day is to talk about sleep day

    You might feel like you’re the only one fighting exhaustion, or like you’ll be judged for complaining about it. But one in four Canadians is at high risk for having sleep apnea, and that’s just one condition that can steal sleep from you, so chances are you aren’t alone.

    Friends and family can share tips and experiences and help each other find the way to better sleep and a fuller life. It’s all about prioritizing sleep because there are too many downsides to ignoring the problem, and the more you can talk about it and share what you’re going through, the greater your chances of doing what it takes to get your sleep on track.

  3. Pay attention to your hygiene

    That isn’t an attack on your personal grooming! Sleep hygiene means embracing habits that set the stage for the best sleep. We all fall into bad patterns from time to time, but World Sleep Day is a good reminder that excellent sleep can take some nurturing to achieve, and there are easy steps you can take to help that happen.

    Why not mark the occasion by starting a sleep journal? Start tracking your sleep habits – time to bed, number of hours slept, how tired you feel during the day, that sort of thing – and after a week or two you’ll have a good idea of how some of the habits you maybe don’t think about are affecting your daily life.

completed checklist

Some useful tips for improving sleep hygiene include:

  • Keep bedtime and wake up time on a regular schedule as much as possible, and aim for those times to include around 8 hours of uninterrupted rest. The more stable your routine, the easier it will be to fall asleep and stay asleep during those hours
  • Ditch the screens (TV, computer or phone) at least half an hour before bed to allow your mind to slow down – and turn off notifications so they don’t draw you back in
  • Lay off caffeine in the afternoon – that stuff stays in your system for up to ten hours. Same goes for super rich fatty foods and sugar; all will interfere with a good night’s sleep
  • Ease off alcohol well before bedtime if you’re indulging in an evening tipple – while you may feel like a drink before bed helps you fall asleep faster, it actually interferes with good sleep
  • Make your bedroom a sanctuary of sleep. Keep it tidy to remove stress, and ease yourself into night mode with some dimly-lit quiet time – reading, meditating or taking a bath – whatever helps you relax and shed the day so your mind and body know it’s time for some well-earned restorative rest.

girl sleeping in dark room

Get professional help

If you’re following those tips and you still find you’re not sleeping well enough, don’t throw in the towel. It isn’t an unsolvable mystery, but it probably means it’s time to speak with a professional to see if there’s an underlying issue that’s getting in the way.

If you suspect you might have sleep apnea, or some other condition that’s interrupting your sleep, talk to your doctor or book a free consultation with the sleep experts at Apnée Santé for help getting your sleep back on track.

clinic coordinator for pointe-claire

Go to sleep and wake up happy

World Sleep Day is all about celebrating good sleep and recognizing the critical role it plays in everyone’s physical and mental health, happiness and safety. So take the time this World Sleep Day to look at your own sleep habits, then do what it takes to wake up healthy, refreshed, and ready to take on the day!

Woman stretching after waking up

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Important Recall from Philips Respironics

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Philips Respironics has issued a voluntary recall notice for the Dreamstation 1, SystemOne and Remstar CPAP devices

On June 14th 2021, Philips Respironics issued a global recall notification for some of its CPAPs, BilLevel PAPs and ventilators “out of an abundance of caution” due to possible health risks associated with sound-proofing foam in the machines. Rest assured that Philips has issued this recall voluntarily, and the complaint rate for affected devices is only 0.03%.

At Apnea Health, every effort is being made to find ways to assist and support you. Your health is our number one priority. We’re monitoring the situation very closely, and updating our customers via this blog, our newsletter, Facebook Live videos and by snail mail.

By registering your device on Philips’ recall website, you’ll be given priority in any actions Philips takes and you’ll be provided with all the necessary information.

What you need to know about this recall and how you might be impacted:

What happened?

On June 14th 2021, Philips Respironics issued a global recall for some of its CPAP and BPAP devices “out of an abundance of caution” due to possible health risks associated with sound-proofing foam in the machines. Although there’s a low complaint rate (0.03% in 2020), Philips is initiating a voluntary recall to ensure patient safety.

The recall is associated with foam that’s used to make the devices quieter. According to Philips, the foam “may degrade into particles which may enter the device’s air pathway and be ingested or inhaled by the user, and the foam may off-gas certain chemicals” that may be toxic and can irritate airways, cause headaches and possibly carry cancer risks.

They also say the foam degradation may be exacerbated by the use of ozone cleaners, and high heat and high humidity environments.

CPAP News

We’re here to help

Since the news broke of the Philips CPAP recall, many customers have let us know they’re frustrated and concerned, and we completely understand. Apnea Health, true to its service commitment, has mobilized to answer your calls, emails and chats. We’re also keeping you updated on this page and by Facebook Live and YouTube.

We recognize the importance of continuing your treatment without interruption. Even with the current CPAP shortage, we’re doing our best to offer solutions to offset the inconvenience of the Philips recall and allow you to continue your treatment.

Your health is our number one priority.

doctor talking to a patient

What devices are affected?

Machine Type: CPAP + BPAP

Machine Series:

  • SystemOne (Q-Series)
  • DreamStation
  • DreamStation Go
  • REMstar SE Auto

Please note the recently launched DreamStation 2 is not affected by the issue.

Recalled machines: Dreamstation go, SystemOne and Dreamstation 1 CPAP machine

What devices are NOT affected?

This recall does NOT affect the DreamStation 2, Resmed AirSense 10 or the Fisher & Paykel SleepStyle.

Apnea Health is aware that some patients will want to replace their Philips device with another manufacturer’s device rather than wait for Philips’ replacement or repair procedure to be implemented.

Please note that delays are to be expected, given that some of the replacement devices are currently out of stock. You can pre-order our low-cost CPAP options in our online boutique or you can register to receive a notification when your item is restocked.

Machine Type: CPAP + BPAP

Machine Series:

  • Airsense 10 (for Him and for Her)
  • DreamStation 2
  • SleepStyle

Devices unaffected by the Philips recall: Airsense 10 for him, Airsense 10 for her, Dreamstation 2, SleepStyle

How to determine if your device is recalled

Using your device’s serial number, you can verify if your device is affected and then register your machine to be repaired or replaced. By registering with Philips, you’ll receive information directly from the manufacturer at the same time we do.

You can find the serial number on the bottom or the back of your machine depending on the model you have.

Philips Respironics Serial Number

Will the devices be repaired or replaced? How long will it take?

Presently, Philips hasn’t indicated if the CPAP will be refurbished by replacing the sound dampening foam or if they’ll replace the machine altogether. Our Philips representative believes DreamStation Pro devices will be replaced, while older CPAP models will probably be refurbished. Philips plans to address all affected devices as quickly as possible, but because of the number of affected units worldwide, it’s likely to take at least a year.

At Apnea Health, we’re providing Philips with all the information they need to replace our patients’ CPAPs, but we strongly recommend that you also register your device directly with Philips to hasten a resolution.

Dreamstation with repair tools

What’s the advice for patients?

The relevant medical associations for respiratory diseases, along with health authorities around the world, recommend continuing treatment and consulting your physician.

While waiting to speak with your sleep specialist, we encourage you to consult the recommendations of the American Thoracic Society (ATS):

For patients on Bi-level PAP and CPAP devices who have severe breathing difficulties, or were very sleepy during the daytime before treatment, have significant pulmonary, cardiovascular or neurologic comorbidity, or who work in safety-critical positions (e.g. professional drivers, pilots, heavy equipment operators), we would recommend that they not stop their prescribed therapy until first discussing with their physician.

Do not panic! If you’re using a DreamStation and you haven’t been consistently cleaning it with an ozone cleaner, the problematic foam in your device will not have degraded and therefore, the risk of skin irritation, eye irritation, headaches and asthma is very low.

If you have an alternative CPAP, by all means use it. If you find bits of black foam in your hose, water chamber or mask, we recommend you stop using your Philips Respironics device immediately.

Male doctor with stethoscope

What’s Apnea Health doing about this recall?

Since hearing the news, we’ve been in daily communication with Philips Respironics to understand what aid we can provide our patients.

We’ve completed all steps currently available with Philips to help our patients move forward in the process.

We’re standing by, ready to help Philips Respironics technologically or logistically to speed getting help to our customers. As new information and options become available, we’ll adapt our operations accordingly.

We’ve notified all our customers affected by the recall through email, newsletter, and on social media. Those we can’t reach by digital means will receive a snail mail notice.

Each day, more information becomes available. We’ll continue daily checks with the Philips Respironics team to ensure we’re doing everything possible to help our customers through this recall.

As we learn more, we’ll update our customers via email, and inform the CPAP community at large using this blog.

Apnea health employee with patient

Global CPAP shortage

With the recent recall of Respironics units, the CPAP world has temporarily lost a major CPAP supplier. The DreamStation is no longer being produced, and the new DreamStation 2 is already set to pre-order due to demand.

This has put a lot of pressure on CPAP manufacturers like Resmed and Fisher & Paykel. These competitors are having trouble meeting demand for CPAP machines and they’ve stopped accepting new orders. Consequently, across North America, we are experiencing a CPAP shortage without a definite end.

Even so, we want to let you know that we still have stock of our most popular machines, including the AirSense 10, the AirMini Travel CPAP and the SleepStyle from F&P, and we’re reserving these CPAPs for our in-clinic patients in Greater Montreal.

Please note that CPAP masks, accessories and replacement parts have NOT been affected by the CPAP shortage.

Airsense 10 cpap machine

Can I buy or rent a CPAP presently?

As of August 2022, we now have machines available for rent (within our clinics) and for sale (online and in-clinic).

Respiratory therapist speaking to patient about their CPAP treatment

Watch our Facebook Live videos on the recall

Watch our Facebook LIVE broadcast with Kim and Khaoula as they discuss the recall:

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