Nigeria’s bedding industry detoxifying sleep

The indigenous bedding industry continues to bud despite its growth being hampered by the ailing textile sector and stiff competition from imports.

As customer figures continue to surge, buoyed by the rural to urban drift, the good news is that there is a noticeable trot by serious investors to ramp up efforts in research, that will boost quality and health standards of locally produced bed linens.

A few years back, Nigeria’s Bedding Industry began and ended at Yaba Market where loads of toxic bedding materials are tailored and pushed into the retail space. One would expect that since we spend one-third of our lives in bed and our skins and lungs absorb substances while we are asleep, a little bit more attention would be paid to the kind of bedding one uses.

Cotton, which is the main component in sheets, is one of the dirtiest crops. It is sprayed with large amounts of pesticides and herbicides during its cultivation and residue of these chemicals remain in finished textile products. Synthetic fabrics aren’t any better. They often contain plastics and other chemicals and these plastic chemicals can be absorbed by the skin during sleep. Many sheets are also treated with chemicals to make them flame retardant, stain resistant or water resistant, and a person can breathe in the vapors from these chemicals.

Ewaen Sorae, CEO & Founder of E’Sorae Luxury Group, in a chat with Ripples Nigeria on the effects of these harmful beddings, informed that Cotton, which is the main component in sheets, is one of the dirtiest crops. It is sprayed with large amounts of pesticides and herbicides during its cultivation, and residue of these chemicals remain in finished textile products.

“Synthetic fabrics aren’t any better. They often contain plastics and other chemicals and the skin can absorb these plastic chemicals during sleep. Many sheets are also treated with chemicals to make them flame retardant, stain resistant or water resistant, and a person can breathe in the vapors from these chemicals”.

Hence, this begs the question: what kind of sheets should one use and where can they be found? Unfortunately, in Nigeria, it is difficult to acquire a non-toxic bedding without a lot of searching and expense.

Sorae stated that, “organic bedding do not always cost an arm and a leg. Most conventional bedding contains many contaminants such as fire-retardant chemicals, Formaldehyde, Boric acid, Toxic dyes, Bleaches, Pesticides, and herbicides. These contaminants are harmful to the body in the long run. It’s also a good idea to avoid synthetic materials. Natural fibers allow for changes in body temperature, because they do not reflect heat and because they can absorb moisture”.

This, he insists, is the reason he began making sheets that are free of toxic materials. And because sleep is one of the most important factors in health, and simply getting more high-quality sleep can often help hormone problems, immune problems and much more.

Ewaen believed that optimising the area where one sleeps can have dramatic results for overall health, particularly on the middle and low-income earners.

“E’sorae Luxury has provided bed sheets, bathrobes, towels and bath footwear for Nigerians in pretty much every state in the country. And what’s better is that the products are affordable so everyone can live like a king”, he said.