The benefits of having a good night’s sleep are endless, it revolves around emotional wellbeing, physical wellbeing, psychological wellbeing, among other things, however, experiencing a good night’s sleep requires some essential items which Nigerians do not hesitate to spend on.
These items include household assets that are prioritized when expenditure is concerned regardless of their living standards.
Data culled from the Nigeria Living Standards Survey and the Nigeria General Household Survey both by the National Bureau of Statistics reveal the top five items Nigerians use to achieve good sleep with charts that show how much of their household expenditure is committed to it.
Mattress
The use of mattresses tops the list for Nigerians with 99.1 percent of homes owning either a mattress, bed, or mat as a top household asset. The desire to sleep and wake up refreshed endeared the heart of users to brands that fulfil customer satisfaction by providing durable, affordable, and comfortable mattresses.
A report from Fortune Business Insights shows that the global mattress market size was valued at $30.36 billion in 2020 should reach $42.84 billion by 2028 growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.8 percent.
Supporting the use of mattress is bed sheets, bed covers, blankets, etc.
Pillow
Just like mattresses, pillows are also important in achieving a good night’s sleep. An article by Medical News Today (MNT) notes the use of either thin or regular-sized pillows to help ease the stress on the neck and keep it aligned, and reduce pressure on the lower back.
“Pillows are important because they keep the head aligned with the neck and backbone during sleep. If a person’s spine or neck is not in a neutral position, they may wake up during the night, causing sleep loss,” it states.
Air-Conditioner / Fan
Depending on the standard of living, Nigerians rely on the use of either fans or air conditioners to increase the chances of a cool and comfortable sleep especially when the weather is hot or humid.
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A room that is too hot or too cold can make it difficult for people to sleep well, cool room helps people get quality sleep and control bodily processes, it also prevents heat-related conditions, such as dehydration, heat stroke, and heat exhaustion,” MNT notes.
Mosquito Net
A mosquito net is a type of meshed curtain that is circumferentially draped over a bed or sleeping area, to offer protection against bites from mosquitos, flies, and other insects, and possible diseases they may carry.
A report by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) states that Malaria is a vector-borne disease that accounts for the largest global burdens of mortality and morbidity in the world’s poorest countries, with 97 percent of Nigerians at risk of the disease.
“Malaria is caused by Plasmodium and transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes. It kills about 881,000 people every year, 90 percent of whom are in Africa and 85 five of whom are children under five,” it states.
In a country where there are over different species of mosquitoes, the use of mosquito nets is essential to avoid contacting the malaria parasite which if not properly diagnosed and treated can lead to the loss of life among other health issues.
Hence in a country where healthcare is difficult to access, efforts are made to ensure fewer visits to the doctor such as the use of nets.
Diaper
Babies are not left out of the equation between good sleep and household expenditure which makes the use of diapers important.
Rachel Norman, a certified baby sleep consultant said the goal is for them to sleep as long as they can at night, which a comfortable diaper can help them with.
“Whether the diaper is too tight, too small, or too big, this all affects their sleep, in addition, diaper leaking affects baby’s sleep especially when a baby is sensitive to being wet which necessitates the use of good diapers,” she said.
