Mouka Limited, Nigeria’s leading foam manufacturers and Mouka brand has joined the rest of the world in marking the 2020 World Sleep Day celebration.

This year’s World Sleep Day (WSD) celebration, which is in its 13th edition, is in furtherance of the global campaign to encourage good sleep, which is very important to healthy living.

According to the Chief Executive Officer of Mouka, Raymond Murphy, who repeatedly advocated for the importance of a good sleep said that the need can’t be over emphasised.

“The common knowledge that denying ourselves sleep over a long time makes us feel terrible.

“According to sleep experts and scientists, it is more difficult to commit to memory few information after a night of inadequate or disturbed sleep. Statistics have shown that there is a link between adequate sleep and concentration.

“Undoubtedly, adequate and quality sleep is crucial to the maintenance or optimum health and wellbeing.

“At Mouka, we take delight in propagating quality healthy sleeping culture,” Raymond said.

With over 1000 Mouka branded outlets across the country where one can find all of Mouka’s quality products offerings, an addition to the marketing activities to consumer education the company undertakes in Nigeria.

“It is with this reputation that we join the World Sleep Society in raising awareness in Africa’s most populous nation about sleep disorder to reduce the burden of sleep problems,” the Mouka boss concluded.

On her own part, the vice president of the Nigeria Society of Physiotherapy, Dr. Nnena Chigbo, explained that anytime one closes eyes and drift away, there are certain stages that occur in the body.

“The first stage is general paralysis of your muscles; you wouldnt be able to move. Then after which you begin to drift into less active stage.

“When you don’t have enough sleep, you develop sleep disorder. And in most cases of sleep disorder, there is need to consult a professional which we often take for granted,” Dr. Chigbo said.

She therefore encourage Nigerians to ensure they have a good sleep while listing out the benefits therein.

“Quality sleep happens between 7 and 9hours, which is a luxury in a busy world like ours. I would encourage to make conscious effort to always have 7hours of sleep. Good sleep reduces road transport accidents.”

Dr. Chigbo advised that it is good to have a dedicated time body is shut down and awakened.

On his part, the representative of Nigeria Association of Orthopedic Manual Therapists (NAOMT), Dr Ayodele Onigbinde, affirmed that Mouka’s unique products, with reference to orthopaedic mattresses,are the ultimate answer to good quality sleep.

He said it helps to minimise body pressure and designed to offer a firmer sleep surface, adding that it also ensures correct spinal alignment that helps alleviate stress on the spine and reduce back pain. The seasoned therapist also hinted that these mattresses also aid in the adoption of the correct posture for sleep, promoting healthier blood circulation throughout the night.

Onigbinde who is also an Associate professor of Orthopaedic Physiotherapy stated that the company’s semi and full orthopaedic mattresses are specifically designed to offer excellent support and comfort.

He pointed out that they offer optimum push-back for the perfect sleeping position, reduce tossing and turning to wake up, feeling refreshed; and spreads body weight to prevent the build-up of pressure points, particularly in the neck, back and hips.

Conceptualised in March 2008, World Sleep Day is an annual event organised by the World Sleep Day Committee of World Sleep Society, formerly known as the World Association of Sleep Medicine (WASM).

The World Sleep Day is aimed at celebrating the benefits of good and healthy sleep and to draw society’s attention to the burden of sleep problems and their medicine, education and social aspects as well as to promote the prevention and management of sleep disorders.

Sleep disorders include insomnia, a condition that makes it difficult to sleep at bedtime or stay awake all through the night; sleep apnea, a disorder that indicates abnormal breathing patterns while sleeping; narcolepsy, a sleep disorder that typifies falling asleep suddenly as well as extreme sleepiness during the day; and Restless Legs Syndrome, a sleep disorder that causes an uncomfortable sensation and an urge to move the legs while trying to fall asleep.

These disorders are all tied to the two key components of sleep which are sleep duration and sleep quality, both of which relate to the length of sleep and degree of interruptions during sleep. Both components may affect mental sharpness, physical vitality, emotional balance and productivity.

Sleep deprivation (or poor quality sleep) is known to have a significant negative impact on health, in the short and long terms. Poor sleep has been associated with obesity, diabetes, weakened immune systems and cancer.

While Nigeria is yet to have facts and figures on the financial implications of sleep disorders, the global epidemic costs the United States over $400billion a year with Japan losing $138billion, Germany $60billion, the United Kingdom $50billion, and Canada $21billion.

Scientific findings have also shown that sleep is the ultimate performance enhancer. This forms the fulcrum of Mouka’s celebration of World Sleep Day.

Mouka Foam, which boasts as the Nigeria most preferred mattress, has different mattress variants for different body types, comfort levels and budgets without compromising on quality and choice.

The event attracted the presence of participants comprising Sola Sobowale, Nigeria’s leading actress, representatives of Nigeria Association of Orthopedic Manual Therapists (NAOMT), Nigeria Society of Physiotherapists (NSP) and allied professional bodies including media practitioners.

The Mouka brand marked the annual event with the slogan, ‘Better Sleep, Better Life, Better Plan’.

See photos below.