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Bamboo sheets, pillows and even mattresses touted for eco-friendliness and comfort
Mattresses aren’t the only things to consider in the quest for a good night’s sleep. Bedding also can play a key role.
All things cotton, a very popular natural fiber, are traditional summer go-tos, but there’s buzz about bamboo joining the ranks as a popular choice for some “cool” bedding/products.
When outside temperatures recently hovered around 121 degrees in Palm Desert and remained sizzling throughout the evening, Danette Ferro and her family rested comfortably on beds bedecked in bamboo — the mattress, the sheets and even the pillows.
Ferro had been looking at switching from cotton to bamboo bedding for some time but was cautious. She started with pillows and noticed right away there wasn’t a moisture problem. So she decided to take the plunge.
“The difference was immediate,” she said. “You know how when you sleep you tend to sleep in the same spot and that gets bumpy? With our bamboo mattress you don’t have to find a comfort spot — it ultimately finds your comfort spot.”
The National Sleep Foundation offers the following suggestions to help you rest easier.
1. Keep a regular schedule. Go to bed and wake up at the same times, even on weekends or during vacations.
2. Don’t nap during the day.
3. Exercise.
4. Design your sleeping environment. Ideally, the temperature in your bedroom should be between 60 to 67 degrees. Get rid of unnecessary sources of noise or light.
5. Use comfortable mattresses and pillows.
It seems that buyers are paying attention to the last suggestion and so are retailers.
“I was skeptical until a friend told me about bedding at a ranch in Texas,” said Jer Kahala of Long Beach. “So I tried it. I’m not sure how to describe bamboo, but it’s cooling, providing a refreshing feeling.
“I’ve had water beds and even memory foam mattresses, but the combination of a mattress and sheets, well, it’s amazing.”
Lisa Long and her husband, Kevin, own Cariloha, a bamboo clothing and bedding store in Huntington Beach.
“People are understanding the sustainability of bamboo, especially in California where we are keenly aware of keeping our resources,” she said.
“Bamboo is super soft, hypoallergenic and isn’t hard to care for. It actually gets softer after every washing.”
Store visitors will find just about everything to dress their beds, bathrooms and even themselves at Cariloha, where the products are made of viscose from bamboo.
Bamboo is popular for many reasons — it grows pesticide-free and is self-regenerating, and the fiber is 3 degrees cooler than cotton and naturally wicks away sweat and moisture from a person’s body. Bamboo bedding also is thermal regulating, meaning it adjusts to a body’s temperature so there’s no need to swap bedding each season.
Bamboo bedding isn’t new. But The Company Store (companystore.com), which specializes in quality down and bedding essentials, is receiving more and more inquiries involving the natural fiber, according to Justin Sonfield, general merchandise manager.
“Bamboo provides a lot of comfort, and I think people are looking for that,” he said.
Cariloha sheet sets start at $139 and go up from there. Other brands are even more pricey. But, as Kahala said, you do get what you pay for and he’s willing to chip in a bit more for a peaceful sleep.
He needs one. He’s an Orange County deputy sheriff who also works with the search and rescue team as the hoist operator on a helicopter that brings individuals to safety. His job is stressful, to say the least.
“I believe we sleep something like 33 percent of our lives. It’s important. I work odd shifts. Having a bamboo mattress and sheets has changed the way I sleep and they provide an amazing level of comfort and quality sleep.”
Read the entire LA Daily News article here.