Beds have gone from being made of tough planks of wood to quality foam mattresses that are now commonplace in today’s society. Let’s take a closer look at how beds have changed throughout the course of time.
Neolithic
The first object that we would understand and view as a bed dates back 77,000 years ago, according to National Geographic. The bed is formed from layers upon layers of plant material and spans 22 square feet with a 12-inch thick base. Judging from these numbers, it sounds like this bed was quite roomy and designed to house the whole family! National Geographic believes that leaves provided a forming of sheeting, which would be frequently changed to prevent bugs from settling in.
Egypt
Let’s now jump forward to the era of the Ancient Egyptians (3000 B.C. to 1000 B.C.). This race of people were far ahead of their time - having developed amazing technologies that we would recognise as having a purpose in the modern world. Think of tangible items like toothpaste, eye makeup and other grooming items, as well as other aspects of normal life like the written language!
Egyptians are also the inventors of the raised platform bed. Rather than sleeping on the ground, this type of bed kept the sleeper off the cold ground that would sap the body’s heat. Furthermore, it would also be useful to keep the sleeper away from rodents and other pests.
Egyptian beds would often consist of wood and could be decorated with precious stones and metals. The most luxurious beds owned by Egyptian society’s elite would be topped by wool cushions and have linen sheets – sounds pretty good to me!
Romans
In Ancient Egypt, beds were still relatively rare in the lower classes (although they were becoming increasingly accessible over time). In Rome on the other hand, they were widespread and could even be found in the homes of poor Romans. The wealthier Roman citizens would sleep upon beds made of metal, with metal supports woven together rather than a single sheet of wood.
The bed would be topped by a feather or straw mattress. The poorer plebeians would have similar beds, this time made of wood and often with wool instead of feathers.
Medieval
There was much variety in the way a medieval individual would sleep. Naturally, like every other period of time, this would primarily depend on the status and wealth of the individual. The wealthy slept in large, lavish and ornate wooden beds with drapes made of velvet. The bed would have a wooden/fabric ceiling which was its trademark feature: a canopy. This typical image of a medieval bed is actually fairly accurate, although they would not be commonplace and were reserved for only the wealthiest of citizens.
The beds were made of heavy wood and, like the Romans and the Egyptians, were raised off of the ground. Sometimes they were raised so far that there would be a step to climb into them! Medieval mattresses would be filled with feathers and sheets of linen - so they would be quite comfortable to sleep on.
A peasant, on the other hand, would have a simple bag stuffed with hay lying on the ground, or they would lay upon a simple platform near the hearth. They were also likely to have a rough woollen blanket.
Renaissance
The Renaissance period saw little development for the poor, however the ornateness and opulence of the rich grew ever larger and, therefore, so did their beds.
The four-poster bed introduced in the medieval period continued to play a significant part in bedrooms in the renaissance, often draped in even more fine velvet and containing a trundle underneath the bed (storage space for additional bedding and clothing).
The canopy of the bed was further developed to fully envelope the bed in a curtain-like fashion. The mattress would be supported by ropes, rather than a hard wooden board or wooden slats. Not only would this make the sleeping surface more stable, but it would provide a far greater degree of comfort.
Due to the lavishness of these beds, they were often family heirlooms that would be passed down from generation to generation – the son who would inherit a title from his father would also inherit his bed. Interestingly, it became an important symbol of assuming the role of your deceased father.
18th Century
The 18th century saw a toning down of the opulence and wealth of the Renaissance period, although this isn’t to say that the beds were affordable.
The beds would be made of wood, often retaining some traditional features such as bed posts, but they would no longer encapsulate the whole bed.
However, the biggest change this century was how the bed and the bedroom were treated. Previously, the bed was a focal point for the family and servants to sleep in or around. The 18th century saw privacy cemented – with servants sleeping elsewhere and other family members in their own private rooms.
20th Century
By the 20th century, things began to get a bit more creative in the bedroom. Waterbeds were invented and even popularised for a number of decades but, most importantly for us, the spring and memory foam mattresses were developed. They became cheap, popular and accessible to the masses.
The classic mattress we imagine today, which is called a box spring mattress, became normalised. Both mattresses and pillows also shot up in popularity, with foam and cotton being the most common ones available.
The Modern Age
These days, making decisions about what type of bed to buy can be overwhelming and very confusing. There is simply so much to choose from: innerspring, hybrid, latex and memory foam beds are but a few.
There also isn’t one particular style or shape of bed that dominates the market, with bunk beds, loft beds, futons and electric beds becoming increasingly common. Electric beds, like the Flexispot Adjustable Bed Base, allow you to recline your head up and down using only a remote! It really is the age of technology.
What we call beds have developed significantly over the years, but it is comforting to know that for over 70,000 years we have all looked for something comfortable to lay our heads on.
