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Can you imagine sleeping on a bed made of ebony and gold, or a mattress stuffed with hay, wool or feathers? Believe it or not, once upon a time, beds were made of all of these things. While most people today take beds for granted, they were once thought of as luxury items, with the most elaborate reserved for royalty while commoners were relegated to more primitive accommodations like palm bows heaped in a corner.
Approximately 10,000 years ago people began sleeping on primitive beds. These beds were made of whatever could be found in nature, such as sticks, horse hair, straw, etc. By 3400 BCE (before the common era) Egyptian pharaohs discovered the benefits of raising a pallet off the earth and King Tut enjoyed a bit of luxury with his bed of ebony and gold.
Things started heating up in the bedroom in the 16th and 17th centuries. King Louis the XIV often held court in the royal bedroom, and reportedly owned 413 of the most ostentatious beds, draped with elaborate fabrics and trims.
Fast-forward to the late 18th century, beds are now made of cast iron with cotton mattresses! Together, this combination provided a sleeping space that was less attractive to bugs. Finally, a good night’s rest that doesn’t leave you scratching in the morning!
The mattress and bed industry has constantly changed and evolved over time. When you think about how far we’ve come from the days of sticks and straw to now, with luxury foam mattresses in every size delivered straight to your doorstep, there is surely a bed to fit everyone’s needs. To learn more about the history of mattresses, visit The Better Sleep Council.
