Straw Filling: A Brief History Of Mattresses

Replacing an old, worn out mattress can make sleep a better experience

, but shopping for one in the era of online and local mattress stores can seem daunting. In choosing a king, queen, or twin mattress, there are a multitude of options available in how and with what materials the bed was created.

Traditional innersprings, memory foam, and adjustable air beds are available in all sizes and each provides unique characteristics for a customized sleep experience. However, the history of the mattress indicates that choices were not always so plentiful. As long as there have been people, there have been beds. In an effort to stay warm, stay clean, and avoid pests, beds were often considered the most important piece of furniture one could own. Egyptians were known to not only sleep on their beds, but entertain guests there as well.

Earliest models would not be found in a store, but rather created from piles of leaves, most often covered with animal skins. Over time, mattresses were created from stuffing soft materials such as hay or feathers into cloth sacks. During the Renaissance, these beds were often covered in lush fabrics. Eventually, bed frames were formed by making wooden frames, with rope or leather straps to support the mattress. Stuffing materials improved to include soft fibers such as cotton and wool.

In the late 1800s, box springs were invented, allowing beds to better maintain their shape, providing a smooth surface for sleepers for the first time. The greatest strides in sleep technology began in the 20th century. Beginning with innersprings in the 1930s, the first foam mattresses in the 1950s, the water beds of the 1960s, the creation of memory foam by NASA in the 1970s, and the rubber air mattresses of the 1980s, the past century provided the framework for the modern bedding choices of today.

Though the initial goals of bedding were merely to stay warm, clean, and pest-free, modern sleep products allow for and meet the additional desire of comfortable rest. Now those in the process of selecting a new mattress have a wide array of products to choose from. Innerspring, memory foam, and adjustable air beds offer options to everyone.

Throughout history, a bed has been one of the most used pieces of furniture in a home. Even today, as roughly a third of a person's life is spent in slumber, having a comfortable mattress is important. With the help of knowledgeable resources online and in local mattress stores, the freedom of choice exists with consumers.

by: Grubb Young

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