A bed is a piece of furniture or
location primarily used as a place to sleep, though it
is also regularly used to serve other functions as
well, such as providing the primary place for sexual
intercourse, and is often used for simple relaxation.
To make beds more comfortable, the top layer is
frequently a mattress. Originally these were bags of
straw for most people and filled with feathers for the
wealthy. Eventually new fillings such as cotton and
artificial fillers became common. In modern times most
mattresses use springs, solid foam, latex, water, or
air. As time passes more and more people are looking
for a better sleep, spending a large percentage of our
life in a bed it has become a more recent realization
for many to attribute health deteriorations to what
they lay on. Water resilient fibers (natural and
synthetic), latex, synthetic foams and a combination
of a huge range of different spring technologies all
have their different benefits.
The second layer is the box spring Inner-sprung Base.
The box spring or "divan" is a large mattress-sized
box containing wood and springs that provide
additional support and suspension for the mattress.
Adding this feature to the mattress it has been
calculated that it improves the overall life of the
unit by 68%.
The third layer is the bed frame. The bed frame lifts
the mattress/mattress-box spring off the ground.
A dust ruffle, bed skirt, or valance sheet may be used
to make the bed frame match the rest of the bedding.
For greater head support, most people use a pillow,
placed at the top of a mattress. Also used is some
form of covering blanket to provide warmth to the
sleeper, often bed sheets, a quilt, or a duvet.
Also, some people prefer to dispense with the box
spring and bed frame, and replace it with a platform
bed style. This is more common in the European region.
Contents
History
The Ancient World
Early beds were little more than piles of straw or
some other natural materials. An important change was
raising them off the ground, to avoid drafts, dirt,
and pests.
The Egyptians had high bedsteads which were ascended
by steps, with bolsters or pillows, and curtains to
hang round. Often there was a head-rest as well,
semi-cylindrical and made of stone, wood or metal.
Assyrians, Medes and Persians had beds of a similar
kind, and frequently decorated their furniture with
inlays or appliqués of metal, mother-of-pearl and
ivory.
The oldest account of a bed is probably that of
Odysseus: a charpoy[1] woven of rope, plays a role in
the Odyssey. A similar bed can be seen at the St
Fagan's National History Museum in Wales. Homer also
mentions the inlaying of the woodwork of beds with
gold, silver and ivory.
The Greek bed had a wooden frame, with a board at the
head and bands of hide laced across, upon which skins
were placed. At a later period the bedstead was often
veneered with expensive woods; sometimes it was of
solid ivory veneered with tortoise-shell and with
silver feet; often it was of bronze. The pillows and
coverings also became more costly and beautiful; the
most celebrated places for their manufacture were
Miletus, Corinth and Carthage. Folding beds, too,
appear in the vase paintings.
The Roman mattresses were stuffed with reeds, hay,
wool or feathers; the last was used towards the end of
the Republic, when custom demanded luxury. Small
cushions were placed at the head and sometimes at the
back. The bedsteads were high and could only be
ascended by the help of steps. They were often
arranged for two persons, and had a board or railing
at the back as well as the raised portion at the head.
The counterpanes were sometimes very costly, generally
purple embroidered with figures in gold; and rich
hangings fell to the ground masking the front. The
bedsteads themselves were often of bronze inlaid with
silver, and Elagabalus had one of solid silver. In the
walls of some of the houses at Pompeii bed niches are
found which were probably closed by curtains or
sliding partitions. Ancient Romans had various kinds
of beds for repose. These included:
- lectus cubicularis, or chamber
bed, for normal sleeping;
- lectus genialis, the marriage
bed, it was much decorated, and was placed in the
atrium opposite the door.
- lectus discubitorius, or table
bed, on which they ate—for they ate while lying on
their left side—there being usually three people to
one bed, with the middle place accounted the most
honorable position;
- lectus lucubratorius, for
studying;
- and a lectus funebris, or
emortualis, on which the dead were carried to the
pyre.
Medieval Europe
The ancient Germans lay on the floor on beds of leaves
covered with skins, or in a kind of shallow chest
filled with leaves and moss. In the early middle ages
they laid carpets on the floor or on a bench against
the wall, placed upon them mattresses stuffed with
feathers, wool or hair, and used skins as a covering.
They appear to have generally lain naked in bed,
wrapping themselves in the large linen sheets which
were stretched over the cushions. In the 13th century
luxury increased, and bedsteads were made of wood much
decorated with inlaid, carved and painted ornament.
They also used folding beds, which served as couches
by day and had cushions covered with silk laid upon
leather. At night a linen sheet was spread and pillows
placed, while silk-covered skins served as coverlets.
Curtains were hung from the ceiling or from an iron
arm projecting from the wall. The Carolingian
manuscripts show metal bedsteads much higher at the
head than at the feet, and this shape continued in use
until the 13th century in France, many cushions being
added to raise the body to a sloping position. In the
12th-century manuscripts the bedsteads appear much
richer, with inlays, carving and painting, and with
embroidered coverlets and mattresses in harmony.
Curtains were hung above the bed, and a small hanging
lamp is often shown. In the 14th century the woodwork
became of less importance, being generally entirely
covered by hangings of rich materials. Silk, velvet
and even cloth of gold were much used. Inventories
from the beginning of the 14th century give details of
these hangings lined with fur and richly embroidered.
Then it was that the tester bed made its first
appearance, the tester being slung from the ceiling or
fastened to the walls, a form which developed later
into a room within a room, shut in by double curtains,
sometimes even so as to exclude all drafts. The space
between bed and wall was called the ruelle, and very
intimate friends were received there.
In the 15th century beds became very large, reaching
to 7 or 8 feet by 6 or 7 feet. The mattresses were
often filled with pea-shucks, straw or feathers. At
this time great personages were in the habit of
carrying most of their property about with them,
including beds and bed-hangings, and for this reason
the bedsteads were for the most part mere frameworks
to be covered up; but about the beginning of the 16th
century bedsteads were made lighter and more
decorative, since the lords remained in the same place
for longer periods.
Renaissance and Modern Europe
In the 17th century, which has been called "the
century of magnificent beds," the style a la duchesse,
with tester and curtains only at the head, replaced
the more enclosed beds in France, though they lasted
much longer in England. Louis XIV had an enormous
number of sumptuous beds, as many as 413 being
described in the inventories of his palaces. Some of
them had embroideries enriched with pearls, and
figures on a silver or golden ground. The great bed at
Versailles had crimson velvet curtains on which "The
Triumph of Venus" was embroidered. So much gold was
used that the velvet scarcely showed.
In the 18th century feather pillows were first used as
coverings in Germany, which in the fashions of the bed
and the curious etiquette connected with the
bedchamber followed France for the most part. The beds
were a la duchesse, but in France itself there was
great variety both of name and shape. The custom of
the "bed of justice" upon which the king of France
reclined when he was present in parliament, the
princes being seated, the great officials standing,
and the lesser officials kneeling, was held to denote
the royal power even more than the throne. Louis XI is
credited with its first use, and the custom lasted
till the end of the monarchy. In the chambre de
parade, where the ceremonial bed was placed, certain
persons, such as ambassadors or great lords, whom it
was desired to honor, were received in a more intimate
fashion than the crowd of courtiers. At Versailles
women received their friends in their beds, both
before and after childbirth, during periods of
mourning, and even directly after marriage - in fact
in any circumstances which were thought deserving of
congratulation or condolence. During the 17th century
this curious custom became general, perhaps to avoid
the tiresome details of etiquette. Portable beds were
used in high society in France till the end of the
ancien regime. The earliest of which mention has been
found belonged to Charles the Bold. They had curtains
over a light framework, and were in their way as fine
as the stationary beds.
Iron beds appear in the 18th century; the
advertisements recommend them as free from the insects
which sometimes infested wooden bedsteads. Elsewhere,
there was also the closed bed with sliding or folding
shutters, and in England - where beds were commonly
quite simple in form - the four poster was the usual
citizen's bed until the middle of the 19th century.
Bed sizes
Beds come in a wide array of shapes and sizes. Most
countries have a standard set of four sizes of
mattresses. While the Double size appears to be
standard among English speaking countries, based on
the imperial measurement of 4 ft 6 in by 6 ft 3 in,
the sizes for other bed types tend to vary. The
European sizes differ; they are based on the metric
system.
A king-sized bed differs from the other sizes in
implementation, as it is not common to have a
king-sized box spring; rather, two smaller box-springs
are used under a king-sized mattress. On a U.S.
Standard or "Eastern" King, the box springs are
identical in size to a Twin Extra-Long.
Standard sizes
Modern manufacturing conventions have resulted in a
limited number of standard sizes of commercial bedding
for mattresses and box springs. They vary by country
of origin.
Mattress size (width ×
length)
| |
U.S. |
Australia |
UK |
Europe |
|
Twin / Single |
39 × 75 in
97 × 191 cm |
36 × 75 in
91 × 191 cm |
35 × 79 in
90 × 200 cm |
|
Double / Full |
54 × 75 in
137 × 190 cm |
54 × 78 in
137 × 198 cm |
55 × 79 in
140 × 200 cm |
Queen
(UK King) |
60 × 78 in
152 × 198 cm |
60 × 80 in
152 × 203 cm |
63 × 79 in
160 × 200 cm |
King
(UK Super King) |
76 × 80 in
193 × 203 cm |
72 × 80 in
183 × 203 cm |
72 × 78 in
183 × 198 cm |
71 × 79 in
180 × 200 cm |
The sizes in the UK, other than the
Double, vary compared to the U.S. sizes, being
generally smaller. The U.S. Queen corresponds to UK
King and King to Super King. The European or
continental basic sizes are similar to the UK but have
a set length of 2 meters. The denominations Queen,
King and Super King are not used in continental
Europe, and Double refers to 140cm or any higher
width. Instead of these US/UK denominations, the bed
width is given in centimeters. Please note that Queen
size beds are not bigger than King sized beds.
These dimensions are for the mattress—the actual bed
frame will be a little bigger in order to fully
encompass and support the mattress. The thickness of
the mattress may vary considerably.
Historically, Single referred to a bed size that was
half the width of a Double, that is, approximately the
width of one pillow. In Western nations, such beds
have become quite rare, with a Twin bed becoming the
standard for one-person sleeping. Without another
common use for the term Single and with the term
Double being widely used, Single has come to be
another term for a twin bed in these places.
Portable camp beds are generally the size of original
single beds.
Other U.S. sizes
Twin Extra Long
38 × 80 in (0.97 × 2.03 m)
This size is fairly popular in college dormitories.
Three Quarter
48 × 75 in (1.22 × 1.90 m) often (47-48) X 72 in.
sizing varies.
This size is considered obsolete by the major
manufacturers.
Super Single
48 × 84 in (1.22 × 2.13 m)
Full Extra Long
54 x 80 in
Olympic Queen
66 × 80 in (1.68 × 2.03 m) a novelty size by Simmons
California Queen
60 × 84 in (1.52 × 2.13 m)
Eastern King
76 x 80 in (1.93 x 2.03 m)
An alternate name for a U.S. King.
California King
72 × 84 in (1.83 × 2.13 m)
A common size on the West Coast of the United States,
also called a Western King, West Coast King, Cal King,
or WC King.
Long King
72 x 104 in (1.83 m × 2.64m)
Other UK sizes
Small Single
30 × 75 in (76.2 × 190.5 cm)
Super Single
42 × 75 in (106.68 × 190.5 cm)
Small Double / Three Quarter
48 × 78 in (121.92 × 198.12 cm)
Other European sizes
Modern continental Europe practice is to refer to a
bed by explicit width or size ("80 cm bed" or "80x200
cm bed"). Other sizes found include:
Extra Small Single
0.75 × 2 m (30 × 79 in)
Small Single
0.8 × 2 m (31 × 79 in)
Large Single
1 × 2 m (39 × 79 in)
In France, the length of older beds is sometimes 1.9 m
instead of 2 m.
Most mattress sizes in the Netherlands are also
available in extra long. Meaning 2.2 m instead of 2.0
m.
Other Australian sizes
Single Extra Long
0.92 x 2.03 m (36 in by 80 in)
King Single
1.06 × 2.03 m (41 × 80 in)
Other New Zealand sizes
The following bed sizes are available in New
Zealand:[6]
Long Single
0.90 × 2.03 m (35 × 80 in)
King Single
1.05 × 2.03 m (41 × 80 in)
Long Double
1.35 × 2.03 m (53 × 80 in)
King
1.65 × 2.03 m (65 × 80 in)
Super King
1.80 × 2.03 m (71 × 80 in)
Californian King
2.00 × 2.03 m (79 × 80 in)
Types of beds
See also: :Category:Beds
There are many varieties of beds:
- An adjustable bed is a bed that
can be adjusted to a number of different positions
- An air bed uses an air-inflated
mattress, sometimes connected to an electric air
pump and having firmness controls.
- A bassinet is a bed specifically
for newborn infants.
- A box-bed is a bed having the
form of a large box with wooden roof, sides, and
ends, opening in front with two sliding panels or
shutters; often used in cottages in Scotland:
sometimes also applied to a bed arranged so as to
fold up into a box.
- A brass bed, constructed from
brass or brass-plated metal.
- A bunk is a bed used in a
confined space.
- A bunk bed is two or more beds
one atop the other. (See also: loft bed.)
- A captain's bed (also known as a
chest bed or cabin bed) is a platform bed with
drawers and storage compartments built in
underneath.
- An infant's bed (also crib or
cot) is a small bed specifically for babies and
infants.
- A camp bed (also cot) is a
simple, temporary, portable bed used by armies and
large organizations in times of crisis.
- A canopy bed is similar to a four
poster bed, but the posts usually extend higher and
are adorned or draped with cloth, sometimes
completely enclosing the bed.
- A daybed is a couch that is used
as a seat by day and as a bed by night.
- A futon is a traditional style of
Japanese bed that is also available in a larger
Western style.
- A four poster bed is a bed with
four posts, one in each corner, that support a
tester.
* A hammock is a piece of suspended fabric.
- A hideaway bed, invented by Sarah
E. Goode in response to the needs of
apartment-dwellers, folds up into another piece of
furniture, such as a shelf or desk, when not in use.
- A hospital bed is specifically
designed to facilitate convalescence, traditionally
in a hospital or nursing facility, but increasingly
in other settings, such as a private residence.
Modern hospital beds commonly have wheels to assist
in moderate relocation, but they are larger and
generally more permanently placed than a gurney. The
hospital bed is also a common unit of measurement
for the capacity of any type of inpatient medical
facility, though it is just as common to shorten the
term to bed in that usage.
- An iron bed, developed in the
1850s, is constructed of iron and steel.
- A Manjaa is a traditional Punjabi
bed made of tied ropes bordered by a wooden frame.
- A Murphy bed or wallbed is a bed
that can hinge into a wall or cabinet to save space.
- A pallet is a thin, lightweight
mattress.
- A platform bed is a mattress
resting on a solid, flat raised surface, either
free-standing or part of the structure of the room.
- A roll-away bed (or cot) is a bed
whose frame folds in half and rolls in order to be
more easily stored and moved.
- A rope bed is a pre-modern bed
whose wooden frame includes crossing rope to support
the typically down-filled single mattress.
- A sofa bed is a bed that is
stored inside a sofa.
- A state bed developed in Early
Modern Europe from a hieratic canopy of state.
- A trundle bed or truckle bed is a
bed usually stored beneath a twin bed.
- A vibrating bed is typically a
coin-operated novelty found in a vintage motel. For
a fee, the mattress vibrates for a duration of time.
- A waterbed is a bed/mattress
combination where the mattress is filled with water.
Bed frames
Bed frames, also called bed steads, are made of wood
or metal. The frame is made up of head, foot, and side
rails. For heavy duty or larger frames (such as for
queen- and king-sized beds), the bed frame also
includes a center support rail. These rails are
assembled to create a box for the mattress or
mattress/box spring to sit on.
Types of bed frames include:
- platform - typically used without
a box spring
- captain - has drawers beneath the
frame to make use of the space between the floor and
the bed frame
- waterbed - a heavy-duty frame
built specifically to support the weight of the
water in the mattress
Though not truly parts of a bed
frame, many people include headboards, footboards, and
bed rails in their definition of bed frames.
Headboards and footboards can be wood or metal. They
can be stained, painted, or covered in fabric or
leather.
Bed rails are made of wood or metal and are attached
to a headboard and footboard. Wooden slats are placed
perpendicular to the bed rails to support the
mattress/mattress box spring.
Bed rails and frames are often attached to the bed
post using knock-down fittings.[7] [8] A knock-down
fitting enables the bed to be easily dismantled for
removal. Primary knock-down fittings for bed rails are
as follows:
- Pin-and-hook fastener. A mortise
or slot is cut vertically in the bedpost. Pins are
inserted horizontally in the bed post so that the
pins perpendicularly intersect the mortise. For
example, if one looked in the mortise, one might see
part of one horizontal pin at the bottom of the
mortise and a part of a second pin toward the top of
the mortise. Hooks are installed at the end of the
rail. Usually these hooks are part of a plate that
is attached to the rail. The hooks then are inserted
into the bed post mortise and hook over the pins.
- Plate-and-hook fastener. Instead
of pins inserted horizontally into the bedpost, an
eye plate (post plate) is installed on the bedpost.
The hooks are installed on the rail, either as
surface mount or recessed. Depending on the
hardware, the bedpost may require a mortise in order
to allow the hooks to fasten to the plate. This is
also referred to as a keyhole fastener, especially
if the connector is more of a "plug" than a "hook".
- Bed bolts ("through-bolts") are a
different means of knock-down connection. A hole is
typically drilled through the bedpost. The bolt head
is inset and covered with a plug. In the rail, a
dowel nut or other type of nut receives the bolt.
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