Did you know that we spend an average of 227,760 hours or a total of twenty-six years sleeping in the course of our lifetime? Yup, it’s true. We spend so much time beneath the sheets and have become used to modern mattresses -- but believe it or not, the beds throughout history weren’t always the luxurious options we know and love today. While the basics -- a cushioned spot to rest and stay warm through the night -- have remained the same, the details of what constitutes a bed have changed quite a bit through the millennia.
Interested in learning more? We’ve got you covered! Here’s a brief history of the coveted mattress and how things have changed over the years. Are you ready? Let’s dive in.
The Oldest Known Mattress -- 77,000 Years Ago
Your mattress is considered old after roughly seven years, but according to the experts at National Geographic, the oldest known “bed” was discovered in South Africa, dating back 77,000 years.
Basically, it consisted of layers of plant materials gathered into mats, which were periodically burned to eliminate pests. The bed was around twelve-inches thick and a whopping twenty-two square feet, providing plenty of wiggle-room for the entire family. Leaves and grass provided a cozy top sheet and possibly also aided in keeping away unwelcomed bugs.
Prehistoric Hunter-Gatherers (Circa 8,000 B.C.)
For the prehistoric nomadic individuals, life always on the move meant that nights were generally spent resting on a pile of grass or leaves mounded into a depression in the ground.
Researchers speculate that the many groups of hunter-gatherers who used the spot as a temporary home slept curled up in a tight ball, as the small, oval “beds” wouldn’t have provided enough sleeping space to stretch out fully. While this may sound a bit uncomfortable, it was an easy way to keep the sleeper cozy and warm throughout the night.
Ancient Egypt (Circa 3,000 B.C. to 1,000 B.C. )
Along with their other amazing technologies and inventions -- including advancements in the written language and engineering -- you can also thank the ancient Egyptians for creating the raised bed. This kept people off the cold, hard ground and also made it much harder for insects, rodents, and snakes to crawl over the bed.
Made of good ol’ wood if you were a commoner or covered with gold, jewels, and ebony if you were part of the upper class, the simple platform bed was topped with a mattress made of warm wool cushions. A stone or wooden head support and linen sheets added extra comfort.
Ancient Rome (Circa 1,000 B.C. to 476 A.D. )
The wealthy citizens of ancient Rome slumbered on raised beds made of metal, with woven metal supports to hold the straw or feather-stuffed mattress. Citizens who were not as wealthy slept on similar beds but made from wood, with wool strings holding up the thin mattress.
If you were poor, however, you still had to make do with a flimsy mat on the ground. Whatever type of bed, you probably would have been warm underneath your cozy wool blankets, which were common throughout the Roman empire, regardless of social status.
Medieval Life (Circa 5th Through 15th Century )
Ah, the medieval days! If you lived in medieval Europe, your slumber arrangements would have largely depending on your position in life. If you were a lucky duck rolling in dough, your bed was an opportunity to show off your status. Large, impressive, and often ornately carved or encrusted with jewels or gold, these beds expanded far beyond a simple platform. Typically crafted of heavy wood, these decorative beds for the wealthy were raised high off the ground, sometimes so high that a step stool was required to reach them.
The four-poster bed was created during the Middle Ages, hung with heavy velvet canopies and drapes, which served to show off the sleeper's wealth and also warded off insects and chilly drafts. The mattress was thickly stuffed with feathers and down, and sheets were made of fine linen.
As these beds were pretty pricey, they were treasured belongings and passed down through the generations. It even became common for wealthy or royal owners to remain in bed to receive visitors, carry on business, and eat meals.
Now, if you lived a peasant life during this time period, you would have slept on a large hay-stuffed bag on the floor or on a simple platform. There is a good chance your loved ones would be sharing the bed with you, or at least be nearby -- privacy wasn’t exactly a medieval concept.
Before turning in for the night, you would have to literally hit the hay in an attempt to dislodge insects and other pests from your mattress.
Renaissance (Circa 14th Through 17th Century )
While the poorest families continued to snooze on simple pallets of hay laid on the floor, it was now common for those in the middle-class to have not only a four-poster bed but also a separate room -- or bedroom -- to hold it.
Typically, a bedroom during this time period was on the upper floor of the home and contained a bed with a trundle underneath that could be pulled out to sleep loved ones or servants, along with a wooden trunk to hold clothing.
The mattresses were commonly made of down, feathers, straw, and/or pea shucks, covered in silks and velvets.
Modern History (19th Century - 20th Century)
As the 19th century arrived, elaborate statement beds fell out of fashion, and the popularity of four-posters left the scene with a new and fresh emphasis on practicality. For example, box springs were introduced as a way to reduce motion and prevent lumps from forming within the mattress.
Big, bulky, and overstuffed mattresses were made to be thin, and as the industrial age boomed, metal frames began to take over, pushing wooden frames out of the picture. By the start of the 20th century, mattresses and bed frames could be mass-produced, which meant comfy-cozy mattresses were more accessible to nearly every class in society.
Mattresses of this time were also undergoing major changes, with one of the most notable developments being the introduction of the innerspring mattress in 1871 and the invention of pocket coils in 1900. Dramatic innovations continued to soar throughout the 20th century, officially ushering a new era of mattresses and bed options.
Mattresses Today (21st Century)
Today, you have more options than ever before when it comes to your mattress and style of bed. Memory foam, innerspring, hybrid, latex, water, and air are just some of the mattress types available. There are even some top-notch mattresses out there, like the hand-tufted ones from Big Fig made with innovative cooling technology to keep you cool as you snooze.
Bottom Line
Considering our ancestors used to catch Zzz’s on the floor, we’d say the good ol’ mattress has come quite some way over the years. Today, we have a ton of options when it comes to buying a new mattress, but if you ask us, the best mattresses are made of high-quality pockets, springs, and foam to provide the ultimate mix of support and comfort.
But where does one find such a comfortable mattress?
At Big Fig, of course!
Traditional mattresses have inferior components that tend to soften over time as the materials break down. And for those with beautiful, fuller figured bodies, the comfort level and firmness of your mattress can diminish within just a few months of use. The Big Fig mattress, on the other hand, is constructed with three-inches of high-density foam cushioning, with a minimum density of 1.8 pounds per cubic foot -- that’s over 50 percent denser than the foam in a standard innerspring mattress!
Tested and proven to last twenty years, The Big Fig Mattress will contour to every curve, providing you with ultimate comfort.
Check out Big Fig today -- the mattress for a bigger figure!
Sources:
The importance of sleep and how to get it | Vala Health
Oldest Known Mattress Found; Slept Whole Family | National Geographic
Telling Mattress Users a Lot Has Changed Since 1871 | NY Times
