BED

BED

A bed is a piece of furniture or location primarily used as a

place to rest, relax, nap or sleep. To make beds more comfortable,

the top layer is frequently a mattress Originally these were bags of straw for most people and filled with fluffy, feathers of birds for the wealthy. Eventually new filling

materials such as cotton, silk cotton and artificial fillers became

common. In modern times most mattresses use springs, solid foam,

latex, water, or air. As time passes on more and more people are

looking for a better medium to sleep, since people spend a large

percentage of time in 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 are used in the manufacture of beds

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 Europe.

History of Bed

Early beds were little more than piles of straw laid on the

ground or some other natural materials. An important change was

raising the beds off the ground, to avoid drafts, dirt, harboring of

pests and pest attacks.

The bed of Odysseus, a charpoy woven of rope, plays a role

in the Odyssey of Homer. A replica can be seen at the Museum of

Welsh Life at St. Fagans, Cardiff. Ancient Romans had various kinds

of beds for repose. These included:

• lectus cubicularis, or chamber bed, for normal sleeping;

• 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, were the middle place accounted for the

most honorable position;

• lectus lucubratorius, for studying;

and a lectus funebris, or emortualis, on which the dead were

carried to the pyre.

Types of Bed

1. An adjustable bed is a bed that can be adjusted to a number

of different positions.

2. An air bed uses an air-inflated mattress, sometimes

connected to an electric air pump and having firmness

controls.

3. 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.

4. A daybed is a couch that is used as a seat by day and as a

bed by night.

5. A futon is a traditional style of Japanese bed that is also

available in a larger Western style.

6. A Murphy bed or wallbed is a bed that can hinge into a wall or

cabinet to save space.

7. A pallet is a thin, lightweight mattress.

8. A platform bed is a mattress resting on a solid, flat raised

surface, either free-standing or part of the structure of the

room.

9. 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.

10. A sofabed is a bed that is stored inside a sofa.

11. 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. This is supposed to counter body ache and relax.

12. A waterbed is a bed / mattress combination where the

mattress is filled with water.

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 a 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; and their measurements are based on the metric system.

Standard Sizes of Bed

Modern manufacturing conventions have resulted in a limited

number of standard sizes of commercial bedding for mattresses and

box springs. They vary with the country of origin

U.S. Sizes:

Twin Extra Long 38 × 80 in (0.99 × 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. This size is considered obsolete

by the major manufacturers.

Super Single 48 × 84 in (1.22 × 2.13 m)

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, or WC King.

Long King 72 x 104 in (1.83 m × 2.64m)

U.K. Sizes:

Small Single 30 × 75 in (0.76 × 1.91 m)

Super Single 42 × 75 in (1.07 × 1.91 m)

Small Double 48 × 75 in (1.22 × 1.91 m) also called

three quarter

Normal Double 54 x 75 in (1.37 x 1.91 m)

European Sizes:

Normal Size 80 cm bed or 80 x 200 cm bed.

Extra Small Single (30 × 79 in) 0.75 × 2 m

Small Single (31 × 79 in) 0.8 × 2 m

Large Single (39 × 79 in) 1 × 2 m