Beds and Bedding

Beds

Posted on Fri, Sep 3, 2010 by Benny in Beds

Beds are pieces of bedroom furniture mainly used for sleep, rest, and relaxation. The earliest forms of bed were made of stacks of straw or other natural objects or materials such as wood, stone blocks, and hay. The oldest account of a bed can be found in Homer’s “Odyssey” where there is a charpoy made of woven rope and was used by Odysseus.

Some historians believe that the earliest sophisticated forms of bed were used by the ancient Egyptian elite, whose beds were elevated with high bedsteads and had pillows and privacy curtains. Members of the Egyptian royalty even had beds made of wood and gold.

Today, beds come in standardized sizes: twin or single, double or full, queen size, and king size. Measures of these sizes vary from one country to another. There are also other special sizes in various counties such as single extra long and king single.

Structure of beds

Beds can be any furniture whose surface can be used as a space for sleeping. It can be made simply of wood, mat, or foam. Most beds, however, are composed of several layers intended to make beds more comfortable.

Each bed usually has a bed frame, which holds the whole bed up. On top of it is a “divan,” or box spring made of springs and wood that adds suspension and support for the mattress. The mattress is placed on top of the box spring.

Beds are usually covered with a bed sheet, valence sheet, or dust ruffle of bed skirt to keep the bed clean. These coverings are usually designed to match the other bedding pieces.

Types of beds

There are several types of beds drawn out of people’s various needs and imagination. Among them are captain beds, adjustable beds, box beds, loft beds, trundle beds, air beds, brass beds, bunk beds, camp beds, four poster beds, canopy beds, day beds, futon beds, hammocks, Murphy beds, platform beds, sofa beds, water beds, and vibrating beds.

Some beds are specifically designed for various purposes such as those for infants and babies such as bassinets and cribs. Hospital beds are also an example of special beds. They have railings with specialized functions for raising or lowering one side of the bed as headrest.

Some beds such as bunk beds and trundle beds are used in rooms that accommodate at least two people. Bunk beds are composed of two bed spaces, with one stacked on top of the other. This way, floor space for only one bed is used even if the bed can accommodate two people.

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