Bed
951407
225063010
2008-07-11T18:31:12Z
202.71.90.139
{{tone | date = June 2008}}
{{otheruses}}
{{wiktionarypar|bed}}
[[Image:Noe bed.jpg|thumb|right|A bed with a [[chamber pot]] under it.]]
A '''bed''' {{audio2|En-us-bed.ogg}} 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 [[feather]]s for the [[wealth]]y.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} Eventually new fillings such as [[cotton]] and artificial fillers became common. In modern times most mattresses use [[spring (device)|spring]]s, 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 realisation for many to attribute health deteriorations to what they lay on. Water resilient fibres (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|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 sheet]]s, 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.
==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 [[Ancient Egypt|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<Ref>http://www.imagesofafghanistan.com/images/AsleeponaCharpoy.jpg</ref> woven of rope, plays a role in the [[Odyssey]]. A similar bed can be seen at the [[St Fagans National History Museum]] in [[Wales]]. [[Homer]] also mentions the inlaying of the woodwork of beds with [[gold]], [[silver]] and [[ivory]].
The [[Ancient Greece|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 [[veneer]]ed 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 [[Ancient Greek pottery|vase paintings]].
The [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] [[mattresses]] were stuffed with [[reeds]], [[hay]], [[wool]] or [[feathers]]; the last was used towards the end of the [[Roman republic|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 [[imperial purple|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]].<ref>{{1728}} http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/HistSciTech/HistSciTech-idx?type=turn&entity=HistSciTech000900240244&isize=L</ref>
===Medieval Europe===
The ancient [[Germans]] lay on the floor on beds of [[leaf|leaves]] covered with [[skin]]s, or in a kind of shallow [[Chest (furniture)|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 [[oil lamp|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 [[French monarchy|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 honour, were received in a more intimate fashion than the crowd of [[courtiers]]. At [[Palace of Versailles|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 bed|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 [[Inch|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.
{| class="wikitable"
|+ ''Mattress size (width × length)''
!
! U.S.<ref>[http://www.mattresssizes.info/ Mattress Size :: USA & Canada<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
! Australia<ref>[http://www.stalbans.com.au/blankets.htm St. Albans Textiles - Mohair Blankets<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
! UK<ref>[http://www.oddsizebeds.co.uk/help-and-support/sizes.html UK Bed Sizes<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
! Europe
|- align="center"
! Twin / Single
| '''39 × 75 [[Inch|in]]''' <br /> 97 × 191 cm
| colspan="2" | '''36 × 75 in''' <br /> 91 × 191 cm
| 35 × 79 in <br /> '''90 × 200 cm'''
|- align="center"
! Double / Full
| colspan="2" | '''54 × 75 in''' <br /> 137 × 190 cm
| '''54 × 78 in''' <br /> 137 × 198 cm
| 55 × 79 in <br /> '''140 × 200 cm'''
|- align="center"
! Queen<small><br />(UK King)</small>
| colspan="2" | '''60 × 78 in''' <br /> 152 × 198 cm
| '''60 × 80 in''' <br />152 × 203 cm
| 63 × 79 in <br /> '''160 × 200 cm'''
|- align="center"
! King<small><br />(UK Super King)</small>
| '''76 × 80 in''' <br /> 193 × 203 cm
| '''72 × 80 in''' <br /> 183 × 203 cm
| '''72 × 78 in''' <br /> 183 × 198 cm
| 71 × 79 in <br /> '''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 metres. 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{{Who|date=December 2007}}, ''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.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} 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 bed]]s are generally the size of original single beds.{{Fact|date=December 2007}}
===Other U.S. sizes===
; Twin Extra Long : 38 × 80 [[Inch|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){{Fact|date=January 2008}}
===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").{{Fact|date=December 2007}} 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.{{Fact|date=December 2007}}
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]]:<ref>[http://www.sleepyhead.co.nz/index.php?id=buying_a_bed&m=buying_a_bed&aname=space Better Beds Better Sleep - Sleepyhead New Zealand<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
; 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==
{{seealso|: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 mattress|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 [[baby|babies]] and [[infant]]s.
*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 [[Japan]]ese 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 home|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 [[Punjab region|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 (furniture)|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 [[sofabed]] is a bed that is stored inside a [[sofa]].
*A [[Baldachin|state bed]] developed in Early Modern Europe from a hieratic [[Baldachin|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{{Who|date=December 2007}} include headboards, footboards, and bed rails in their definition of bed frames. [[Headboard (furniture)|Headboard]]s 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.<ref>[http://www.whitechapel-ltd.com/hist/bed_hardware.shtml "Historical Guide: Bed Hardware"], Whitechapel, Ltd</ref> <ref>[http://www.home-improvement-and-financing.com/bed-rail-fastener.html "Bed Rail Fastener Options"]</ref> 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.
==References==
<references />
==See also==
{{Commonscat|Beds}}{{commonscat|Mattresses}}
* [[Bed frame]]
* [[Bed sheet]]
* [[Co-sleeping]]
* [[Headboard (furniture)]]
* [[Mattress]]
* [[Relaxation]]
* [[Sleep]]
==External links==
* [http://www.bettersleep.org/OnBetterSleep/what_size.asp What Size Mattress?] from The Better Sleep Council
{{SleepSeries2}}
[[Category:Beds]]
[[Category:Mattresses]]
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