Throwback Thursday: Mattress Trivia!
Good afternoon!
We hope to find you well on this beautiful Thursday! This week, in keeping with our theme of mattresses, we will be outlining some mattress trivia that was originally featured on a Fitterer’s 110th anniversary banner in 2006. While you may have heard a few of the more common facts, some of these tidbits may surprise you!
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10,000 Years Ago:
In the Neolithic period we find the first evidence of people sleeping on primitive beds made of soft branches and furs.
3400 B.C. :
Egyptian Pharaohs are the first credited with building a platform off the ground on which to sleep. These were known as pallets and were used by royalty. Common people slept on palm bows heaped in the corner of their home.
Roman Empire:
The first luxury bed – usually stuffed with reeds, hay, wool, or feathers , and covered in luxurious fabrics. Romans are also credited with creating the first waterbed. The sleeper would recline in a cradle of warm water until drowsy, then be lifted onto an adjacent cradle with a mattress, where they would be rocked to sleep.
16th & 17th Centuries:
Mattresses were generally stuffed with straw or down and placed atop a latticework of rope for support. Over time these ropes would loosen and need to be tightened, hence the phrase “Sleep Tight”.
1800s :
Mattresses were filled with cotton, hair or feathers. Variations of cotton were the best sellers and foundations were usually open coiled boxsprings. Assorted vermin ( bugs, bacteria, mildew) were typical as an accepted component of even the most royal beds.
1950’s:
Foam Rubber (latex) mattresses and pillows appeared on the market.
1960’s:
Modern waterbed introduced. Adjustable beds become popular with consumers.
1980’s:
Airbeds introduced
1990’s:
Spacious sleeping is on the rise. In 1999, the queen-size mattress became America’s most popular choice for the first time. It beat the twin size.
Today:
Choice and comfort are the key words in contemporary bedding. In addition to an almost unlimited range of innerspring mattress designs, new types of foam mattress cores ( such as ‘memory” or visco-elastic foam and refinements to traditional latex) as well as airbeds, waterbeds, and high-tech adjustable sleep sets offer consumers attractive, quality alternatives. Pillow top mattresses, a popular innovation in luxury, offer an extra mattresses are common.
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Though its been a few years since we put this information together for the first time, today’s mattress trends are still largely the same. Choice and individualized comfort are key in choosing the perfect mattress by contemporary standards. If you need a helping hand , our mattress experts are here to help you start sleeping soundly! For more on mattress shopping, check out last weeks’ tip blog!