History of Mattresses

What do mattresses have in common with computers, cars, and phones? First of all, almost everyone has one. But these are all also modern inventions that are constantly changing and evolving. While mattresses may last for 10 years or more if taken care of, the sleep technology that companies are developing makes mattresses more and more comfortable and supportive. But, they are modern inventions. Let’s take a look at what people used to sleep on before we had the comfort we have today.

Neolithic Period- 1000 BCE

Humans have always needed to sleep, and have never enjoyed laying on a hard surface. The earliest “bed” was made from leafy plants, grass, and other plant materials that made the ground a little softer. The oldest known mattress dates back to 77,000 years ago in a Sibudu Cave in South Africa. It was made from layers of reeds and rushes, and grass and leafy plants were used as a “sheet.” While it is much thinner than the mattresses we have today, it was also 22 square feet, which was most likely big enough for an entire family to sleep in together. 

Around 3000 BCE, the ancient Egyptians, and people of modern-day Scotland started creating different types of mattresses. While the Egyptians made their beds from wood and had them raised off the ground, the people in Scotland made the beds from stone with mattresses likely made from wool.

In Persia, the first waterbed was made from goatskins filled with water and stitched closed. It’s not clear if the waterbed was invented around 3600 or 1600 BCE, but either way, it was invented way before it was popular in the 80s and 90s. The water absorbed body heat which helped people stay warm while they slept at night in the frigid desert.

Classical (1000 BCE- 4th Century)

This period is where your wealth determined what type of bed you slept on. The wealthier Greeks and Romans had beds made from metal with mattresses made from cloth stuffed with feathers, straw, or wool. The less fortunate had wooden beds or a mattress on the floor. Regardless of wealth, woolen blankets were common.

Medieval (5th Century-14th Century)

In Medieval Europe, bedframes started to become more common. The wealthy would make beds more ornate and impressive. Four-poster beds were invented, and headboards would have intricately carved designs on them. Mattresses started being stuffed full with soft downy feathers if you were wealthy, and hay if you were not. By the 13th century, the French would use pillows and place them at the heads of their beds and found that pillows provided neck support. 

Beds didn’t change much during the Renaissance, but bedrooms did start to become more common for the wealthy, and beds would be replaced after the spring or summer harvests.

Modern Mattresses (19th Century- Today)

In the 1800s springs were introduced to mattresses for better support. Timothy Rose and Platt S. Buell patented a bed spring in December 1869. The foundation of the modern mattress is based on their work, but as late as the 1950s, mattresses were still stuffed with cotton instead of springs. In the 1940s, the futon made its way over to the US from Japan, and the 60s introduced adjustable beds and waterbeds, although the waterbed didn’t make a full comeback until the late 1980s. In 1991 the first memory foam mattress was unveiled, and the 2000s brought innerspring, pillow top, and hybrid mattresses. The most recent major update to mattresses happened in the 2010s with cooling beds and multi-adjustable mattresses.

Mattresses have come a long way from sacks filled with hay to the memory foam and cooling technology that’s used today. The future of beds will continue to combine technology with the best sleep practices leaving you feeling invigorated, fully rested, and ready to take on the day.

The Mattress Hub carries the best brands in sleep and works hard to bring our customers the best sleep they’ve ever had. When you buy a mattress from your local store, you get free delivery in the state of Kansas, and our famous one-year comfort guarantee. So don’t wait to upgrade your mattress. Our knowledgeable and friendly staff are ready to help you sleep well and live well.