Mattresses are not a new invention, everyone knows this, but there is still quite a bit about the humble mattress that many of us do not know about. For instance did you know that the word mattress comes from the Arabic, yes Arabic word to describe cushions that were thrown on the floor. Not many of us would also know that the first mattresses were probably used in ancient Persia.
Find below some unique information about the mattress and its history.
In the Neolithic period, mattresses were just a pile of straw or leaves with skins thrown on top. These were usually laid on top of a raised pallet to avoid contact with rodents and other creepy crawlies that were very common in households those days.
The Persians were the first to invent a water bed and they did this nearly 5500 yrs ago. They filled goatskins with water and laid down on them.
The normal stuffed mattress as we know them was first used in Rome around 2000 yrs ago. Cloth bags were filled with straw, hay or even wool to make the mattress. The more well to do Romans used feather stuffings and this is done even today in cushions if you want a really soft one.
In the 15th century, pea shucks or straw was stuffed into bags, and then covered with velvet brocade to give the whole thing a very glamorous look.
Cotton wool was used to stuff mattresses only in the 18th century and this method of making mattresses is practiced even today.
The spring mattress was invented in the mid 1800s although the initial ones were a little dangerous to use, what with springs breaking and jabbing you in all sorts of places at night.
Memory foam was invented by NASA in the early 1970s and by the late 70s had trickled down to the common man in the form of mattresses.
Air mattresses were introduced only in the 80s.
The rubberized coir mattresses are introduced only in the 90s and is the last invention as such when it comes to mattresses.