Before beds and mattresses were invented, people used to sleep on the ground, be it hard or cold or hot. Now we have different kinds of sleeping comforts available. Its the importance of sleep that lead to the development of different types of mattresses over time.
This infographic illustrates in what ways people used to sleep around the world. Cavemen used beds of animal hides to sleep on the ground, instead of a bare one. Persians made waterbeds out of goat skins to sleep elevated from the ground.
Use of beds dates back to Egyptians. Romans slept on beds and their mattresses were stuffed with hay, wool or feather. Use of cotton stuffed mattresses started in 18th century.
The invention of light bulb results in reduction of average American’s sleep by three hours. Modern beds gained popularity with the creation of vinyl. Mattresses made of natural latex came into existence from 2012.