A bed is a piece of furniture or location primarily used or intended for sleeping upon, but also commonly used for sexual activities, and for relaxing, sitting and reading.

Beds come in a wide array of shapes and sizes. 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.

To make beds more comfortable the top layer is frequently a mattress. Originally these were bags of straw for most people and filled with feathers for the wealthy. Eventually new fillings such as cotton and artificial fillers became common. In modern times most mattresses use springs, solid foam, water, or air.

At the top of the mattress, to provide greater support for the head, most people use a pillow. Also used is some form of covering blanket to provide warmth to the sleeper, often bed sheets, a quilt, or a duvet.

The bed frame may simply be made of wood or metal, but many also use springs. Most expensive and bulky, but also strong and comfortable are box springs, a large mattress-sized box containing wood and springs. A valance may be used to make the bed frame match the rest of the bedding.

Types of bed

There are many varieties of bed:

An adjustable bed is a bed that can be adjusted to a number of different positions
A bunk is a bed used in a confined space.
A bunkbed is two or more beds one atop the other.
A cot is a small bed (called a crib in American English) specifically for babies and infants. A cot can also refer to a simple, temporary, portable bed used by armies and large organizations in times of crisis.
A daybed is an armless couch that is used as a seat by day and as a bed by night.
A futon is a traditional style of Japanese bed that is also available in a larger Western style.
A hammock is a piece of suspended fabric.
A Manjaa is traditional Punjabi bed made of tied ropes bordered by a wooden frame.
A Murphy bed is a bed that can hinge into a wall or cabinet to save space.
A pallet is a thin lightweight mattress.
A sofabed is a bed that is stored inside a sofa.
A trundle bed is a bed usually stored beneath a twin bed.
A waterbed is a bed/mattress combination where the mattress is filled with water.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia Article: Bed Furniture

Hasena, The Lerma, 6FT Super Kingsize Wooden Bedstead - The Hasena Lerma has the following features: Milo legs and Pieve headboard Bed in White and Headboard in Synthetic Leather Chocolate with Chrome finished legs Sprung Slatted Base

Relaxsan, Memory, 5FT Mattress - The memory foam is a high tech mattress, originally designed for beds on Nasa missions. The main component is a special high density foam which is incredibly elastic: When it comes into contact with body heat it takes on the exact shape of the body, without applying pressure on any part; when contact ceases, the mattress returns to its original form. The body immediately finds the best sleeping position, reducing the tossing and turning movements which disturb sleep by 80%. The extraordinary features of the memory foam mattress prevent the numbing of muscles and nerves and allow the blood to circulate freely; the Airyform treatment increases the breathable qualities of the mattress, leaving the skin cool and dry. The mattress has been vacuum packed using a patented revolutionary technology developed by Magniflex - Italy, which guarantees that within a few minutes of unpacking, the mattress will fill out to its full and permanent size. The high quality materials ensure that the mattress will keep its shape for many years.

Plumbing supplies uk | Designer bathrooms | Beds and mattresses | Bathroom tiles | Fine furniture | Modern bathrooms | Ideas for bathrooms | In cast iron | Home furniture | Museum replicas | Designer furniture | House planner