History of the Mattress

submitted: Aug 9th 2008 | by: david field | Total views: 6 | Word Count: 396 | PDF View | Print Article

A mattress is usually defined as a mat that is placed on top of a bed, where a person usually sleeps or lies. Like many words ‘mattress’ originates from the Arabic language which had the original meaning of “to throw” and “place where something is thrown.” Later on in time the Europeans adopted the method of the Arabic’s by sleeping on cushions that had been thrown on the floor. Eventually mattress found its way into the English language.
A mattress can be placed on the floor, but in many cases it is placed on top of a type of platform, so that it’s further from the floor. Originally mattresses were filled with a wide variety of materials such as straw and even feathers. Today the type of material we use has changed, and they contain materials such as foam and latex. The mattress of today usually contain some type of spring, but may also contain a variety of natural fibres.
During the Neolithic period mattresses start to be invented, the bed upon which a mattress lies also change with the beds been raised so as to avoid drafts and vermin. The first mattresses probably consisted of a very few materials for example grass, leaves or maybe even straw and animal skin. Very different to what the beds of today are made with.
The mattress has seen many advances in recent decades, including the development of the air mattress, the foam mattress and the memory foam mattress. I recent years people are seeking affordability and convenience rather that quality due to the economic climate the world is seeing.
Types of mattresses
• The spring mattress core supports the body of a sleeper; today these mattresses are usually called “innersprings” and tend to be made of steal coil springs.
• The air mattress usually consists of one or more chambers rather than springs to provide its support for the sleeper. Quality of these mattresses can vary considerably with inexpensive ones for camping been available, and right at the other end of the scale where high end luxury ones are available.
• Memory foam mattresses use shape-conforming latex not springs to provide support for its sleeper. Most memory foam mattress stores offer a wide range of products which vary from high end products to low cost products.

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Conclusion
The mattress has changed throughout its lifetime, but remain a vital part of our lives, the memory foam mattress is without a doubt the most influential mattress, due to it being originally been developed by NASA.


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