How it all Began.
The very first history of mattresses is believed to have been invented about 7,000 years ago by those living in a region of South Africa. Here they constructed mattresses (which came to be about a foot thick and an impressive 22 feet long), using layers of plant based materials.
Then Thousands of years later in around 3,400 B.C., the Egyptians made another significant advancement in the bedding history, Pharaohs mainly and members of the upper-class would sleep on raised wooden pallets that more closely resembled the style of bed we know today.
The Renaissance Era continued to experiment with softer materials to fill their mattresses with, things like straw and feathers. They also popularized the use of bed covers (which were sometimes made of nicer fabrics like velvet and silks) and ushered in the curtained four-poster bed in the late 1700s.
In December of 1869, their work forms the foundations of what we know as the modern mattress that many people sleep on today, surprisingly it took about 60 years to become popular As of the late as the 1950s, mattresses were filled with cotton instead of springs. Cotton became more compact and harder, while springs tended to give a little.
The Water Bed kept a float

The Romans, who took a big leap ahead with the creation of the first waterbed! While water wasn’t exactly placed inside of the mattress, they did devise a sleeper so that younger children that could recline into a tub of warm water to get them ready for a perfect sleep.
The Persians had a version of the waterbed, however the modern waterbed was invented in 1833 by a Scottish physician called Dr. Neil Arnott. They became known as the ‘Dr. Arnott’s Hydrostatic Bed’, it was best known to reduce bedsores. It really was a warm bath filled with water, and topped with a layer of rubber on top to prevent water from escaping . Then in 1968, American man named Charles Hall launched his design, this was a vinyl tape mattress that was filled with heated water. He introduced this to his class at San Francisco State University as part of his master’s thesis. The Students loved it and couldn’t get enough of it, forgoing all other projects to try out the waterbed. By the end of 1986, waterbeds had taken 20 percent of the market share in the USA.
The spring came together

Marshall coils were invented in 1899 by Canadian-born James Marshall, a machinist and engineer who was born near Haldimand, Ontario, Canada. He received a Canadian patent in 1900, and United States and United Kingdom patents in 1902. Marshall established the original Marshall Mattress company in Toronto, Canada, which his family continued to operate for over 119 years.
The Memory Foam Mattress was born
Early in 1966, NASA created memory foam, then called temper foam, this was for the use of airplane seats. But in the 80s, companies tried to use this same material to make a mattresses and with the first success unveiled in 1991 the memory foam mattress was awoken. Memory foam mattresses are now the biggest alternative to traditional natural springs mattresses.
Beds went into Space

NASA has had to develop ways for astronauts to sleep in space. There is no gravity in space, so a spring or memory foam mattress would not work. They had come up with the velcroing normal sleeping bags to space craft surfaces so that astronauts did not float around while they were asleep. Another issue of lack of gravity also meant that pockets of exhaled carbon dioxide can build up above the astronaut’s. If the area is not well-ventilated, the astronaut could wake up out of breath. However Springs proved to be more important in the step towards improving the quality of mattress and quality of sleep. After a big surge in popularity of the water bed, springs were quickly being replaced with memory foam products.
What the Future holds for Beds And Mattresses
So technology is the way forward and the Future of smart beds with surround sound with built in facilities for watching TV in bed, the full media experience is here. Remote control functions, charger ports built in for ease and sub bass speakers for an ultimate cinema experience right in the comfort of your bed!
Temperature controlled beds have been around using gel technology and foams that keep you cool as you sleep. This has also been proven great for health benefits, over heated sleepers and in climates that are hot during the evenings.
Beds that massage gently to wake you up with a head and foot massage, making us awake in total comfort. The future of beds and mattresses may combine all of the best sleep practices in one package, leaving you feeling well-refreshed every single morning. These beds are adjustable and mattresses that through Bluetooth and an app with built in Wi-Fi-enabled give you ample support that customizable to your every need.