Bed
A [[bed is a piece of furniture that is essentially a horizontal surface, large enough to lie on; it is mainly used for sleeping. They are also commonly used for relaxing, sitting, reading, and for sexual activities.
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 advancement is raising them off the ground, to avoid drafts, dirt, and pests.
To make beds more comfortable the top layer is normally 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 mattress use springs. One alternative filling is water, making a waterbed.
Atop the mattress to provide more support for the head most people use a pillow. Also used are some for of covering blanket to provide warmth to the sleeper, often sheets, a quilt, or a duvet.
To support mattress some beds use a simple wood planks. More comfortable but less solid are springs. Most expensive and bulky, but also strong and comfortable are box springs, a large mattress sized box containing wood and springs.
Bed sizes
In the United States, are standardized into four main sizes (measurements in inches):
- twin (39" × 75")
- full (54" × 75"), also known as a "double"
- queen (60" × 80")
- king (76" × 80")
The dimensions are for the mattress; the actual bed will be a little bigger. There are some variations of these, such as "extra long" versions (typically five inches longer), split-two's, etc.
A king-sized bed differs from the other sizes in implementation, as it is not common to have a king-sized box spring; rather, two twin-sized box springs are used under a king-sized mattress.
Types of bed
There are many varieties of bed.
- A futon is a traditional style of Japanese bed.
- A waterbed is a bed/mattress combination where the mattress is filled with water.
- A Murphy bed is designed to be folded or raised upright into a cabinet or closet to save space.