Bed

A bed is an item of furniture or an area that is mainly used for sleeping and resting. Beds are generally rectangular-shaped; however they may be of different shapes, sizes, and materials. Beds were initially made of piles of straw or heaps of feathers, and other natural materials. Earlier, beds were at floor level. But were then raised off the ground, to avoid pests and dirt. Today, beds may be at floor-level or off the floor. Modern beds generally have a wooden or metal platform with springs and with a mattress on top. The mattresses may be made up of cotton or artificial fillers, such as solid foam, water, or air. Modern manufacturing conventions have a limited number of standard sizes for commercial bedding. The standard in English speaking countries is the the Double size, based on the inch sizes. European sizes for beds are based on the metric system. In most countries, a Single bed refers to a bed size that is half the width of a Double. However, in some nations, such beds have become rare, making a Twin bed the standard for one-person sleeping. In these places, a Single bed has come to mean a Twin bed. Most beds have supplementary items, such as pillows, bed-sheets, blankets, and so on. The pillows support the head, while the bed-sheets cover the mattress. The blankets or quilts can be used to cover the sleeper and provide warmth.