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| Search articles | Messy Beds make you Healthy Rooney's strange bed! When to replace your mattress Mattress Information Christmas Stayover blues Backcare information Bed base information Have a lie in Bedroom design Bigger beds are better The bed in History Sleep tips Choosing the right bed The trouble with hotels

Failing to make your bed in the morning may actually help keep you healthy, scientists believe. (Courtesy of BBC News Health - Click here to see the whole article)

Research suggests that while an unmade bed may look scruffy it is also unappealing to house dust mites thought to cause asthma and other allergies.

A Kingston University study discovered the bugs cannot survive in the warm, dry conditions found in an unmade bed.

The average bed could be home to up to 1.5 million house dust mites.

The bugs, which are less than a millimetre long, feed on scales of human skin and produce allergens which are easily inhaled during sleep.

The warm, damp conditions created in an occupied bed are ideal for the creatures, but they are less likely to thrive when moisture is in shorter supply.

'Small glands'

The scientists developed a computer model to track how changes in the home can reduce numbers of dust mites in beds.

"Something as simple as leaving a bed unmade during the day can remove moisture from the sheets and mattress so the mites will dehydrate and eventually die."

In the next stage of their research, the scientists are putting mite pockets into beds in 36 houses around the United Kingdom to test their computer model and will investigate how people's daily routines affect mite populations.

Building features such as heating, ventilation and insulation will also be altered to monitor how the mites cope.

Dr Pretlove said the research had the potential to reduce the £700m spent treating mite-induced illnesses each year in the UK.

"Our findings could help building designers create healthy homes and healthcare workers point out environments most at risk from mites."

Dr Matt Hallsworth, of the charity Asthma UK, said: 'House-dust mite allergen can be an important trigger for many people with asthma, but is notoriously difficult to avoid."

Professor Andrew Wardlaw, of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology, agreed.

He said: "Mites are very important in asthma and allergy and it would be good if ways were found to modifiy the home so that mite concentrations were reduced.

"It is true that mites need humid conditions to thrive and cannot survive in very dry ( desert like) conditions.

"However, most homes in the UK are sufficiently humid for the mites to do well and I find it hard to believe that simply not making your bed would have any impact on the overall humidity."

 

When does a mattress need replacing?

 

Mattress information

Initially slight hollows may appear in the sleeping areas of the mattress. This is perfectly normal and is caused by the fillings compacting under the body weight and is not an indication of a faulty spring unit.Gradually the filling will compress to an even level over the entire surface. Turning and rotating the mattress will aid the settlement process.
Sprung mattresses contain layers of upholstery and fillings and require turning to ensure the even settlement across the entire sleeping surface. It is recommended that the mattress is rotated head to foot end and turned over completely once a fortnight for the first 3 months, then once every month thereafter, or as often as you change your bedding and sheets!
If the mattress has a summer side and a winter side then ensure that the mattress is set with the correct side upwards and rotate head to foot end once a month and then completely turn twice a year to coincide with the seasons.

A 'No Turn' mattress should still be rotated from head to footend once a month to keep the fillings fresh and even on the sleeping surface.

Latex and Memoryfoam mattresses dont need to be turned due to the pressure absorbing and rebounding properties of the materials used in construction of the mattress.

After delivery the mattress should be opened and aired for a few hours to freshen and remove any aroma caused by storage and transportation. It is strongly advised that the mattress is aired by turning back the duvet and sheets for a few hours at least once a week to allow the mattress to breathe and freshen. A mattress protector is advised as a great method of preventing wear on the surface of your mattress

The trouble with hotels

‘Lack of home comforts’ (27%) and ‘loneliness’ (25%) are the worst aspects of staying in a hotel, according to research published today – the poll also showed around one-third of people staying in a hotel for business purposes have had to do work (38%) or eat a meal (31%) from their hotel bed.

The study was commissioned by boutique Leeds apartment residence The Chambers – the company, whose ethos is to provide ‘more than just a bed’, said that an Alan Partridge-esque syndrome does start to creep into long-staying hotel guests where space, company and creature comforts are limited.

Yorkshire entrepreneur and creator of The Chambers, Christine Boothroyd, said: “If you’re away on business for extended periods, cooped up in a small hotel room most evenings, loneliness and boredom do become issues.

“Room facilities can be lacking and, given a choice, I think the vast majority of travellers and business guests would prefer not to have to write reports, work on laptops or eat meals from their hotel bed.

“Once in a while it’s okay, but for those who stay in hotels regularly the novelty soon wears off, and some business people can feel confined to their hotel room, bored and lonely, a bit like Alan Partridge.”

Steve Coogan’s Alan Partridge character of the eponymous BBC TV series spent 182 days in the fictional Linton Travel Tavern, famously once dismantling the room’s Corby trouser press through sheer boredom.

The Chambers’ survey revealed the worst aspects of staying in a hotel were: ‘lack of home comforts’ (27%), ‘loneliness’ (25%), ‘impersonal atmosphere’ (12%) and ‘room temperature’ (inability to self-adjust heating/cooling) (10%).

Christine added: “Loneliness aside, in-room facilities, or the lack of them, can also be an issue for hotel guests. Reading work documents is fine, but try writing or typing while lying down or propped against a pillow and it’s a pain – trust me, I’ve done it.

“Serviced apartments like ours give travellers much more space compared to a hotel, plus they offer a few more home comforts. Kitchens and dining tables allow guests to prepare then eat their own meals, while the table doubles as a desk to work from.

“Business travellers spending long periods in hotels do miss friends and family, especially those with young children – our spacious apartments have two bedrooms so guests can stay over at no extra charge.”

Of those staying for business purposes, 31% have had to eat a meal on their hotel bed, while 38% have had to do work from their hotel bed.

The Chambers’ research was undertaken online by polling specialist YouGov plc; results are weighted to be representative of the GB adult population; 1,595 working people were surveyed.

The Chambers apartments can be booked via the website www.morethanjustabed.com

Christmas stay over blues

This Christmas millions of us will sleep in a strange bed — in hotels, holiday homes or the houses of friends or family. We will return home tired and cranky, not just because we have eaten and drunk too much but because we have slept badly.
Sleep loss can affect concentration, the ability to think flexibly, memory and even speaking ability, a bad night over the Christmas period makes us more likely to feel sleepy in the afternoon, find the in-laws irritating, snap at the children — and have an accident on the motorway.

The first night away from home will always be rather a write-off. Sleep experts warn of “first-night syndrome”, which occurs whether you stay in a five-star hotel, a remote cottage or someone’s spare room. It seems that we all need time to adjust to a new sleeping environment — to differences in light, noise, type of bed or mattress, the position of the bed or even the side of it on which we sleep. This is why feedback from hotel guests is usually more positive after a two-night stay than a one-night one. Provided there is no time-zone change, “rapid habituation” should have occurred by the second or third night and we should all be sleeping sweetly. Most guests end up in overheated boxrooms, sleeping on small beds with sagging mattresses.

A child’s bed — a standard single bed — is 2ft 6in or 3ft wide, A standard double bed is 4ft 6in wide, which means that you have 3in or 9in each less sleeping space than your child does. If you are a fully grown adult and you put another fully grown adult on the other side who will kick, punch, snore, fart and fight you for the duvet, is it any wonder you’re not getting a good night’s sleep?

Research by the Sleep Council — an organisation funded by bed manufacturers — shows that the British and Americans have the world’s smallest double beds (135 x 190cm). This is 20 per cent less than the countries with the biggest beds: Belgium,Greece, the Netherlands, Iceland and Finland (160 x 200cm). And although British bed-buying habits are changing (the number of king-sized beds sold has risen by 2 per cent over the past five years), the standard double is still the biggest seller. What’s more, the spare room is the last place to benefit from any size increase — it is likely to contain the bed that your hosts dumped when they upgraded to a bigger, more comfortable one.

This is bad news if you have a back problem, an old or second-hand bed that has shaped itself to someone else’s body will almost certainly aggravate or contribute to back pain. A sagging mattress puts strain on muscles and ligaments, which in turn can cause long-term problems.

The other main complaint for people sleeping away from home is room temperature. Our bodies cool as we sleep and heat is lost from those parts that stick out from under the bedclothes — chiefly the head. So if there are too many bedclothes on you, or the room is too hot, this normal cooling process is affected. To sleep comfortably you need a cool room at 16-17C (61-63F).

The room temperature in someone else’s house can be difficult to control — and in any case, our preferences tend to differ according to age and sex. Older people usually prefer hotter rooms and men prefer colder bedrooms than women.

As if those problems were not enough, some experts say that the older mattress habitually found in the spare room is a breeding ground for dust mites — hardly cheering news for those with allergies who are planning a sleepover visit.

The problems of sleeping at your mother-in-law’s are not so much a bad bed as the trials and tribulations of being there It’s all psychological — eating her dreadful Christmas cake again, the food and alcohol intake, the children being given too many sweets, the fact that the present you bought for Uncle Albert is definitely too small for him. It’s all the worries and tribulations of Christmas itself when you go away.

It is reassuring to know, though, that making up for lost sleep while you are away is comparatively easy — you need not match it hour for hour, just make sure that you get one early night. If you usually sleep for seven hours and you lose a whole night’s sleep while away, you need only make up a third of the deficit to return to normal. An early night followed by ten hours’ sleep should do the trick.

Buying the right bed and mattress

Double beds are a comparatively recent innovation, for practical reasons twin beds make a lot of sense, It has nothing to do with the end of passion. But sleep is a selfish act — you’re not really designed to sleep in a bed with someone else.

The same goes for mattresses. Men like hard ones, women soft.

The charity BackCare advises that you lie on your back and slide your hand between the mattress and the small of your back. If there is a large gap, the bed is probably too hard for you; if it’s difficult to push your hand through the gap, it’s too soft. If you can slide your hand through but still keep contact with your back, it’s probably right.

Bed manufacturers say you should replace your mattress every 8-10 years.

Bed sizes

The most popular double bed sizes are:

Sleepover tips

BackCare Helpline

This year at least 40% of us will suffer from back pain at some point and as every back is different, knowing how to deal with the problem isn't always easy. Information, support and guidance on everything from preventing back problems to managing chronic pain is available from the helpline run by BackCare the charity for healthier backs.
Call 0870 950 0275 on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays between 9am and 12 noon; Thursday 1 - 4pm and on Wednesday 7.30 - 9pm.

Terminology
The base of the bed that you choose can greatly effect the overall feel of your mattress so it is important to understand which type of base will be most suitable for you.

Metal mesh base - this is the least common type of base and is generally used for childrens beds where the base may need to withstand an abnormally high level of rigorous treatment. It is simply a metal wire base that is interwoven and laid across the bedframe, and is very firm.
Slatted base - A more common form of base the solid pine slats are laid across the bedframe, in bigger beds there will be a central spine that runs the length of the bed with two sets of slats in each half of the bed, they will make the overall feel of the mattress slightly firmer as they are solid slats of wood and are not responsive to weight and pressure.
Sprung slatted base - rapidly becoming the most widely used form of base for bedframes. They are typically made from Beech and are very slightly bowed which allows a responsivness that isnt found on solid slatted bases. They make the overall feel of the mattress slightly softer due to the spring effect and are the best types of frames for prolonging the life of the mattress, due to the 'give' effect caused by the bow in the slats removing some of the initial pressure from the mattress.

 

Sleep Tips: Strategies for a Successful Sleep-in

National Sleep In Day (Sunday 30th October) acknowledges the fact that winter is now well and truly upon us. So make the most of the extra hour you can spend in bed when the clocks go back - it's only natural to want to stay tucked up when it's cold and dark outside!

Here's The Sleep Council's very own tips for making the most of having a lie-in - on National Sleep In Day or an other winter's day you don't have to get up straight away.

 

The centrepiece of every bedroom, the bed, is most often the most overlooked piece of furniture in the room
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The style of bed you choose for your most private and highly used space can transform this room in an instant. Like anything we buy, whether it be a toaster or a car, a suit or a home, the variety of choice is endless. What style to choose is based on three things: your aesthetic, your needs and your lifestyle.

1. Your aesthetic
Defining your aesthetic, or look, is not too hard! Simply look around your home to see what types of styles you tend to be drawm towards. Is your preference Victorian and romantic or clean lined and contemporary? By determining what style and designs appeal to you, deciding what style of bed to buy follows easily. Notice particular design elements that predominate in your home, as well as material preferences, and favourite colours. Pay close attention as well to scale and proportion. Once you have discovered and defined your aesthetic, deciding your needs follows.

2. Your needs
Ascertaining your requirements is easy and straightforward. Basically, examine your homes size to determine the size of bed that will fit into your bedroom or sleeping area. A four-poster bed with a full canopy may appeal to your design sensibility, but if the posts are eight feet high and your ceiling height is seven feet, this style bed will obviously not meet your needs.

3. Your lifestyle
Establishing your lifestyle is simple; how do you live in your home space? Do you spend a great deal of time in your home and rarely venture outside, or do you spend most of your time outside your home and simply use is as a place to crash. Is your bedroom the room in your home where you eat, sleep, watch television, read, pay bills and relax? Or is it simply the place where you sleep?

Britain 's bed chiefs are calling on new homes builders to build bigger bedrooms for bigger beds.
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The bed industry is taking the unprecedented step of appealing to new homes builders to construct homes with bedrooms that are big enough to take the increasingly popular king size double.

"Modern bedrooms, which cannot accommodate even a five foot (150cm) wide bed, are condemning us to less productive and less healthy lives. It is time to put a stop to this false economy. Bigger beds mean better sleep - disturbance caused by a partner's movement during the night in a small four foot six inch (135cms) wide bed can easily reduce restful sleep by up to one hour each night”.

The Sleep Council, which represents bed manufacturers, retailers and suppliers, agrees and has launched an on-line petition (www.sleepcouncil.com) in its bid to make squeezed bedroom space a thing of the past. "It makes sense that the more room you have in a bed, the less likely you are to disturb your partner.”

Proof that new houses are shrinking came with a study by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors published in April 2003. It showed that the average semi-detached house has shrunk from 1,647 sq ft and four bedrooms in 1920 to today's average of 925sq ft and three bedrooms.

Add to that the fact that the average British adult has grown larger and taller than we were just 40 years ago, and the scale of the problem becomes clear.

"In this day and age, it's ridiculous that couples are often forced to sleep on a standard 4'6" double because their bedroom simply isn't big enough to take a larger bed as well as wardrobes and other furniture," "A standard double gives each person just 2'3" each - that's the same amount of space we give a baby in a cot."

"We fully support The Sleep Council's efforts to promote bigger bedrooms for bigger beds. "Research has shown that many couples would buy a larger bed if there was sufficient space in their bedroom. Regrettably most new house builds still do not provide adequate space in the main bedroom for larger king and super king sized beds which help promote better and healthier sleep."

"With the price of houses going up every day, builders are making bedrooms smaller to help budgets. Sadly, this is when modern lifestyles with all the extra stress means we need bigger beds to properly relax in. A five foot (150cm) bed is the minimum for people to sleep properly in and unwind from the pressure of life today."

"A bed is an essential purchase - you spend 1/3rd of your life in it. With space often being an issue, it sadly isn't always possible to choose a big bed."

"We welcome The Sleep Council's 'It's a King Thing' initiative in connection with National Bed Month".

"In fact, we always recommend couples using a king-size bed, usually 180cm x 200cm, for best possible comfort," she said. "Being able to sprawl unhindered into a preferred sleeping position is the best way to get a restful sleep, and those who wake up fully rested will be more effective during the day and simply be in a better position to enjoy life to the full."

People in Belgium , Greece , Holland , Ireland , Finland and Switzerland all sleep on much bigger beds than Brits and top the world league for the largest double beds (160cm by 200cm). The UK and USA come bottom with our most popular double bed size (135cm by 190cm) being the narrowest and among the shortest in the world.

But it hasn't always been so. Historically, British beds and bedrooms were often larger and grander than they are now. When mass production of metal bedsteads started in the nineteenth century, beds were made in a number of different width sizes, but were normally 200cm (6ft 6in) long. Today's standard 190cm (6ft 3ins) length bed means at least one partner will have their feet hanging over the end of the bed.

"Ergonomic studies have shown that couples sleep better in a bigger bed. Before trials only 15% said they would buy a larger than standard bed while afterwards, 50% said they would”.

Figures certainly show that king and super-king sized beds are on the increase. In 1993, 20% of people bought new beds that were 5ft or more wide. Ten years on sales of king and super-king sized beds represent about 30% of sales.

"We are seeing far more requests from customers for larger beds - it's clear that customers are looking at the bed with far more consideration towards a comfortable night's sleep which they can get by going to a super king on their next purchase”.

 

A brief histoy of the bedstead
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The furniture made and used by the Saxons and Normans would have been scanty in amount and crude in craftsmanship. The two essentials in their lives were “bed and board,” a phrase still used today, however it did have a literal meaning in those days.
The Saxon bed was usually made up against a wall, as a type of bunk or cabin, sometimes in a recess, with a rough mattress placed on boards, together with covers, and curtains suspended from above. The curtains could be tightly drawn at night to keep draughts and light out, while keeping warmth and also illness in. The bedstead was a term used to denote the place, or stead, in which the bed was made, but when the bench was superseded by more elegant pieces of furniture, it still retained the now familiar name.
The ‘board’ was literally a board or boards, set up on trestles or tree stumps. The bed clothes would consisted of pillows, quilts and fur rugs, and would have only been for the well-to-do, everyone else would have slept on the floor of the hall, around the fire.
In the later Saxon period, some wooden bedsteads were wooden platforms with bedding placed on them. The Norman bedstead was similar, but sometimes had curtains drawn at the sides, hung from horizontal iron rails, which were attached to and projected from the wall.
The truckle-bed was the first step forward from the rough plank. It was a plain, low framed bedstead without any ornamentation, and it was used for some years to come as a bedstead in the basic servant's quarters. A lady's maid would sleep on the floor beneath the bedstead of her mistress, and the trenchor chaplain would "lie upon the truckle, whilst his young master lieth o'er his head." (Hall's Byting Satyres, 1599)
In the thirteenth century, a canopy or tester was introduced, which was suspended overhead by cords from the beams above, from which curtains were hung. This then developed into a bed chamber which was becoming more usual by the fourteenth century. Then came an elegant bedstead, similar to those now in vogue, called the Arabian, and perhaps first found by our ancestors during the crusade, with bed curtains hung from wooden or metal rails.
The four-post or great standing bed was introduced in the fifteenth century, and was probably brought from Austria, they developed into an enormous size, for example Great Bed of Ware, filling half the chamber, now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, which measured 11 feet square, this was however an exceptional size, and not the norm.

The term 'bed' once embraced not only what we know as the bed, but the curtains, hangings, tester, celour and all necessary appendages. The simple form of the earlier bedsteads did not allow much scope for displaying such trimmings, but the ancient coverlids, or counterpoints, were exceedingly handsome made with gold cloth, adorned with a fringe. At the head of the bed was hung a dorsar, as rich and costly as any that distinguished the state chair in the hall. The bedding in Henry III's palaces were magnificent, but fourteenth century barons surpassed these with beds made with rich silk fabrics from the East, fairly common with French nobility, however rarer in England.

The romantics speak of beds of extraordinary splendour, smothered in bars of gold, precious stones, fine silver, golden embroidery, and silk sheets. When a noble was defrocked, his household contents were taken too, and the bed was often the great prize, and therefore sometimes documented, as well as in wills. They speak of beds of green tarteran, or Chinese cloth of Tars, embroidered with ships and birds; red velvet, embroidered with ostrich feathers in silver, and heads of leopards in gold or another bed of arras (tapestry) embroidered with scenes of hunting and hawking.

As lords moved from one manor to another, their valuable bed usually went as well. Within large households, officers were appointed as yeoman hangers, and yeomen bedgoers, whose duty it was to truss the beds in sacks or hides, and organise the frequent bed removal. Portable beds were known as "trussing" beds, while the hangings were termed ‘the portable chamber.’ In 1398, the Duc d'Orleans paid 800 francs for un chambre portative, that consisted of a set of hangings, a seler, dorsar curtains and the counterpoint (usually the most expensive part of the bed). In 1381 a coverlid in the palace of the Duke of Lancaster, was estimated to be worth 1000 marks.

Feather beds were introduced into English homes in the early fourteenth century, imported from France as the English had not mastered the art of dressing and preserving feathers. The wealthiest households had a feather bed placed onto the matted truss (mattress) of straw, with a layer of canvas in between.

The woolen blanket was said to have been introduced in the fourteenth century, the problem they had was to keep warm as well as comfortable. As they had no fireplace various forms of artificial heating of the bed and chamber were contrived, such as warmed bricks, bed pans and more elaborate warm air systems.

In mediaeval homes the lady of the house would entertain her friends in the bed chamber, a place where romantic and chivalrous courtship took place, in fact it became the private reception room of the Tudor house. This custom may have encouraged the introduction of the "day-bed," or couch, which was more appropriate and convenient than the bed.

As the standard of living improved, within the middle classes, then commerce placed "lodging" within the means of people, "We ourselves have lain full oft upon straw pallets covered only with a sheet, or rought mats, and a good rounde log under our head instead of a bolster." The feather bed became common place, a wedding present, and the best bed in the great chamber was generally "a brissel tick" filled with feathers. In the days of Elizabeth and James, tradesmen often had two or three feather beds in the house.

The elaborately carved back was sometimes fastened to the panelling of the wall behind, and its low, heavy ceiling was supported by the massive carved posts actually standing away from the bed. The Tudor four post bedstead was enormous, with massive pillars, bulges of rich carving sometimes 18" in diameter, towering to the ceiling with a huge weight of selours, testers, vallances and hangings casting gloom and shadows over the bed, the top of each post ornamented with Cupids, the family coat of arms of the husband and wife in metal-work, or with gilded vanes. Fly-bitten tapestries and grotesque carvings of Griffins, monsters, frantic knights and distressed damsels in needlework, satyrs, "anticke boys," and wild creations of mediaeval fancy, grinning hideously were laden in frantic confusion over the head-board, up the pillars and around the deep cornices of the bedstead.
The bed itself had a wooden board or rope mesh foundation with the mattresses on top.

Out of all of the Tudors, Queen Victoria had the ultimate bed. A wardrobe warrant dated 1581, orders the delivery for the Queen's use of a bedstead of walnut-tree, richly carved, painted, and gilt. The selour, tester and vallance were of cloth of silver, figured with velvet, lined with a changeable taffetta, and deeply fringed with Venice gold, silver, and silk. The curtains were of costly tapestry, curiously and elaborately worked; every seam and every border laid with gold and silver lace, caught up with long loops and buttons of bullion. The head-piece was of crimson satin of Bruges, edged with passamayne of crimson silk, and decorated with six ample plumes, containing seven dozen ostrich feathers of various colours, garnished with golden spangles. The counterpoint was of orange-coloured satins of every imaginable tint, and embroidered with Venice gold, silver spangles and coloured silks, fringed to correspond, and lined with orange sarcenet. A royal patchwork indeed!

Oak continued to be the dominent timber used, particularly with furniture made in England. Walnut was used rarely, and was only seen in palaces and homes of the rich. Jacobean furniture was heavily carved, with Renaissance motifs, and inlay gave colour to the work, with the use of fruitwoods, bog oak, and later ivory and mother-of-pearl. Legs were turned, bulbous on tables and buffets during the reign of James I. Then later came the vase shapes in the turning, followed by bobbin turning and the barley-sugar twist legs.

In the seventeenth century, another type of bedstead was introduced from France, and most of the larger houses had one or two of these. The frames and posts were made all in one from beechwood, and they were much taller than the Tudor oak bedsteads. The tall, slender posts, the tester, the cornice and the ceilings were upholstered with the same material as the curtains, quilt and valance, as were the pair of stools at the foot of the bed, and these were often gorgeous. We read of a green and gold bed of a “parcelgilt bed with hangings and quilt of tawny taffety,” and velvet and satin were quite everyday materials.

The most magnificent is that occupied by James I. at Knole, which was hung with gold and silver tissue. The best bed would usually be left to the widow, a very sacred possession, for this would have been where she bore her many children, and where her husband would have died. The Jacobean’s also had plainer oak bedsteads without posts or ceilings, just neatly panelled low backs, which would have been a great deal chillier than those of their wealthier neighbours. There was then the truckle bed, now used by servants, that could have been packed for travelling, or pushed under a larger bed during the day.

There was also the mourning bed, also present during the seventeenth century, which has happily disappeared. It would have been entirely draped in black, the widow would not have had white sheets or pillow cases, and the rest of the bedroom would have been draped in the same way.

In Tudor and earlier Stuart times, the bedstead was considered to be the most important item of furniture in the home, whether of rich or poor status. The Restoration Stuart bedstead was of medium height, made of carved wood, with a valance all round below the cornice, and the hangings over the wooden headboard, arranged to draw around the the whole bedstead at night, as the rooms were loftier, and with small fire-places, bedchambers were still cold and draughty. Drapes were often of the same material as the window and door curtains, so co-ordinated colour schemes were starting then. The bed and bedding varied according to wealth, from plain to ornately carved, from flock or straw, to feather mattresses.

In the reign of William and Mary, the bedsteads became very tall, although they were less wide, in keeping with their loftier rooms. The carved wooden cornice or tester was now being covered with the velvet or brocade material from which the hangings were made. It was glued to the carving to hold the elaborately, decorative carving together. The drapes become more elaborate, especially around the headboard, they were extremely flamboyant beds. During the reign of Queen Anne, the bedsteads had returned to a more sensible height.

Tips for a Restful Night's Sleep
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1. Keep regular hours. Keep your biological clock in sync. Go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning — even on weekends.

2. Develop a sleep ritual. Do the same things each night just before bed to cue your body to settle down for the night.

3. Sleep on a comfortable, supportive mattress and foundation. It’s difficult to get deep, restful sleep on a sleep set that’s too small, too soft, too hard or too old. Since you will spend 1/3 of your life in your bed, a quality innerspring mattress and foundation is one of the most cost-effective purchases you can make. Studies have shown that an innerspring mattress and foundation create the least tension, strain and muscle fatigue on the lower back, therefore giving you a better night's sleep and allowing you to wake up refreshed and feeling great.

4. Exercise regularly. Regular exercise can help to relieve the day’s tension — but not too close to bedtime or you may have a hard time falling asleep.

5. Cut down on stimulants. Don’t consume stimulants in the evening - it interferes with falling asleep and prevents deep sleep. Caffeine is a known stimulant and the last thing you want in your system when you're trying to sleep. It can be found in coffee, teas, sodas, chocolate and certain medications, including nasal sprays. Be aware of your caffeine intake and limit it to the early hours if you must have it at all. Late-night trips to the coffeehouse may be fun, but they'll wreak havoc on your ability to sleep. Try decaf!

6. Don’t smoke. Smokers take longer to fall asleep, awaken more often and experience disrupted, fragmented sleep.

7. Drink only in moderation. Don’t drink alcohol shortly before bedtime. It interrupts and fragments sleep.

8. Unwind early in the evening. Try to deal with worries and distractions several hours before going to bed. Create a bedtime routine that makes you comfortable. If you're concerned about your big day tomorrow, keep a pad and pencil by your bed and make yourself a to-do list. This will put your mind at ease and allow you to sleep better. Try a warm bath or calm music. If you're lucky, get a massage from a friend!

9. Create a restful sleep environment. Sleep in a cool, quiet, dark room on a comfortable, supportive mattress and foundation. Quiet or quiet sounds are essential for quality sleep. Fall asleep to music only if it is non-distracting and uninterrupted by radio announcers who can scare you out of an otherwise restful sleep! Try sleeping with a fan, humidifier or air conditioner on. The low humming sound can be quite soothing. Heavy drapes can stifle outside noise, and the telephone ringer can always be turned off! Have your room dark. Your body is accustomed to sleeping in the dark, so even if you work the night shift and sleep during the day, trick your body into thinking it's night time by making the room dark.

10. Sleep Position. Try and avoid sleeping on your stomach, as that position forces your back's natural "S" curve into an unnatural arch. If you sleep on your back, a pillow under the knees will help maintain your proper spinal curve. The most natural position is the one you learned before you were born, the fetal (side) position. Snoring can often be reduced by using additional pillows to raise your head and shoulders. Also, try sleeping on your side rather than your back, as people tend to snore more on their back.

11. Make sleep a priority . Eliminate violent or emotionally stimulating shows late in the evening. If you really want to watch them, tape them and watch them the next morning as you prepare for your day. Say "yes" to sleep even when you’re tempted to stay up late. You’ll thank yourself in the morning.

Choosing the right Bed: Today's beds are better
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After 10 years, a bed has been subjected to some 30,000 hours of hard labour and may have deteriorated by as much as 70% from its 'as new' state.

You might be surprised to discover just what's changed since you last shopped around. Here's just a few of the key developments and improvements.