A mattress is a mat or pad, usually placed on top of a bed A bed ( listen ) is a large piece of furniture (or a location) used as a place to sleep, and as a primary place for relaxation and sexual activity, upon which to sleep Sleep is a naturally recurring altered state of consciousness with relatively suspended sensory and motor activity, characterized by the inactivity of nearly all voluntary muscles. It is distinguished from quiet wakefulness by a decreased ability to react to stimuli, but it is more easily reversible than hibernation or coma. Sleep is a heightened or lie.

The word mattress is derived from Arabic Arabic (العربية al-ʿarabīyah, ( Arabic pronunciation ) or عربي ʿarabi) is a Central Semitic language, thus related to and classified alongside other Semitic languages such as Hebrew and the Neo-Aramaic languages. Arabic has more speakers than any other language in the Semitic language family. It is spoken by more than 280 million words meaning "to throw" and "place where something is thrown" or "mat, cushion." During the Crusades The Crusades were a series of religiously sanctioned military campaigns waged by much of Western Christian Europe, particularly the Franks of France and the Holy Roman Empire. The specific crusades to restore Christian control of the Holy Land were fought over a period of nearly 200 years, between 1095 and 1291. Other campaigns in Spain and, Europeans adopted the Arabic method of sleeping on cushions A cushion is a soft bag of some ornamental material, stuffed with wool, hair, feathers, polyester staple fiber, non-woven material, or even paper torn into fragments. It may be used for sitting or kneeling upon, or to soften the hardness or angularity of a chair or couch. Cushions and rugs can be used temporarily outside, to soften a hard ground thrown on the floor, and the word materas eventually descended into Middle English Middle English is the name given by historical linguists to the diverse forms of the English language in use between the late 11th century and about 1470, when the Chancery Standard, a form of London-based English, began to become widespread, a process aided by the introduction of the printing press into England by William Caxton in the late 1470s through the Romance languages.[1]

Though a mattress may be placed directly on the floor, it is usually placed on top of a platform (such as a platform bed or a metal box-spring A box-spring is a sturdy wooden frame, covered in cloth, some containing springs. Usually the box-spring is placed on top of a wooden or metal bedframe which sits on the floor and acts as a brace. The box-spring is usually the same size as the much softer mattress which is placed above the box-spring. Working together, the frame, box-spring, and or a slatted foundation) to be further from the ground. Historically, mattresses have been filled with a variety of natural materials, including straw and feathers. Modern mattresses usually contain either an inner spring A spring is an elastic object used to store mechanical energy. Springs are usually made out of hardened steel. Small springs can be wound from pre-hardened stock, while larger ones are made from annealed steel and hardened after fabrication. Some non-ferrous metals are also used including phosphor bronze and titanium for parts requiring corrosion core or materials such as latex Latex as found in nature is a milky sap-like fluid found in 10% of all flowering plants . It is a complex emulsion consisting of proteins, alkaloids, starches, sugars, oils, tannins, resins, and gums that coagulates on exposure to air. It is usually exuded after tissue injury. In most plants, latex is white, but some have yellow, orange, or, viscoelastic Viscoelasticity is the property of materials that exhibit both viscous and elastic characteristics when undergoing deformation. Viscous materials, like honey, resist shear flow and strain linearly with time when a stress is applied. Elastic materials strain instantaneously when stretched and just as quickly return to their original state once the, or other polyurethane A polyurethane is any polymer consisting of a chain of organic units joined by urethane (carbamate) links. Polyurethane polymers are formed through step-growth polymerization by reacting a monomer containing at least two isocyanate functional groups with another monomer containing at least two hydroxyl (alcohol) groups in the presence of a-type foams A foam is a substance that is formed by trapping many gaseous bubbles in a liquid or solid. Mattresses may also be filled with air or water, or a variety of natural fibres, such as in futons Futon is an English word derived from Japanese futon /ˌɸɯˈtɔ̃ŋ/ (help·info), a term generally referring to the traditional style of Japanese bedding consisting of padded mattresses and quilts pliable enough to be folded and stored away during the day, allowing the room to serve for purposes other than as a bedroom. The bedding set referred.

Contents

History

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Photo on a 1940 USDA circular promoting home production of cotton mattresses

Mattress dimensions

Mattresses thicknesses range from four to eighteen inches (10 to 46 cm).

International Mattress Sizes[3]
Denomination The Americas inches (cm) U.K. inches (cm) E.U. (Continental) cm (inches) Asia (Thailand) cm (inches)
Crib / Toddler 27.25x51.625 in (69.2x131.1 cm) 27.5 x 55 in (70 x 140 cm) cotbed
Mini Single (UK: small single) 30×69 in (76.2×175.2 cm)
Twin/Single (UK: single) 39×75 in (99×191 cm) 36×75 in (91×191 cm) 90×200 cm (35.4x78.7 in) 107×198×56 cm (42.1x78.0x22.0 in)
Twin/Single XL 39×80 in (99×203 cm) 42x75 in (106x191 cm)
Double/Full (UK: small double) 53×74 in (135×188 cm) 48×75 in (122×190 cm) 140×200 cm (55.1x78.7 in) 122×198×56 cm (48.0x78.0x22.0 in)
Double/Full XL (UK: double) 53×80 in (135×203 cm) 54×75 in (137x190 cm)
Queen 60×80 in (152x203 cm) 160×200 cm (63.0x78.7 in)
Olympic/Expanded Queen novelty size by Simmons 66×80 in (167×203 cm)
California Queen (primarily a wood-framed water bed size, becoming obsolete) 60x84 in (152×213 cm)
King (UK: King) 76×80 in (193×203 cm) 60×78 in (152×198 cm) 180×200 cm (70.9x78.7 in) 183×198×56 (72.0x78.0x22.0 in)
California King 72×84 in (183×213 cm)
Super King (UK: Super King) 72×78 in (182×198 cm)
Grand King (novelty size by Select Comfort air beds) 80×98 in (203×249 cm)
A comparative diagram of some U.S. mattresses
A comparative diagram of some UK mattresses

Components of an innerspring mattress

Pocket springs

A common innerspring mattress consists of three components: the spring core, the foundation, and the upholstery layers.[4]

Spring mattress core

The core of the mattress supports the sleeper’s body. Modern spring mattress cores, often called "innersprings," are made up of steel coil springs A Coil spring, also known as a helical spring, is a mechanical device, which is typically used to store energy and subsequently release it, to absorb shock, or to maintain a force between contacting surfaces. They are made of an elastic material formed into the shape of a helix which returns to its natural length when unloaded, or "coils."

The gauge American wire gauge , also known as the Brown & Sharpe wire gauge, is a standardized wire gauge system used since 1857 predominantly in the United States for the diameters of round, solid, nonferrous, electrically conducting wire. The cross-sectional area of each gauge is an important factor for determining its current-carrying capacity of the coils is another factor which determines firmness and support. Coils are measured in quarter increments. The lower the number, the thicker the spring. In general, higher-quality mattress coils have a 14-gauge (1.63 mm) diameter. Coils of 14 to 15.5-gauge (1.63 to 1.37 mm) give more easily under pressure, while a 12.5-gauge (1.94 mm) coil, the thickest typically available, feels quite firm.

Connections between the coils help the mattress retain its shape. Most coils are connected by interconnecting wires; encased coils are not connected, but the fabric encasement helps preserve the mattress shape.

Here are five types of mattress coils:

Bonell springs are hour-glass shaped, which means their resistance increases with load. They are therefore best suited for firm mattresses.

Pocket springs provide support along the entire length of the body. This design works to maintain natural spinal alignment throughout the night.[clarification needed]

Air mattresses

Air mattresses use one or more air chambers instead of springs to provide support. Quality and price can range from inexpensive ones used occasionally for camping, all the way up to high-end luxury beds. Air mattresses designed for typical bedroom use cost about the same as inner-spring mattresses with comparable features.

Air mattresses as regular beds

Several companies currently produce adjustable firmness air mattresses. In 1981, Comfortaire began manufacturing and marketing air mattresses that looked conventional, but allowed users to adjust the firmness. Select Comfort patented a variant and began marketing them in 1987. Today, Select Comfort produces the Sleep Number bed which allows couples to independently adjust each side of the bed to their individual preference for comfort and firmness[5].

Adjustable air mattresses come in a variety of models from basic, no-frills ones that measure about 7" in height, to high-profile, 15" tall hybrids that contain several types of foam, pillow tops, and digital pumps with memory, for individual pressure settings.

Air bladder construction varies from a simple polyethylene bag to internally baffled, multiple chambers of latex Latex as found in nature is a milky sap-like fluid found in 10% of all flowering plants . It is a complex emulsion consisting of proteins, alkaloids, starches, sugars, oils, tannins, resins, and gums that coagulates on exposure to air. It is usually exuded after tissue injury. In most plants, latex is white, but some have yellow, orange, or (vulcanized rubber) with bonded cotton exteriors. Mattresses have a layer of foam above the air chambers for added cushioning. The air chambers, top and sidewall foam all sit inside a removable two piece cover that looks like the outside of a standard innerspring mattress. These high-end luxury Air Beds are also known as soft sided Air Beds.

Air mattresses for medical use

Medical versions of adjustable firmness mattresses have special control mechanisms. In 1990s, the industry began producing self-adjusting air beds that automatically change their pressure periodically, and/or inflate and deflate several air chambers alternately. The intention of these periodic changes is to reduce problems with decubitus ulcers (bed sores Bedsores, more properly known as pressure ulcers or decubitus ulcers, are lesions caused by many factors such as: unrelieved pressure; friction; humidity; shearing forces; temperature; age; continence and medication; to any part of the body, especially portions over bony or cartilaginous areas such as sacrum, elbows, knees, and ankles. Although), though it is still a subject of research how effective this is.[6]

Self-inflating air mattresses

Air mattresses for camping are often filled with foam. The foam itself provides little support, but will expand when the mattress' air valve is opened, and draw in air, so the mattress will (nearly) inflate by itself. This is especially useful for hikers, as unlike normal air mattresses no pump is needed for inflating. A common brand is Therm-a-Rest.

Foam mattresses

Foam mattresses use shape-conforming latex Latex as found in nature is a milky sap-like fluid found in 10% of all flowering plants . It is a complex emulsion consisting of proteins, alkaloids, starches, sugars, oils, tannins, resins, and gums that coagulates on exposure to air. It is usually exuded after tissue injury. In most plants, latex is white, but some have yellow, orange, or or viscoelastic memory foam Memory foam is polyurethane with additional chemicals increasing its viscosity and density. It is often referred to as visco-elastic polyurethane foam. In some formulations, it is firmer when cooler. Higher density memory foam reacts to body heat, allowing it to mold to a warm human body in a few minutes. A lower density memory foam is pressure- plus polyurethane flexi-foam to provide better support than springs alone, as well as in combinations of springs and foams. Latex mattresses generally come in two types of Latex, Talalay and Dunlop, which are manufactured differently and provide different feels as well as different qualities. Mattresses manufactured using memory foam or latex Latex as found in nature is a milky sap-like fluid found in 10% of all flowering plants . It is a complex emulsion consisting of proteins, alkaloids, starches, sugars, oils, tannins, resins, and gums that coagulates on exposure to air. It is usually exuded after tissue injury. In most plants, latex is white, but some have yellow, orange, or are generally hypoallergenic Hypoallergenic, meaning "below normal" or "slightly" allergenic, was a term first used in a cosmetics campaign in 1953. It is used to describe items that cause or are claimed to cause fewer allergic reactions. Hypoallergenic pets still produce allergens, but because of their coat type or absence of fur or absence of a gene that.[citation needed] Since foam varies in quality, prices can vary widely. Most mattress manufacturers offer a line of memory foam mattresses.

Foundation

There are three main types of foundations.

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How is Latex mattress better than any other mattress?
Q. Ive noticed that 100% Latex mattresses are the most expensive. Although someone told me that you can feel hot on the mattress too and so it doesnt suit tropical climates I have a weak back and I want to go for a good mattress which is good for me and also fits my budget of 1000 aus dollars. Can you please advice ?
Asked by mo k - Mon Nov 26 22:59:47 2007 - - 1 Answers - 1 Comments

A. latex is good bacause it never loses shape, never gets lumpy, or get in-built shapes (like is lower where you usually sleep). Latex normally have life gaurantees, because its rubber it just bounces back as soon as you get off it. Not to mention also that you wont get dust mites in your matress, and it wont ever get smelly..Latex is great!
Answered by Simone F - Tue Nov 27 00:47:42 2007

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