Bed Facts for Kids

Portable bed

A bed is a special piece of furniture where people sleep. It usually has a soft mattress resting on a bed frame. Most beds also have bed sheets to cover the mattress. People use extra sheets to sleep under, and a pillow for their head. Beds come in many sizes, like single, double, and king size.

The History of Beds
Different Kinds of Beds
How to Make Your Bed Properly
Images for kids
See also

The History of Beds

An ancient bed, 10 feet high, from Bangladesh.

Long ago, prehistoric people slept on natural materials. They used piles of straw or leaves. Beds similar to what we use today likely appeared before 4000 BC. The ancient Romans were the first to use mattresses filled with soft feathers.

Different Kinds of Beds

Many types of beds are used today. Some names describe the size of the mattress. Other types are often temporary. These include camp cots, air mattresses, and hammocks.

Single bed
Double bed
Bunk beds
Twin beds
Camp bed or Cot
Futon
Cot or Crib
Carrycot or Portacrib
Cradle

How to Make Your Bed Properly

Modern day beds.

Making your bed is a helpful daily task. It makes your room look neat and organized. Here are the steps to make your bed like a pro:

Step 1: Clear the Bed

Take off all the bedding from your bed. This includes sheets, blankets, comforter, and pillows.
Fold up the mattress pad or protector. Set it aside for a moment.

Step 2: Add the Mattress Pad

If your mattress has a pad or protector, put it on first.
Smooth it out carefully. Make sure there are no wrinkles.

Step 3: Put on the Bottom Sheet

Place the bottom sheet on the bed.
Make sure the elastic corners fit tightly over each of the four mattress corners.
Pull the sheet tight and smooth out any wrinkles.

Step 4: Put on the Top Sheet

Unfold the top sheet. Place it over the bed.
Make sure it hangs evenly on both sides.
Tuck the sheet under the mattress at the bottom of the bed.

Step 5: Add the Blanket or Comforter

Unfold your blanket or comforter. Place it over the bed.
Make sure it hangs evenly on both sides.
Smooth it out. You can tuck it in at the bottom if you like.

Step 6: Fluff and Place Pillows

Fluff up your pillows. Make them nice and soft.
Place the pillows at the head of the bed. Make sure they are even.

Step 7: Final Touches

Smooth out any remaining wrinkles in the bedding.
Make sure the whole bed looks neat and tidy.

World Record for Bed Making

Guinness World Records shares an amazing fact. The fastest time for two people to make a bed is 14.0 seconds. This record includes one blanket, two sheets, an undersheet, an uncased pillow, one pillowcase, one counterpane, and "hospital corners." Two nurses from the Royal Masonic Hospital in London achieved this in 1993.

Images for kids

Bedroom on the Detmold Open-air Museum premises
Tutankhamun's gilded bed from the 14th century BC
The stone boxes are thought to have held bedding. Skara Brae (occupied 3180 BC to about 2500 BC)
Headrest with two images of the God Bes, c. 1539–1190 BCE, Brooklyn Museum
Southampton Medieval Merchant's House bedroom
Napoleon's bed (château de Compiègne)
The Great Bed of Ware, one of the largest beds in the world
Lit à la polonaise (Polish style bed), Royal Castle in Warsaw, 18th century.
Patent #322,177, on 14 July 1885 issued to Sarah E. Goode for a cabinet bed
Drawing of a candle-lit mourning bed (Trauergerüst) for abbess Franziska Christine von Pfalz-Sulzbach, 1776
Chinese style beds