Around 3400 BC Egyptian pharaohs had their beds moved off the ground and slept on a raised surface. Roman Empire mattresses were stuffed with wool, feather, reeds or hay. The beds were decorated with paint, bronze, silver, jewels and gold. During the Renaissance, mattresses were stuffed with straw and feathers and then covered with silks, velvets or satin material. The arrival of the 18th century brought bed frames made from cast iron, and mattresses that were made of cotton. The 19th century saw the invention of the bed spring, also called the box spring. The 20th century brought the inner spring mattress, futon, water bed (starting in the 1960s), air mattresses, foam rubber mattresses and pillows. Read more ...