Curious facts about mattresses that you did not know

Even though you spend a lot of time on your mattress, there are secrets it hides that go beyond the money you put under it. In today’s blog, we’ll show you some fun facts about mattresses that will probably make you appreciate yours even more. Or, at least, they’ll surprise you.

Curious facts about mattresses that you probably can’t even imagine

The mattresses are of Arab origin

When in the West they still slept on piles of straw tied up with rudimentary ribbons, in the Arab world they already slept on cushions. In fact, the wordmattress comes from the word Matrah, which is formed from the word Tahara meaning “to throw”. Also, the first to bring these wonders were the Crusaders, who baffled everyone with the luxurious pillows they used in the Middle East. Of course, these mattresses were not like today’s mattresses. The closest thing we have today are pouffes, which, although more comfortable than straw, are not recommended for long periods of sleep.

The world’s largest bed was in the Netherlands

The Netherlands may be a small nation, but they seem to love big beds. In 2011, for the summer festival of St. Gregory in Hertme, they built a bed measuring 26.5 x 16.24 meters and broke the Guinness World Record.

But the Netherlands’ obsession with big beds doesn’t end there, at the Lloyd Hotel in Amsterdam you can find a 4.2 meter wide bed, which can accommodate up to 8 people.

Mattress domination? It exists, and it holds a Guinness World Record!

Children love to play with dominoes. Maybe not in the same way as adults, but they have fun creating columns that they knock over with a hypnotic effect. Did you know that this same game exists, but with mattresses, and that people not only push them, but also tie themselves to them?

That’s right, human mattress dominoes are more popular than you think, they even have a Guinness record, 1200 dominoes knocked down!

Latex foam, an experiment in cooking

Latex mattresses have become increasingly popular, but did you know that this foam was born from a kitchen experiment? In 1926, Edward Arthur Murphy, who was a researcher at Dunlopillo, was trying to achieve a light foam with liquid latex, but the bubbles failed to stay in the rubber. So his wife recommended that he use a cake mixer and a steamer, which worked – and made latex foam the new sensation.

Not making the bed is healthier?

Although your mother always told you that you should make your bed as a way to keep your room tidy, there is scientific evidence that not following this morning ritual could be beneficial to your health. It turns out that when you make your bed and cover the mattress with the sheets and comforter, sweat and moisture get trapped. This creates the perfect conditions for the spread of dust mites. In that sense, the recommendation is not to make the bed immediately after you get up. Hang the sheets and comforter out in the open air, and make sure they get some sunlight, this will help to kill the dust mites.

More curiosities

• We spend an average of almost 28 years sleeping on our mattress. This is equivalent to almost one third of our lifetime.
• A mattress can have a useful life of up to 10 years. According to ASOCAMA (Spanish Bed Association), it is advisable to change the mattress once it has reached those years, it all depends on the use we make of it.
• In a mattress we can find more than 2 million mites. They are not allergic, but they do have a protein that they expel through their feces. We must make sure that the mattress is anti-dust mite, that is to say, that it helps to repel them.
• The world’s oldest mattress was unearthed in South Africa in 2011. It was created by cave-dwelling humans 77,000 years ago and the mattress was found under a large amount of bedding made from herbs and plants.
• According to a study conducted by NASA about the well-known Spanish siesta, we would need a 26-minute nap to increase our performance by 35% and our level of alertness by 55%. If you can afford a short nap, do it.
• Lack of rest also depends on a poor quality mattress.

Mattresses had to undergo a large number of transformations to be what we know today. Aren’t you glad to know that now you don’t have to sleep on a pile of straw? Or that Murphy’s wife made that suggestion? We are! Without it, we could not have reached the current level of comfort and rest. Remember that in our Don Colchón stores in Jávea, Calpe and Dénia you can find the best selection of elements for your rest. As well as in our website. Check out all the opportunities we have for you.