According to the Better Sleep Council, which is the consumer education arm of the International Sleep Products Association, the trade association for the mattress industry, our distant ancestors first realized there might be something more comfortable to sleep on than the bare hard ground. What they came up with wasn’t much better – it was just a layer of something between them and the hard ground.

It was the ancient Egyptians who figured out that raising the sleeping surface off the ground was a good idea. Of course, only the pharaohs and society’s elites had the pleasure of experiencing the benefits firsthand. While King Tut’s bed was not only raised off the ground, it was made of gold and ebony, everyday Egyptians continued to sleep on a pile of palm fronds.

It was the Romans that first started using something resembling what we would call a mattress. Imagine a sack full of hay or reeds, maybe some nice feathers, resting on top of a platform decorated with silver or gold.  Priorities!

The innovators of the Renaissance added a nice touch – they started covering the rough mattresses with fine fabrics like silk and velvet.  Once again, we must remember that it was only the wealthy classes who could indulge in such luxury.

Rumor has it that Louis XIV of France (1638-1718) loved to spend the day in bed. Apparently he even held court from his bed. Or, to be more accurate, we should say his beds. Plural. The guy had more than 400 of them.  He did reign for 72 years – which was a record at the time.  And he accomplished a lot in those 72 years, bringing changes to the monarchy, inspiring an outpouring of art and literature, expanding the size of the country and establishing France as the top European power. He must have really been on to something!

At Natural Sleep Mattress & Organic Bedding, which proudly carries the best mattress in Atlanta, the goal is for you to be able to sleep better and live well. Maybe not quite as well as the Sun King, as Louis XIV was known, but very well, indeed.  That’s why we carry Hastens, OMI Organicpedic ,  Pure Latex Bliss,  Naturepedic and other natural organic mattresses as well as customizable mattresses, cribs and beds for children and a range of luxury accessories.

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