Sleeping in the Middle Ages

Nowadays, going to bed is a simple task; people go to sleep in their own, warm bed, usually in their own room. However, during the Middle Ages, things were very different. Only the wealthy (nobles) could afford to have their own bed in a separate room. These beds were extremely expensive and often mentioned in wills. Peasants had houses without internal walls, so there was only one large room in the house, with a single bed that was shared by family members and eventual guests.  The reason for having a single bed in the house was that beds were really expensive. While nobles had beds with mattresses, sheets, canopies and curtains, peasants could only afford straw mattresses and animal skin to cover themselves.

In medieval times, beds were more than a place to sleep, they served a social function as well. They were a gathering place, the whole family slept in the same bed, and guests were often invited to sleep in the same bed. A famous example is when Richard I of England shared his bed with Philip II of France. This was a diplomatic action, a demonstration of trust between the two nations. Nobles would also receive guests and have meetings while in bed.

Even though they were important and expensive, beds were quite dirty. Lice, fleas and bed bugs were common. Even most nobles didn't change their bed sheets with frequency. Peasants also had to share their bed with rats, since there were no walls to separate the house in different rooms and they had poor sanitary conditions. Single beds with private rooms only became common during the past couple of centuries.

Beds varied according to different civilizations, and they evolved throughout the ages:

Egyptian bed

Roman bed

Henry VIII's bed at Hever Castle

The Great Bed of Ware built in 1580

Polish style bed of the 18th century

Napoleon I's bed at Château de Compiègne