Changes

Societies in east Asia, particularly China, Korea, and Japan, developed a floor-based culture for many activities, including eating and sleeping. One main reason has to do with cooling and heating for different months. Heating, for instance, was done underneath floors, which meant that sleeping on the floor more directly, with only a thin mattress, would be more practical, as it greater heat would be felt. In summer months, being nearer to the floor would also be cooler. Furthermore, the floor was seen as where sitting would take place in, thus the bed became the primary social space in eastern Asian societies. Beds such as the <i>kang</i> became the spaces that many social activities revolved around, but they were practical as it allowed easy heating of this space without having to create smoky rooms for heating such as found in many ancient and medieval homes in Europeand other colder climates.<ref> For more on eastern beds, see: Liu, T.S.(2016). Environmental history in east asia: interdisciplinary perspectives. (2016). Routledge, pg. 110.</ref>

In Europe, leather or rope was used in the framing. This probably led to the expression "sleep tight" as the rope or leather would loosen over time as the bed was used. Beds were often used as chairs and tables, as limited space in smaller homes with large families meant beds were generally not seen as a standalone piece of furniture. On the other hand, royalty and wealthy individuals used their beds for different activities. Formal beds were sometimes used as reception rooms to receive guests. A second bed might be kept for sleeping and sexual activity. It was also quite common to share beds, even with strangers, as bedding space was often limited in inns and other places for the public.<ref>For more on Medieval beds in Europe, see: Forgeng, J. L. (2013). <i>The Middle Ages: everyday life in medieval Europe.</i></ref>