Is the History of the Pillow as Cool as the Other Side?
Ever since man has slept, he has looked for someplace to put his dreary head, whether that be a rock, memory form, or feathers they all perfectly accommodate his bed. You use pillows for (hopefully) eight hours a day, so they are an important part of your life that you might not take into consideration. Pillows have been around since the beginning of time, and are an essential part of our life. So what is their history?
Pillows are especially important for the human body. They support our necks and spines by putting them in the correct position while we sleep. Sleep is one of the most powerful and important human actions. It repairs our body and mind from the previous day, prepares them for
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the next, and is necessary to function on a day to day basis. Most people would agree that pillows, with the comfort and support they provide to us, are truly an essential part in our daily life. As I said earlier, pillows have been around as long as humans have been going to sleep. By looking at a close relative, chimpanzees, we can determine that our pre-historic ancestors most likely used their arms to rest their head more comfortably. The first “pillows” were developed by the ancient Mesopotamians, around 9000 years ago, and were rocks with a space carved out to put your head in. Only the very wealthy and people of nobility had the privilege to use these pillows. The ancient Egyptians went a slightly different route, to headrests and head “holders,” which would be made out of wood or stone. These headrests were found in tombs, and as far as we know were mainly used on the deceased, to support the head as they transitioned to the afterlife. The first big advancement of pillows occurred in ancient Rome and Greece. They mastered the “soft” pillow by using straw and feathers in a cloth sack. The affluent and wealthy were the only ones to have access to the softer pillows, but everyone in the two societies had access to some sort of pillow. Unfortunately the trend of soft pillows ended with the fall of the Romans and Greeks, which may have left millions sleep deprived. Maybe the most interesting time for pillows was the Chinese Dynasties. Pillows at this time were made out of jade, bamboo, bronze and porcelain. Porcelain was the favored of the materials used to make pillows and began to be mass produced during the Tang Dynasty (around 650 A.D). Porcelain reigned king until the thirteenth century when it began to be phased out for better materials. The pillows that were made during the porcelain era were both extremely colorful and decorative, they often had drawings of animals, mountains and many other depictions of the Chinese culture on them. As the world transitioned to the middle ages, pillows became somewhat of a status symbol, not for class or wealth, but for toughness. King Henry VIII (1491-1547) actually banned pillows for anyone besides pregnant women. Fortunately, the kings that came afterward disagreed and pillows started to become a more integrated part of people’s lives. The pillow “boom” happened during the industrial revolution. Pillows became more affordable as American textile plants began to mass produce them, so much so that you can still find many pillows from this era in antique shops. As the 20th century rolled around, pillows gradually became what they are today. Modern pillows are more extensive and intricate than you would think. A simple Amazon search of the word “pillow” brings up over five million results. The reason there are so many is because many different variables combine to create a pillow. First, is the filling, the most common are foam and synthetic fibers. The most comfortable and many people’s favorite filling, including me, is feathers, specifically down feathers since they are extremely soft and can conform to the shapes desired. The downsides to down feathers are that they are usually the most expensive and some people have allergic reactions to them, but fortunately many pillows today are hypoallergenic. The next part of a pillow is the case. Most cases are a simple cloth material with one side open. Some fancier cases are made from silk or a high quality cotton and can sometimes be what is called a “sham” where all sides are enclosed and there is only a slit in the back to insert the pillow. Pillows are broken down into three different types; bed pillows, orthopedic pillows and decorative pillows.
A bed pillow is your regular rectangle or square shaped pillow you sleep with. Bed pillows come in a variety of sizes, there are the standard square (16 x 16), square (26 x 26), standard (20 x 26), queen (20 x 30), king (20 x 36), and body pillows (40 x 140) which are meant to be as long as an adult to provide support to the entire body. Orthopedic pillows are meant to provide support and comfort to a specific area, especially on the go. The most common orthopedic pillow is the travel pillow, which is a “U” shaped pillow that you put around your neck, which is commonly used by people on flights. Other orthopedic pillows are the donut and lumbar pillows which are used to ease pain in the lower back. Decorative pillows are used to liven up the aesthetic of whichever room they are placed in, and whatever object they are placed on. Common names for these decorative pillows are throw, accent, and couch pillows. They are referred to as accent pillows from the extra sense of style they provide, and throw pillows because they are usually thrown off of the bed or couch, and couch pillows since that is a common place for
them. According to a survey done by the National Sleep Foundation, ninety one percent of people said that having comfortable pillows is important to getting a good night’s sleep. In the same study, when asked how many pillows they used, the respondent’s average was 2.2 and over a quarter said they used at least three pillows. This information, to me, proves the necessity of pillows in our lives. Pillows at their core are a basic technology, and I think no improvements need to be made, but some companies are developing very advanced pillows. Take for instance, the St. Geneve King-Sized Eiderdown pillow. It uses Eiderdown (down feathers from the Eider), which is considered the softest material to use to make pillows, inside of a 360 thread count, one hundred percent Egyptian cotton case. It carries a price tag of 2,800 dollars which is a far stretch from the five dollar basic Walmart pillow. Pillows have progressed mightily over the past 9000 years, from stones only the wealthy could have, to every person having two soft and comfortable pillows. Pillows are truly an unspoken hero in our lives, we use them for a third of it, and have come to love and cherish them as we should. The history of the pillow is just as amazing as they are, so I think I can safely say, that the history of the pillow is just as cool as the other side is.
Getting sufficient sleep is a basic human need and is vital for life. According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, sleep is a high priority for survival. Having enough sleep is therefore important to restore body and brain functions, preserve energy, maintain general well-being and prevent illnesses.
Co-sleeping is an issue that is vital on different traditional and cultural influences. Due to modifications in socio-economic status, social ethics and values, there are variations of cultures amongst countries and regions viewing on co-sleeping (Huang & Wang, pg. 170). For example, in the United Kingdom, United States, Germany and several other industrialized countries, the predominant medical belief is that co-sleeping is to be depressed and discouraged, despite the lack of research that can validate and establish that co-sleeping is mostly dangerous, unsafe, and hazardous (Huang & Wang, pg. 170).
Sleep is necessary in order for the body to rest, and is a state of decreased consciousness and lowered metabolism. Sleep is very important for all living things. Getting a sufficient amount of sleep has numerous positive effects on humans. In humans, there are five main stages of sleep. As the brain passes through each stage, the frequency of waves slows down. The amount of sleep required for humans varies depending on age. Sleep is vital for the well-being of all living things because it improves both physical and mental health. Humans just can’t get enough of it!
Though many may not often think about why we sleep, most of us know that sleep makes us feel better, it refreshes the body and makes it better able to function following a good night of sleep. However, the fact that sleep makes us feel better and that going without sleep makes us feel worse only begins to explain why we need sleep.
“When the going gets tough, the tough take a nap.” This statement by Tom Hodgkinson perfectly describes the solution to the life of the average American high schooler, who wakes up early, rushes to school, and undergoes several grueling classes, only to later participate in extracurricular activities and return home to complete homework. Due to all these activities, only a vast minority of teenagers obtain the amount of sleep they need in a night; Tom Hodgkinson’s quote proposes a solution to this problem. By instituting naptime in high schools, students could simply nap to refresh themselves when the going gets tough, whether that be an excessive amount of homework, an extremely demanding test, or a sports practice that lasts long into the
In 2010, over fifty million U.S. adults were reported to have sleep and/or wakefulness disorder. The culprit of these disorders is from lack of quality sleep throughout the population. Many Americans believe there are many things to do before sleeping. Sleep affects how all people function while awake. An adequate amount of sleep is important because, it keeps people awake and focused, even though people’s sleep needs vary, and how lack of deep sleep affects the body both mentally and physically.
Critics have referred to the concept of Mariana taking Isabella's place in Angelo's bed "the bed trick." This plan of the Duke's, which is supposed to save Isabella, Claudio, and Mariana, appears to be almost corrupt and shameful, and is one of the reasons scholars consider Measure for Measure a problem play. What exactly is going on here with all of these characters? It seems almost uncharacteristic of the sweet, naïve, virginal Isabella to condone another performing such an act in her place. Isabella is, in a sense, asking Mariana to perform the very act which she has not only been avoiding, but that she is disgusted by. The fact that Isabella would accept the Duke's plan without question, which she does, has caused critics to question how saintly she actually is. The Duke has also been criticized for conducting and carrying out his plan. After all, he is the Duke, and he could have stopped Angelo and saved Mariana from having to sacrifice herself if he would have simply removed his disguise. It seems to be odd that a character the audience is expected to revere would not try to solve this problem by a more respectable, and much more simple, solution. Mariana has also been criticized for accepting her part in the action, because she is the character who commits the sin. Hence, the deception presented by these three "good" characters in the play is almost as corrupt as Angelo's deception. Why would Shakespeare do this? It appears that perhaps Shakespeare wanted to make all of his characters appear human. Angelo depicts a "holier-than-thou" persona and eventually falls because of it, Isabella is portrayed as a saintly virgin but here the audience sees she is also falli...
Each night, the average person spends approximately 7-9 hours giving their bodies a restful vacation in the land of dreams. Considering this, we spend 1/3 (or 25 years) of our entire lives engaging in this idle activity. Although these numbers can appear as a waste of time in our every day lives, sleeping and/or napping is the energy that helps fuel our bodies to function correctly. Sleep is a necessary function in our every day routine in order to make our brains function at the most efficient level. As we sleep, the brain helps us to recuperate and regain strength by “restoring and repairing the brain tissue” (Myers, 2010, p 99). Without this reviving process, we would all eventually deteriorate. By impairing the sleep deprived mentally and physically, it can potentially cause serious harm. We must fade our conscious mind, and let our mind relax within subconscious state.
Getting enough sleep can increase our chances of being more mentally/physically healthy and our safety throughout the day. How we feel throughout the day is depending on our sleep. Lack of sleep can lead to impaired judgment and actions, which can be a safety hazard towards yourself and your surroundings. When we sleep, our bodies are working to revitalize the brain to form new pathways to help with memory functions and our physical health such as healing repair heart and blood vessels and hormone balance. It is very important for everyone to maintain a good night’s rest to maintain daytime performance and lower stress. Sleep will reduce the levels of stress, help others gain control on their actions and avoid depression. Contributing to these sleep benefits will change your body and mind
Central idea : Sleep is vital to our health and well-being throughout our life, therefore, in order to protect our mental and physical health, quality of life, and safety, we must get an enough quality sleep at the right times.
Sleep is very important for human beings. Sleeping means taking rest for every person and each person spends one-third of his lifetime sleeping. Without sleeping, no one can exist in this world. Sleeping is essential for a person’s health and well-being throughout his life. Getting enough quality sleep at the right times helps all people protect their mental health, physical health and safety. A person who does not get enough sleep might suffer from mental disorders, diseases and even harmful situations. Therefore, it is important for every human being to have enough sleep.
Use a bed with a firm mattress that doesn’t sag. You can place a firm board under the mattress if necessary or you can temporarily put the mattress on the floor. The most important thing is your comfort.
We depend on sleep each and everyday in order to be able to interact throughout the day. Sleep is very important if you want to socialize with people or feel real good. It is very important in order to live a healthy life. It really gives you energy so you won’t crash. Sleep is a very important part of physical and mental health through the day.
Have you ever been so attached to something that It kills you to be without it for more than a day? Well let me tell you about the love of my life, my bed. My bed belonged to my grandmother who has been the most important person in my life. I wanted something that would remind me of her every night before I went to sleep. It may sound weird to people who have their own rooms, their own apartments, their own space, but my bed holds a lot of meaning because it 's an heirloom, it 's a safety zone, and it 's the only place in the whole house that is mine.
Interior design is a complicated profession. It is sometimes referred to as interior architecture and often confused with interior decorating. It involves the design, organization and planning of an interior structure rather than just refinishing and furnishing existing interior spaces. It involves managing a business, hopefully meeting the desires of the client and delivering to them an interior environment that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing. There is a lot more to interior design than first meets the eye.