What’s in a pillow?

At Millbrook Contract Beds we spend a great deal of time talking about sleep, mattresses and of course contract beds.  So we thought it was about time to give a bit of writing space to the humble pillow.  It is after all a key ingredient to our bedroom and a good night’s sleep.

In recent years, some hotels have been savvy enough to offer a pillow menu which for the professional sleeper can be the difference between having a good night’s sleep and a great night’s sleep and others just offer an extra ‘standard’ pillow upon request.  But no matter what you offer, the simple pillow is an ingenious invention if you think about it.

Therefore, in honour of the pillow and to perhaps inspire hotels and even academic institutions to consider how important it is, here’s our blog all about them.

Essentially, a pillow is really just a large cushion which supports the head while we sleep – or rather that’s what we think of as being a pillow in today’s world.  However, it may be of interest to know that the first use of pillows was in Ancient Egypt and Asia.

In fact, due to the way early pillows emerged, pillow making became something of an art form.  In fact, decorated pillows became very important assets in China and Persia and much later in Europe.

Early pillows were not necessarily soft and fluffy though.  For example, in Ancient Egypt they were usually made from natural stone, ceramics, leather and even wood.  They were usually only associated with wealthy families and Pharaohs were often entombed with one.

So compared to the pillows of years gone by, even a basic pillow in today’s world is a luxury.

What’s really interesting is that despite early pillows being made of tough materials they had the same purpose as they do today albeit manufactured in a very different way but it’s hard to imagine how we concluded they were practical then.

There was also a belief in Tudor times that the pillow was suitable for weak people and women giving birth, suggesting that they were seen as a health benefit (albeit a unique one) in those times.

Years later, the rise of industry and trade meant that eventually pillows could be manufactured in large numbers and cotton pillows finally came to be.

So the humble pillow may seem like an invisible part of a bedroom, but surprisingly it has had a very diverse history and period of development.

So the next time someone asks you for a selection of pillows have a think about where they came from and why even today they are considered so important to a good night’s sleep!