The Bedroom

People didn’t always sleep like we do today. We have nice comfy mattresses with duvets, memory foam pillows, lavender scented linen sprays, and the list can and does go on. The modern bedroom is a calming, pleasant and primarily a private room in our homes. We often refer to our bedrooms as a sanctuary, a safe space, a space where we spend a majority of our lives hopefully experiencing a good night’s sleep.

The bed as well as the bedroom has come a long way. There was a time that people were born, lived and died on the same bed in the same room. The bedroom was not just a room to sleep in, it was alive with the bustle of everyday life. We have molded it into what we enjoy today, a sanctuary from the business of everyday life.

In medieval life, the great hall of a castle was a large rectangular room with a fireplace. It was a communal place where people dined and some people would sleep in the hall. This was a communal space, for eating, socializing and sleep. The lord and his family had a more private room to sleep in, but still shared it with close family and servants.

In the 14th century, common people did not have beds, the nobles would have elaborate beds. This room was still not a private one, people would gather to socialize. In the 15th century,  there were trundle beds, which is a pullout bed where servants would sleep. Beds were passed down in families. A whole generation of people could have been born and died in the same bed.

When babies were born, the mother had midwives and other women in the room. It became a women only social event with poor mom laboring. I don’t think many women nowadays would welcome having all the women they know, both friends and family, in the birthing room with them, let alone that room being your bedroom.

The nineteenth century saw the bedroom becoming the private place we recognize today. Enjoy your bedroom, it took a long while before it was a luxury everyone in society could experience. Those of us with children may be experiencing a return to the bedroom as a social spot, but that doesn’t last forever.

---

If you think you may have a sleep disorder, or are experiencing any difficulty with getting to sleep, staying asleep, staying awake during the day, or have any other sleep related questions, feel free to contact Clinique Somnomed by clicking the link below.

We provide quick and convenient sleep testing in your home, in and around the greater Montreal area. We test patients every year for sleep disorders both common and rare.