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→Cultural Diversity
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. 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 Europe.
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. During the Medieval period, beds in different regions began to develop canopies or curtains. While this provided privacy, the idea was it also protected against insects and other pests that might be around at night. The curtains also allowed for warmth and protected against drafts. The Vikings (or Danes/Norsemen) were known to use a style of bunk bed, where cupboard were fashioned into beds that could then be stacked on to each other. The intent was to use this style of bedding to save room so that they can be moved during the day or multiple people can sleep in an area more easily.
==Modern Development==
