The origins of your everyday pillow

After a long, tiring day all we want is to jump right on our cosy beds and rest comfortably on our soft, fluffy pillows, right? Pillows are not quite appreciated as much as electric cars or air-fryers, for instance. Pillows are a wonderful man-made creation that has improved the lives and sleep of people across the globe. Did you know ages ago people used to rest their heads on a HARD ROCK? So how did humans go from sleeping on stones to cosy, fluffy and soft pillows today? Let’s get into the origin of your everyday pillows!

According to several historical sources, the earliest use of pillows dates back to ancient Mesopotamia around 6000 BCE. It was nothing like the one we use now, the pillows were made of STONES. Yes, you read that right! The people of Mesopotamia didn’t seek comfort from these hard stoned pillows, it was more about protection from bugs, insects, etc. They wanted to keep their heads above the ground while sleeping so that these insects and other creepy creatures wouldn’t crawl over them while they slept. These stone pillows were also a symbol for status i.e, only rich people were able to afford it. During this age, stone pillows were considered as a luxury item.

Around 3000 BCE, the pillows saw a complete transformation from hard stones to wood in the ancient Egypt. The elite society of Egypt including Pharaohs used an unique kind of headrests made out of wood and shaped into animal figures or often adorned with hieroglyphs (sacred carvings). Although the pillows transformed from stones to wood, it was not soft or squishy as the ones we have today. The Egyptians used these wooden pillows to maintain their hairstyles and preserve the wigs. They also believed that sleeping with your heads high up from the ground is good for digestion and also keep one safe from evil spirits. The idea of pillows till this age was just to keep the head off the ground than about comfort.

Pillows saw a huge transformation from wood & stones to being made of cloth filled with straw, feathers or wool. It was during 500 BCE in Ancient Greece when a softer version of these pillows became common amongst the wealthy and upper-class people. The Greeks and Romans are considered to be the first to recognise and understand that pillows could help in sleeping more comfortably. Hippocrates, a Greek physician who is also known as ‘the father of medicine’ began prescribing to sleep on soft pillows to cure sleep-related issues like snoring. This is when people started to understand the importance of pillows for quality sleep.

It was still considered a luxury to have pillows during the middle ages. Kings and other upper-class people had pillows filled with feathers which made it fluffier and softer than ever. These people used different fabrics to cover the pillows and also adorned it with beautiful embroidery. Over time, people started realising the importance and necessity of pillows for head and neck support while sleeping. During this period, pillows were not just a practical object but also a part of one’s social status.

It wasn’t until the Industrial Revolution that pillows actually became one of the most common item and accessible to each and everyone across the world. The advancement in several industries such as textile made it easier to produce materials like cotton, down feathers, etc. By the early 20th Century, pillows became the essential part of every household. From a comfortable bed to chairs to couches, pillows could be found in every nook and corner.

The invention of memory foam transformed the world as pillows unlocked a new level of comfort. This foam could mould the pillows to any shape and provide extra support. Today we have pillows in every size, shape and material - latex pillows, gel pillows, water pillows, air pillows - suitable to every person’s sleep needs. So the next time you put your head to rest on a pillow, remember how far it travelled to become a cosy, squishy material and helped people sleep better for centuries!