Chinese or Western Beds: It’s Just a Matter of Preference
I think of my bed as an onion. The covers on my bed range from really thick duvet covers to thinning sheets. When I moved into my apartment, I went through the place and gathered all of the blankets that I could locate. They are set in place so that they could reduce the hardness of a mattress that is better suited for a kitchen stool and not a relaxing bedroom. This floorboard, which I will not address as a mattress, was not left in my room by a deceitful landlord, but actually functions as bedroom furniture in the Chinese culture.
In the Chinese society, a hard mattress is desirable. The Chinese think that relaxing on a hard mattress is good for you. Obviously, this is a huge difference in cultural opinion. There are also some physicians in the Western society who favor a stiff mattress to help lower back pain. Because there are still so many differing opinions when it comes to this, you are allowed to choose between the two options when you stay at hotels in China.
WHY DO CHINESE PEOPLE THINK THAT HARD MATTRESSES ARE BETTER?
Western beds tend to have comfortable and soft coverings made from feathers, straw, or animal hides. But on the other hand, Chinese bedding tends to be very rigid.
The kang bed stove, which is a clay sleeping podium with an oven under it, was used frequently in northern China. As the night went on, the fire would heat up the clay and keep the bed warm. So as a result, the kang bed was actually okay, but it would have still been hard to sleep on.
In the south part of China, bamboo matts and pillows were very popular. However, do not forget that during much of Chinese history, people would sleep while they were squatting. However, you can still see examples of this if you go on long train rides in China.
TRYING TO FIND A WESTERN MATTRESS WHILE IN SHANGHAI
It does not matter what country you are from, your spine needs support. A hard mattress will only provide support for the heavy parts of your body. And a soft mattress will not give your spine the right alignment. For most Chinese people, the thick board like beds were reasonably priced. However, they can now get the same types of mattresses that western societies have as a result of the techniques that are now being used.
When you purchase a thick mattress that has spring coils, and different kinds of memory foams, then you can probably find it very easily at your local retail stores. You might notice a slight difference in the quality though. One company in particular that has been praised by its customers for having a good mattress is SlumberMAAX (www.slumbermaax.com). It is a company located out of Shanghai that has an internet store where you can purchase these mattresses. These wonderful mattresses have a 30cm thickness that is known to have memory foam that can give your body relief from pressure.
However, if you do not want to invest in a mattress over a long period of time, you might want to get the topper instead. This is a comforter that has a lot of padding that you can put on top of the bed. Once again, SlumberMAAX designs one that is made with quality. However, you can purchase much more affordable ones at places like IKEA, Trustmart, Carrefour and other stores that sell bedding.
Open up the onion and look at all of the various layers. Be certain that you have a bed that is healthy for you. You spine will really appreciate you for this.
Just moved to Shanghai? Looking for your first Shanghai bed? Check out SlumberMAAX.com before you end up needing to find a Shanghai chiropractor!