Hrrr… What day is it today? Is it inventory time for Minecraft again?! Alright, I’ll snooze for another five minutes and then I’ll definitely start writing the article. What? Everyone’s waiting? Fine! This week’s topic is the bed.
The bed is a remarkable invention of humanity. It’s warm, cozy, and soft, and we become quite attached to it. Beds always protect us from monsters. A bed acts as a time portal; just a few minutes can transport you several hours ahead. Close your eyes at night, open them—it’s morning already. How is that possible? We have yet to unravel this mystery.
Beds were introduced in Minecraft Bedrock in February 2011 during beta version 1.3, alongside redstone repeaters and sandstone slabs. Initially, developers intended to add a creepy-sounding block called “crying obsidian,” made from obsidian and lapis. With it, players could change their spawn point. However, plans changed, and beds were added instead.
Over the past eight years, beds have undergone numerous changes in their functionality. In the earlier versions, you could place a bed amidst hostile mobs and simply go to sleep. You would only wake up if they started attacking you. This feature was removed in version 1.0, preventing players from placing beds when monsters were nearby. Since then, this capability has not returned to Minecraft.
In version 1.12, an expanded color palette for beds was introduced, and in the subsequent version, 1.13, players could sleep even if their character wasn’t feeling tired. We are certainly moving closer to realism! If a character goes without sleep for several days, night-time creatures known as Phantoms will begin to hunt them down to inflict damage.
Another important feature of beds that you should be aware of is their bounciness. If you jump from a great height onto a bed below, the fall damage will be reduced. Additionally, upon touching the bed, you will bounce back up. Try to fall asleep in the bed before hitting the ground, and the fall damage will be delayed until you wake up again—just like in the real world.
It is said that in the real world, no one knows who first invented the bed. However, we can confidently assert that during that time, people were incredibly pleased with something more advanced than just piles of straw, leaves, and animal skins. We know that somewhere between 23 and 25 million years ago, long before humans became what they are today, monkeys began creating sleeping platforms that included pillows and were elevated off the ground to protect sleeping animals from various pests. This also helped them shield themselves from cold and dirt.
The ancient Egyptians crafted beds from wood, featuring headboards made of stone, wood, or metal that served as pillows. In the epic poem “The Odyssey” by Homer, beds are referenced by name, and they also occasionally appear in artwork from that era. Later on, the Romans began to utilize mattresses stuffed with reeds, hay, and wool.
The largest bed in the world might be the “Great Bed of Ware,” crafted in 1580, measuring 3.26 m by 3.38 m (which isn’t particularly large by today’s standards). Shakespeare criticized it in his play “Twelfth Night,” and it is now housed in the V&A Museum (Victoria and Albert Museum) in London. In 1882, an Indian Maharaja commissioned a bed made entirely of silver, featuring statues of women holding fans at each corner. There were mechanisms that activated the fans when someone lay down on the bed, creating the illusion that they were waving their fans.
Nowadays, beds come in a variety of unique shapes. The design and style of a bed largely depend on the country where it is used. The “double” size is common in English-speaking nations, while the “king” size was introduced in the United States during the mid-1950s. There are also twin, full, queen, super, California king, emperor, and even “Caesar” sized beds.
In Minecraft Bedrock, fortunately, there is only one type of bed available. This greatly simplifies gameplay, as after a long day of work, all your character needs to do is lie down and get some sleep.
In Minecraft Bedrock, fortunately, there is only one type of bed available. This greatly simplifies gameplay, as after a long day of work, all your character needs to do is lie down and get some sleep.
