A block of wood under your head - was it really more convenient for the Chinese and Japanese (8 photos)

Everyone has at least once seen how in a film a geisha or another character goes to bed and places her head on a carved wooden block. Are they really that comfortable?





Underneath the solid pillows a solid theoretical base was provided by doctors of traditional medicine. They say that if you sleep on a hard surface, it helps to get rid of spinal diseases, sleep soundly and not experience headaches. This is because the angle between the back and neck is as correct as possible.



It’s not clear why all the ancient stone pillows weren’t in the shape of cats?!





And here is the painting, and the tiger, probably a pillow for a very cool man

And even now they make orthopedic pillows with bolsters for the neck, so there is a reason for this.

Soft pillows were also made in China, but more for seating or beauty. It was not recommended to sleep on these, as there could be lice or various hair bugs.



But this is such beauty that it even took my breath away a little

In Japan, it was customary to give girls beautiful, complex hairstyles. Doing this every day is troublesome and expensive; it took several hours. Therefore, girls were taught to sleep without their hair touching the floor. Too much in a girl’s life depended on the beauty of her hair. Remember the scene from Memoirs of a Geisha?

Slender pillow theory

In addition, hard pillows made from different materials had different effects on people.



What a playful little pillow of beauty!

The jade one helped to become smarter, it is for emperors. Porcelain helped keep you cool in the summer and allows energy to flow through your body evenly while you sleep. Bamboo or just a roller is for the poor, unless you are special.

The harder and more expensive your pillow, the higher your social position. Therefore, they very quickly began to be decorated with paintings, stones, and even beautiful poems engraved on them.



Remember how Geisha woke up covered in rice on the floor after such a pillow?

Not an outdated habit

If you come to China, you may notice that the mattresses in stores, and even in the Chinese at home, are firmer than we are used to. Of course, even 40 years ago, the traditional bed of the Chinese was boards thrown over the hearth. This is a prototype of a modern heated floor, and the closer to the floor, the warmer it is.



These heated stove beds were where the whole family slept

And now you can see in movies from Japan, China or Korea that heroes easily go to bed in a sauna right on the floor near the steam room or in the pool. They put a towel under their head and sleep. We would toss and turn all night, and Asians don’t even notice that this is unusual.

Although, according to statistics, Koreans and Japanese are the least sleep-deprived nations due to work; they can sleep 5 hours a day for weeks. It turns out that they just come and pass out on anything from fatigue!



Hardening on top of a too soft mattress - typical in China

Do you think it’s really healthier this way?