To China Threat, what did you mean about the size of the beds 300 years ago? Sounds interesting.
Beds used to be much shorter in length for two reasons. People used to sleep in a more reclined position than modern beds, but people on average were smaller. The majority of this difference can be accounted for to some degree by modern diets and healthier environments. But on average, people were shorter than they are today. Some of that is genetic.