A traditional Chinese-style bed. Photo:CFP

The Royal State Bed presented by luxury brand Savoir Beds in Beijing and Shanghai. Photo: Courtesy of Savoir Beds

Everyone knows how important a good night's sleep is.

In fact, most people spend about a third of their lives in their beds, so investing in a sturdy bed and a soft pillow is no doubt a priority at some point or another - that is, if you ever want to be able to fall asleep comfortably and forget about the day's stresses.

No matter how rich or poor you are, or how noble or humble your roots, a bed - whether it be a simple cot or a lavish structure made from the finest materials - is not something anyone prefers to be without when it comes time for sleep.

But when luxury brand Savoir Beds showcased their limited edition beds in Beijing and Shanghai last month, residents in the big Chinese cities who flocked to see an extravagant Western-style bed selling for a crippling $175,000 revealed just how much some people value their sleep.

Made for royalty 

The highlight of the show was the Royal State Bed, a limited bed model that is a remake of a royal European bed, but with a modern twist on it to suit the desires of sleepers from the 21st century.

Yet from design to material, the bed follows the royal tradition of luxury. Creating the bed took the world's top craftsmen about 600 hours of delicate work. Its embroidery work was completed by workers from the Royal College of Craftsmen, who also made Princess Kate's wedding dress in 2011.

Every single spring used for the mattress was carefully selected and assembled to ensure just the right amount of support in key areas of the bed. Only the finest quality of lamb's wool had been stuffed into the mattress.

Each measure taken has been made with the purpose of giving the sleeper a better resting position to help with posture, holding the body perfectly in place to improve the quality of sleep. No wonder sleeping like a king comes at the cost of royalty.

Chinese rest assured

When looking at the beds in Western history, the emphasis is clearly on comfort and softness. The beds comprise fluffy materials and plush stuffing in the mattresses of the beds, such as feathers and wool.

But that is hardly the case in China. Throughout Chinese history, and even up until nowadays, many Chinese people prefer a firm bed over a soft one.

In the past, people in north China mostly used kang beds, a kind of clay-made sleeping platform with an oven beneath to keep one warm during the cold winter months, while hard wooden or bamboo beds in the south provided a sturdy sleep without the bouncy mattresses used in the West.

The classic Chinese bed has not changed much over time and even today, many Chinese people are willing to pay up for beds made of fine materials, the most popular of which is hongmu or rosewood beds. When buying a hongmu bed, make sure you're getting your money's worth by first giving it a careful once-over. If it's truly a prize, you should find no trace of glue or nails piecing together the frame of the bed - and will easily run you thousands of yuan.

Hongmu favorites also include those made of huali, zitan or hongsuanzhi woods - but since these come from endangered species of plants, these beds will also set you back a pretty penny.

In Chinese philosophy, the most treasured night's sleep comes from one that has the sleeper resting on a firm surface. So, if you can't afford a hard Chinese bed, then simply layer some sheets or even quilts above the horizontal board of your Western bed to get the same effect - and you just may wake up feeling as well rested as a Chinese person.