Back in the day, early mattresses were made of simply hay or straw covered with ticking. Under the mattress was roping, woven through the bed frame (usually 4-poster) and at the footboard, the rope would be visible and it could be tightened with a stick. Hence the origin of the old nursery rhyme instructing the sleeper to "Sleep tight (tighten the ropes), and don't let the bed bugs bite (breeding in the...