Part 11/14:
Bedrooms were simple, with heavy wooden beds, possibly with canopies or mosquito netting. Comfort items included wool blankets, flannel nightwear, and sometimes heated bricks—hot water bottles or heated stones placed at the foot of the bed to keep warm during cold nights. Fans, if used, were hand-powered or incorporated into ceiling designs, but most homes lacked air conditioning, and hot summer nights could be sweltering.
Some households began adopting sleeping porches, outdoor covered balconies, allowing residents to sleep in the open air. In extreme heat, families would improvise—setting up tents or sleeping on the yard or rooftops to escape the stifling indoors.