“In 16th century England, goose and duck feathers were the preferred filling for featherbeds and pillows. Goose feathers, and especially the soft down feathers from the breast, were highly valued for their softness and warmth. Servants were often allowed to keep the feathers they plucked from poultry, and they could save them for their future beds. While chicken feathers were sometimes used if other options were scarce, they were generally considered less desirable than goose or duck feathers.”
At the very bottom (literally), there were those who just lay on the floor wherever they could. A little bit more comfort would involve piles of straw to soften the earthen floor (unfortunately, mice were eager to join in)
The next, literal, step-up would be sleeping on a sack of straw, possibly on a raised platform off the floor. This not only helped ward off vermin but was particularly useful in the draughty rooms of the time. Wooden box beds and rush mats were an improvement, as were rope-strung truckle beds. (…) Softer mattresses could be made of hay, flock, or wool. These were much more comfortable than straw, but harder to maintain well, which was why these mattresses were usually piled on top of a straw mattress, which would buffer the friction against the ropes.
The next step up would include a feather bed (‘bed’ in this period often meant mattress). These were the most comfortable, not only the softest but also the warmest beds you could sleep in. The more feathers, and the smaller they were, the better. The down from eider ducks (‘eiderdown’) was widely believed to be the best option, which was reflected in its price. Once more, these feather beds were piled over a flock or hay mattress, which would be over a straw mattress. Significantly, all of these beds/mattresses could have been used as a cover or duvet on top of the person sleeping; if you had several ‘beds’ you could just sleep in between them. So, the more layers you had, the more comfortable you would be – and the tale of the Princess and the Pea is already sounding less strange!
So the hierarchy looks like straw on floor < straw in a sack on a raised platform (possibly wooden scaffolding and ropes) < hay, flock or wool, over straw < feathers, over hay, over straw.
[Source: Julia Martins - What Were Early Modern Beds Like][https://juliamartins.co.uk/what-were-early-modern-beds-like]