The word rocking chair comes from the phrase rocking the cradle. Though it literally meant the influence that women have over the world through their children, it mostly signified the slow and gentle motion.
If the rocking chair is for adults, their equivalent version for children is the rocking horse. There is a strong possibility that these two pieces of furniture appeared at the same time. One might have been inspired by the other but who knows when. Benjamin Franklin is usually credited with the creation of the rocking chair in the USA. Benjamin is regarded as the greatest intellectual of his time. He was the first postmaster general of Independent USA. He was also one of the founding fathers and a signatory to the Declaration of Independence. Apart from that he was a writer, scientist, diplomat, publisher and political philosopher. However people say that the rocking chairs were already known in North America and he must have only popularised them.
Rocking chairs are comfortable because once you sit in it, the chair automatically adjusts itself till your centre of gravity is balanced for maximum comfort. This provides the person a completely ergonomic and unstressed sitting position. The famous American president, John F Kennedy suffered from back problems. Doctors prescribed him swimming as exercise and a rocking chair for relief. That too made rocking chairs famous since he was the most photographed president of his time.
Rocking motion of the chair helps sleep. So instead of staying stationary and sleeping, this gentle motion puts an adult to sleep faster. So all those senior citizens who find it difficult to fall asleep choose a rocking chair to take a quick nap. It also reminds them of memories as infants who slept by the rocking motion.
In the year 1725, rocking chairs made an appearance in England too. Those days, the design of these chairs became detailed and ornate. That was a far change from the American ones which were more of basic and practical design. But no matter what the design idea was, a rocking chair was meant to be a form of relaxation and de-stress.
Finally, the rocking chair is the best option for pregnant women to relax. The woman actually need not rock it, but just sitting in one will make them feel relaxed.
The first time the word rocking chair was used was in 1766. Since then there are seven types of rocking chairs created by various inventors. There are also hundreds of variations in design. Rocking chairs have suddenly come in fashion and usage mainly due to the ability of these chairs to de-stress and help sleep.