When they joined the Order of Hospitallers, the brothers agreed to abide by the communal conventual rule which required them to renounce their privileges in the material world. Sleeping alongside brothers of the same rank was one of the rules of the order.
The rule of the order tells us about the living conditions of the brothers, and what they were forbidden to do. Each brother received a pair of sheets, a mattress (a bag filled with straw), a bolster and a blanket. Brothers could not sleep naked, and had to wear at least one wool or linen shirt. Silence was observed by the brothers and the dormitory was lit throughout the night so as not to leave a brother in the dark, at the mercy of his enemies.
According to the rule, the brother was required to get up between two or three o'clock in the morning, and go to the latrine before attending matins. The remainder of the day was divided, according to his rank, by prayers interspersed with meals, work, care of equipment and horses and military exercises and practice.