A good many older houses here had a pullcord over (roughly) where the bed would normally go as well, often on a 2-way circuit with the wall switch at the door.
As well as pull-cords there were also 1- and 2-way switches designed to be installed on the end of a drop cord (not for bathroom use, naturally). Various styles were made, including rocker switches and a "pushbar" switch, similar to the type of switch found on lampholders.
