Introduction
Have you already tried all the usual tips, but still haven’t managed to improve the quality of your sleep? You’ve cut out heavy meals and alcohol at dinner, gone to bed well after eating,and taken great carein choosing your mattress and bedding . You’ve eliminated distracting lights and noises, turned off your computer, TV, and cell phone at least an hour before bed, and rediscovered the pleasure of a good book. However, you still can’t sleep well. Perhaps it’s time to consider the position of your head and the direction your legs arepointing.
According to Ayurveda, the traditional Indian medicine, there are three pillars of human health: a balanced diet, proper energy management, and restorativesleep . Each of these three elements depends on the others, just like the legs of a small table: if one isromp, the stability of the entire table is compromised. Human health works in the same way. When we eat poorly,don’t sleep well, are low on energy, or, conversely, are overwhelmed by heavy energy loads, ourvitalbalanceis compromised.
In the following article, we will explore some tips regarding the home environment—and in particular, the experience of restful sleep—that draw from the Chinese tradition of Feng Shui and Indian spirituality. We will discuss how to position the bed in relation to the cardinal directions in order to enjoy the benefits of a good night’s rest. However, we feel it is important to make a necessary disclaimer: these concepts are not always based on a solid scientific foundation. Nevertheless, if approached with the right critical spirit and a willingness to give them the benefit of the doubt, these pseudo-scientific considerations can be useful in opening our minds to new perspectives. The Indian worldview, rooted in a widespread appreciation of spirituality and drawing on a millennia-old cultural tradition, has always had something to teach us Westerners as well.
The Principles of Vastu Shastra
Vastu Shastra is an ancient text that outlines the principles of traditional Indian architecture, including design principles, interior decoration, spatial layout, and site preparation. According to Vastu Shastra, the science of Indian architecture, the position in which your head rests on the bed while sleeping and the direction your legs face influence the quality of your sleep. Let’s look at other aspects of this doctrine that are directly related to sleep:
The Influence of Space and Other Natural Elements on Life and Sleep
When it comes to sleep, it is the environment ("panch bhutas") that has a significant influence on it, interacting directly with the wind, the sun, and the other elements of nature.
Location of the bedroom in the house
The bedroom should be located in the northeast corner of the house. If that is not possible, the east or west side of the house is also acceptable.
Location of the bed in the room
The bed should be placed against the south or west wall of the room, so that your feet point north or east when you are lying down. In a child’s or guest’s room, the bed can be positioned with the head facing west. Thesouthwstcornersof the house are associated with good health, longevity, and pro spity.
The furniture and colors of the room
Avoid placing mirrors in front of the bed. Close the windows and doors, and remove electronic devices from the room. Paint the walls in light colors, such as white, cream, or light earth tones.
Bed construction materials
The best bed is one made of wood. Metal in a bed can create negative vibrations.
How to position your bed according to the cardinal directions
Should you sleep with your head facing north or south? South. When sleeping, your head and the headboard should face south. According to Vastu Shastra , the north represents the realm of mental calm; positioning your legs in that direction helps you enter that state. A state that allows for self-reflection and promotes a sense of drowsiness that facilitates calm, safe, and restorativesleep. According to Vastu Shastra, it is also possible to sleep with your head facing west and your legs pointing east. This position promotes memory and concentration, but not when facing west. Furthermore, the east is associated with good health and spirituality.
Couple positions in bed
According to Vastu, a wife should sleep on her husband's left side to foster a loving and peaceful relationship.
High blood pressure
Those who follow the principles of Vastu Shastra believe that sleeping with your head facing south reduces the risk of high blood pressure.
Is it bad for you to sleep with your head facing north?
Sleeping with your head facing north is not good for you, because it can negatively affect blood circulation and lead to sleep disturbances. Therefore, whenever possible, it is always best to avoid sleeping with your head facing north. The ideal sleeping positions are with your head facing east or south.
Indian traditions and beliefs about the direction in which one sleeps
As we mentioned in our introduction, these pseudo-scientific recommendations must be evaluated within a cultural context. In this case, it is Hindu culture, whose beliefs are well summarized in the words of Ayurvedic physician Vasant Lad: "Only the dead sleep facing north." In fact, Indians position the body ready for cremation so that the deceased’s head faces north. This position is intended to facilitate the path the soul must take to leave the body.
Sleep and Earth's magnetism
In school, we learned that the Earth has a positive pole in the north and a negative pole in the south. Just like the Earth, our home, the human body— —acts like a magnetic pole, with the upper part, the head, positively charged, and the lower part, the feet, negatively charged. Lying with your head facing north is therefore equivalent to trying to bring two magnets with the same charge into contact. In fact, this is a game thatall childrenplay: if you have two magnets and try to bring together positive poles and negative poles , you’ll notice that they repel each other.
Following this logic, sleeping with your head facing north is not recommended: only those who wish to have powerful (and not very restful) lucid dreams, or to embark on adventurous astral journeys, should do so. The confrontation between the positive pole (the skull) and the positive pole (the Earth’s gl) is, in fact, unequal. The Earth’s pole will always win, because it is more powerful. Thus, the clash between the twopoles leads to very turbulent nights, during which one may wake up with a start, feeling exhausted by the unstoppable unfolding of this subconscious battle throughout the night. These imbalances in the level of magnetism naturally also affect our physical and mental health, causing:
-
circulatory disorders
-
sudden stress
-
physical pain
-
a sense of unhappiness and frustration
-
lack of emotional stability and irritability
-
decrease in willpower
-
Psychopathology and Mental Disorders
The Principles of Feng Shui
Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese practice that takes into account energy and spatial arrangement in order to achieve balance in daily life. Like Vastu Shastra, it is based on the fundamental principle that the way spaces are designed can positively or negatively influencepeople’ r health.
The energy and arrangement of elements in space
Feng Shui also considers the relationship between humans and their surroundings in terms of overall sleep quality. However,the focus is not so much on the direction of the bed, but rather on the elements that make up the spaceand their effects on the flow of energy. The bed should be placed away from windows and doors, with the energy directed toward the south.
So, when it comes to Feng Shui, the focus is on the bedroom. Improving the quality of life in the bedroom means sleeping better. The bedroom should be well-ventilated and have plenty of light. This way, it can attract high-quality energy, which is more nourishing for our spirit.
Next, the focus shifts to the layout of the bedroom and the arrangement of its elements. Let’s start with the bed: it should be positioned in the room according tothe “command position” principle ( ). This ensures that, when lying in bed, we can see the bedroom door. However, there are different variations of the “command position.”You shouldn’t placethe beddirectly inline with the door; instead, it’s advisable to position it diagonally relative to the door.
Once the bed is in place, the FengFeng Shui focuses on the best sleeping positions:
-
Fetal position
-
Sleeping on your side (preferably on your left sideor)
-
Proni - lying on your stomach
-
Supine—lying on your back.
Feng Shui Principles for the Bedroom
-
Place the bed on the opposite side of the door
-
Make sure it's against the wall and not freestanding in the middle of the room
-
Make sure the bed isn't under the windows
-
Keep the shelves and mirrors away from the bed
-
I try to keep the bedroom tidy down to the last detail
-
Keep electronic devices out of the bedroom
-
combines a palette of colors that represent vital energies.
Sleeping with yourhead facing the e : the best sleeping position according to Feng Shui
According to Chinese tradition, sleeping with your head facingnorth and your feet pointing south is the best choice. This choice is partly based on the direction of electromagnetic fields, which flow southward. The head, which is our positive pole, should face north to facilitate the release of energy during the night. This choice also stems from the Chinese belief that the climateis better in the southern part of the country.
In conclusion
Both practices are based on the four cardinal directions (north, south, east ,and west) and on the five primary elements of nature: air, earth, fire, space, and water. Many of the concepts of Vastu are based on architectural principles, and some researchers have observed the benefits of applying these spatial principles to human health in general terms. However, there is still insufficient clinical evidence regarding the effectiveness of the sleep direction recommendations proposed by theVastu Shastra , nor those recommended by Feng Shui.