A restful sleep is an important component of wellness. Apart from a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle, a good amount and quality of sleep are critical for good health, as a peaceful sleep helps in maintaining your immunity, reducing your stress levels, and aids in the proper functioning of your heart and brain. Your sleeping position, the direction in which you sleep, and your sleep time are some crucial factors that determine sleep quality.
Choosing the Best Direction to Sleep
Here we answer some of the commonly asked questions about getting a good night’s sleep, which include ‘Which facing is good for sleeping?’, ‘Which direction should you put your head while sleeping?’, ‘Which direction should the bed be placed in?’, and ‘Which is the best sleeping direction and position?’, among others.
Mystic Wisdom
According to Sadhguru, East is considered as the best direction to place your head during sleep. North-east and West directions are also fine. You may keep your head towards the South if you have to, but placing the head northward should be strictly avoided.
The ideal sleeping direction depends on which hemisphere your country is in. In the northern hemisphere, it’s good to face any direction except north while sleeping. But in the southern hemisphere, it’s better to avoid putting your head to the south. For example, in India, face any way but North, and in Australia, steer clear of Southward sleep.
Brain Health
During the night’s sleep, if your head is positioned northward, the magnetic pull of the Earth will put pressure on the brain. For old people or those with weak blood vessels, sleeping with the head placed towards the north increases the risk of a hemorrhage or stroke. Sleeping with your head placed northward leads to excess blood circulation in the brain, which may lead you to wake up irritated.
It is said that sleeping with your head placed northward draws out your energy and disturbs the mind-body balance. Scientifically speaking, north-facing sleep can lead to coagulation of iron in the brain, in turn affecting blood circulation, increasing stress, and lowering sleep quality.
Vastu Insights
As per Vastu Shastra, South is the best direction to sleep. When the head is placed southwards, it aligns with the Earth’s electromagnetic field. Vastu experts believe that when your north pole (which is the head) is aligned to the Earth’s south pole, opposite poles attract and you get a restful sleep. However, with your head towards north, like poles face each other, which may cause headaches and high blood pressure.
Vastu Shastra says that it is ideal to sleep with your head pointing towards east or south and legs pointing to the west or north.
According to Vastu Shastra, south is the direction of Yama, and hence sleeping with the head placed towards the south can lead to a deep sleep.
As per Vastu principles, sleeping with the head kept westward can cause nightmares and a disturbed sleep.
Sleeping Eastward
It is said that sleeping with your head towards the south helps you relax and gives you a sound sleep. Placing your head eastward can give you positive energy and promote good health.
Sleeping with the head pointing in the East direction boosts memory and improves concentration.
According to the Hindu scripture Susrut Samhita, positioning the head eastward is an ideal way to sleep. Legs pointing to the South can lead to loss of prana. It is said that Lord Krishna had advised Yudhishthira to sleep with his head towards the South.
It is believed that sleeping in the East-West direction increases creativity and helps balance the three doshas (vata, pitta and kapha).
Sleeping towards the West is said to increase the rajas guna, which leads to increased restlessness.
In a 2009 study by the Department of Physiology at the Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, it was observed that those sleeping with the head placed southward, had a lower systolic blood pressure, heart rate and serum cortisol.
More research would be required to conclude if the direction of sleep directly impacts health parameters, but most references (which include Ayurveda, ancient scriptures, Vastu Shastra, and some medical studies) state, that sleeping with the head positioned in the north is not advisable.
Sleeping in each direction has its own benefits but north-facing sleep is known to have adverse effects on health. So, position your bed accordingly and align yourself in the best direction, it will help you get a restful night’s sleep.
