When we sleep, some conditions can help enhance our sleep and make it better, and some which can impede our sleep and make it worse. While we all have a favorite position, what about a favorite direction?
The Origin Of The Belief
Traditions as old as Feng Shui or Vastu Shastra ensure that the geographical direction in which we sleep affects our health. Is this possible?
The belief that sleeping with your head facing north is not good for your health has its origins in the ancient Indian system of traditional medicine, Ayurveda. According to Ayurveda, the human body is influenced by the Earth’s magnetic field, and sleeping with your head facing north can disrupt the flow of energy in your body, leading to health problems.
This belief is based on the idea that the Earth’s magnetic field is polarized, with a north pole and a south pole, and that the human body also has its own magnetic field. According to Ayurveda, when you sleep with your head facing north, your body’s magnetic field and the Earth’s magnetic field clash, leading to interference and disruption in the flow of energy in your body.
While there is no scientific evidence to support this belief, it continues to be a widely held belief in some cultures. Many people who practice traditional forms of medicine, such as Ayurveda, still recommend sleeping with your head facing east or south to promote good health and well-being. However, the best position to sleep in is ultimately a matter of personal preference and what feels most comfortable and restful for each individual.
Ayurveda
There is some evidence to support that sleeping facing a certain direction can benefit your sleep. According to traditions like Feng Shui or Vastu Shastra, there is a right and wrong direction to sleep in. Based on these old traditions, sleeping facing North can impede your well-being. The reason for this is rooted in Ayurvedic teachings. These teachings say that because humans live in harmony with the energies that are naturally at play in the world, we are impacted by them.
Our energies also flow during our sleep, and much of the energies that are at play in the natural world revolve around magnetism. Our planet has a magnetic field that begins in the North and moves throughout the South.
Does The Direction You Sleep Matter?
Due to this, ancient traditions believe that when you sleep facing north, the positive pole on your body is aligned with the positive pole of the Earth. As we all know, when the positive side of a magnet touches the positive side of another magnet, they repel each other. This is much like what ancient traditions believe happens when you sleep facing North.
According to these beliefs, when you sleep facing North, you are much more likely to have sleep issues, and nightmares and to wake up tired. Others even say that sleeping facing North can cause your cholesterol to be raised, or that it can affect your blood circulation.
You might assume, then, that it is best to sleep facing South, but that actually may not be the best way either. Instead, sleeping in the East direction is thought to be the best, because it is in this area that your magnetic field is neutralized, allowing for the best sleep and concentration.
Now, with all that being said, science does not seem to agree with any of this. On the contrary, science has shown that the impact of the magnetic field on our planet is not strong enough to cause our body to experience any changes.
Despite that, I might still move my bed to the Eastern portion of my room, because why not?