It is the end of a tiring day. You were busy working all day and hardly had any time to stop! You are dead tired and just want to lay back in your bed and relax; but, hold on! Which direction will you get deep sleep in?
How does that even matter, you may wonder, but take our word the direction you sleep in does matter! Read further to know which direction you will get a good night’s sleep.
Why Is Good and Sound Sleep Important?
We can all agree, probably, the best part of a tiring day is just lying on your bed and sleeping like there is no tomorrow! But do you know that, according to various scientific studies, deep sleep1 is extremely important for your health? It is almost like recharging your mind and body.
Lack of sleep scientifically can lead to anxiety, stress, and dismissal performance in almost every area of life. Sleeplessness can distract your mind and result in wrong decisions, sometimes even leading to cardiac troubles.
It is recommended that you should at least spend one-third of your day sleeping to ensure that your body gets enough time to heal back. A sound mind will increase your productivity and efficiency. Well, as much as we must have a sound sleep, the direction in which we sleep also plays an important role. Now, let us see what Vastu Shastra says about which direction you should sleep in.
Read this article too to know about the weird things that we do when we are asleep.
What Does the Vastu Shastra Say?
According to Vastu, the direction of your sleep is of incredible importance. The right direction will lead to content life, whereas the wrong direction can lead to problems in your life! According to Vastu shastra, we all are surrounded by energy all the time, which could be either negative or positive, and at the same time, energy resides in all of us too.
Thus, all us living beings at all times are receiving and radiating energy even when we are fast asleep. Since the energy field adheres to the earth’s magnetic positive pole, the direction we sleep in is extremely important. So, lets us see- which is the best direction to sleep.
Should It Be Towards South?
According to the Vastu Shastra, this is the best sleeping position, especially if you live in the northern hemisphere. The practice of Vastu shastra suggests that sleeping in this direction can increase your wealth and bring health and prosperity. Some studies indicate that this is the best position to sleep in as the south is associated with positive vibes and energy.
It must be noted that the Hindu god of death – ‘Yama‘ rules the southern direction; thus, it is believed that sleeping in this direction will lead to deep and heavy sleep. And who among us does not like to sleep like a log?
Certain experiments have shown that changing the sleeping direction from north pole to south has helped people to get rid of restless nights and provided immediate relief, and is the best sleeping direction. So, go and change your bed direction, ensure that you sleep only in the south direction!
So to answer the question ‘which direction should you sleep‘ in, south is the answer! Sleep with your head facing south as it is believed that it would draw positive energy towards your body rather than pulling out the energy (which happens if you sleep in the north direction). Thus, sleeping in the south direction will lead to a happy and prosperous life!
Should It Be Towards North?
According to Vastu Shastra, this is the one direction that you should avoid completely. According to the belief, since our heart is situated almost in the middle of the body and the veins that go upwards towards the brain are fine and do not handle blood pressure well, sleeping with your head pointing towards the north can be disastrous for your health.
Why is this the best sleeping direction?
This is due to the earth’s magnetic field (magnetic pull). If you sleep with your head facing north, more of your blood circulation will go towards your head as our blood contains iron. The earth’s magnetic pull increases our blood circulation2 towards the head without us being aware of it. You can also get hemorrhage if the flow goes beyond a certain level.
While we can live with the increase in the blood circulation till, at a certain level, a massive amount of blood flow towards our head can prove to be extremely dangerous and cause our brain to slacken and can even increase the rate of fall in our memory graph.
So, which is the best direction to sleep? Not in the north direction! According to noted physician Robert Svoboda – sleeping with our head facing towards the north can draw energy out of your body and thus disrupt our body-mind-spirit integration. Thus, it is best to avoid this direction.
According to Hindu mythology, Yama, who is the god of death, rules the southern direction. The popular belief suggests that Yama roams around with a noose in his hands to catch his victims. So, if we sleep in the north direction, when we sit up on our bed in the morning, we would be face to face with Yama!
It is better to avoid Yama, especially in the morning, right? So, folks, next time, if someone asks you ‘which direction should you sleep’ in, tell them to avoid the north direction at all costs!
Should It Be Towards East?
According to Vastu Shastra, the eastern direction is a source of energy and power. Students note that if you want to increase your retention power and concentration, you must have a restful sleep in the east direction. Sleeping in the eastern direction results in good health and meditative sleep3.
This best direction is particularly recommended for those looking for jobs, teachers, scholars, and students. Sleeping in this direction leads to quality sleep as it makes us feel energized and powerful.
Suffering from any disease? A victim of poor health? Then, you must have a restful sleep in the eastern direction as it is believed that sleeping in this direction will help you overcome health-related issues.
Prominent Vastu consultants advise that children, in particular, should sleep with their heads facing east and their feet facing west. East-west sleep is good for cognition, enhances creativity, and perfectly balances all the three doshas which are Vata, Kapha, and pitta humor.
You must sleep in the east-west direction rather than the north-south as it is believed that sleeping in this direction leads to sound sleep and fewer dreams!
So, students, which is the best sleeping direction? Definitely, in the eastern direction!
Should It Be Towards the West?
Compared to the eastern and southern directions, this is not that favorable as a direction! But, all those looking for fame or success, this is the direction that you should sleep in. Vastu shastra studies suggest that sleeping in the eastern direction will bring you success and prosperity.
It is also believed that sleeping in this direction will help you get rid of negative energies and certain sleeping disorders. However, several other studies refute this claim suggesting that sleeping in this direction promotes unsettling and active dreams, and thus this is not an ideal sleeping direction.
Some people have their guest bedrooms pointing towards the west direction, so their guests do not have a rejuvenating sleep and thus will not wish to exceed their stay!
Noted physician Robert Svoboda suggests that sleeping in the north and western direction is against the sleep chief’s goal, which is to maximize recuperation and rest and therefore, is against sleeping in these two directions.
So, which is the best direction to sleep? Well, it would be better to avoid the west direction given that you could experience unsettling dreams and thus face difficulty sleeping.
Some More Vastu Tips for Good and Sound Sleep
The Vastu shastra also suggests several other tips that will help you have a sound and good sleep.
1. Firstly, do not align your bed with any sharp corner as, according to Vastu shastra, it may lead to harmful effects. Moreover, if your bed is placed near a sharp corner, you might get hurt, so avoid placing your bed near any sharp corner!
2. Do not put anything under your bed/pillow; most importantly, avoid sleeping under beams as it may deteriorate your mental condition.
3. Choose light and cheerful colors such as green, yellow, pink, and blue for your bedroom.
4. Choose only dark colors for your bed and white for your pillows.
5. Avoid pointing your legs towards the bedroom door, as this may lead to bad dreams. It is advised that we must not use any electronic device when we are going to sleep as it may be harmful to our bodies.
6. Avoid making the bedroom right on the top of the kitchen as you may have bad dreams.
So far, we have tried to answer ‘which direction should you sleep’ according to Vastu shastra, now let us see what feng shui says about the direction that you should sleep in.
Which Direction Should You Sleep: According to Feng Shui
Feng shui is an ancient Chinese practice that focuses on energy; Vastu Shastra, on the other hand, can be defined as the ‘science of architecture.’
Many might wonder, does sleep direction matter? But it might according to these practices just like Vastu shastra, feng shui is too concerned with our overall sleep quality. Ancient practitioners of feng shui prefer southward energy due to China’s natural climate as the warm winds flow from the south.
So, ‘which is the best direction to sleep, according to feng shui? Let’s see:
1. According to Feng Shui, the bed should always be on the doorway’s opposite side.
2. Your bed should never be freestanding in your bedroom; rather, it should be placed against the wall.
3. Your mirror and bookshelves should never be placed in the direct line of your bed.
4. Do not clutter around your sleeping area, as it may prove disastrous.
5. Do not keep any electronic devices in your room as they may prove to be a hindrance in your sleep.
6. Feng shui also suggests that you must avoid placing your bed near the wall, which connects to the bathroom, as it may prove as a hindrance in your sleep.
7. Do not sleep under a beam or a ceiling fan as you may develop headaches, body pain, or aches.
8. Married couples beware! If the beam runs through the center of your bed, you may fight a lot, and in some cases, it may even result in separation or divorce.
This is what feng shui has to say about the direction you should sleep in and how you should place your bed.
What Should You Do After Waking up?
Now that we have seen ‘which direction should you sleep’ in, lets us see what we should after waking up.
1. Drink Lukewarm Water
This is a must after waking up. You should drink water and preferably lukewarm, as this will help you detoxify your body. Drinking water early in the morning will flush away pathogens from your human body in the form of urination.
2. Get Under the Sun!
Yes, after waking up, you should soak yourself in the sunlight. The early morning sunlight is devoid of any ultraviolet rays and thus good for your body. The early sunlight will instead ply you with loads of vitamin D and make your immune system and muscles strong.
3. Stretch That Body!
Yes, though, after sleep, your mind and body get rejuvenated. Your muscles get stiff, so you must stretch your body after waking up.
4. Start With an Early Morning Light Snack
You foodies out there should never indulge in midnight eating as it can have harmful effects later! But, you should grab something to eat first thing in the morning before you eat your heavy breakfast.
So, do not forget to start your day with a smoothie or yogurt!
5. Start Your Day with Meditation
Well, this is a must. Meditation helps to increase our memory and concentration power; therefore, your meditation should be the first thing you do in the morning to get a head start.
Doing these things in the morning will give you a head start, and you will be set for the new day!
So, now that you know which direction you should sleep in and what you should do first thing in the morning, we truly hope that you get a sound sleep. If you still face difficulty in falling asleep, then you must consult a doctor as you may have insomnia or any other sleeping disorder. After reading this article, we hope you know now ‘which direction you should sleep’.
- Cornwall, Warren. “Deep sleep.” (2015): 132-135. ↩︎
- Rosell, S. U. N. E., and E. R. I. K. Belfrage. “Blood circulation in adipose tissue.” Physiological reviews 59.4 (1979): 1078-1104. ↩︎
- Wang, Fang, et al. “The effect of meditative movement on sleep quality: a systematic review.” Sleep medicine reviews 30 (2016): 43-52. ↩︎
Last Updated on by NamitaSoren
