When we are designing our bedrooms, few people consider how the direction of the bed can affect our sleep. However, the ancient principles of Feng Shui and Vastu Shastra teach that sleeping direction can impact our energies and overall health and well-being. Based on these ancient teachings, what is the best sleeping direction in Canada?
If you are interested in orienting your sleep according to these teachings to draw positive energies while you sleep, you have come to the right place. In this article, you will find details of how to best orient your sleeping position in Canada together with other tips on how to make your bedroom into the peaceful haven it ought to be to ensure you get the best possible sleep.
Positioning Your Bed for Better Sleep
The idea that the orientation of your bed affects your sleep is ancient one and comes from Chinese Feng Shui and Indian Vastu Shastra teachings. But how exactly does your bed’s position affect your sleep?
The teachings base their sleep orientation recommendations on the electromagnetic field surrounding our planet. The key to better sleep is to orient your body with the magnetic field and position your bed so that your head is facing south. This way, your “north pole” is toward the earth’s south pole.
If your head is facing north, it faces the earth’s north pole and creates a repulsive action, just like when you try to connect the same ends of two magnets and they push each other away. The ancient teachings believe that this struggle between the two forces can cause difficulties sleeping.
What Does Vastu Shastra Teach About Sleep Direction?
The Sanskrit words vastu and shastra mean building or habitation and teaching. Together, they can refer to the concept of home design. This concept believes that our bodies are made with five elements that are sky, air, water, fire, and earth.
When these elements are in the correct position, they emit positive energy. In addition, the above five elements are connected with our five senses. When both the elements and senses are in sync, it will improve our well-being and feeling of balance.
According to Vasty Shastra, sleeping with your head to the south will help you sleep great and gain strength while sleeping with your head to the north will be detrimental to the mind and body. Sleeping with your head to the west can make you drowsy and to the east can help you gain harmony and energy.
What Does Feng Shui Teach About Sleep Direction?
Feng Shui means wind and water and implies that people are always connected to their environment. When you set up your environment according to Feng Shui teachings, you allow the flow of positive energy and balance in your space and yourself. Historically, the principles of Feng Shui were used in buildings and tombs. Today, the teachings are more closely associated with interior design.
Based on the ideas of Feng Shui, sleeping with your head to the southeast will help you be creative and gain confidence, while the southwesterly direction will bring you peace and calm. Positioning your head to the west will help you feel content and to the east increases your ambition.
In Feng Shui, both north and northeasterly directions are negative. If your head is to the north, it can cause disruptions in your body and lead to insomnia. However, unlike Vastu Shastra, Feng Shui does not encourage you to sleep with your head directly to the south as the energies may be too strong.
Other Vastu Shastra and Feng Shui Recommendations For Your Bedroom
In addition to advising people to consider the position they sleep in, both Vastu Shastra and Feng Shui have additional recommendations about the organisation of your bedroom for better sleep.
Bedroom Location
As well as considering the position you place your bed in, Vastu Shastra recommends that your bedroom should be in the most stable direction, which is in the southwest of your home. If that does not work in your home, avoid the north and consider putting your bed on the northwest wall.
Colours
Feng Shui goes into detail about colour schemes in your bedroom. The teachings recommend green for the eastern wall to promote creativity and growth, white or gray for the western wall to bring wealth, red for the southern wall for power, and black for the northern wall to aid communication skills.
Vastu Shastra also has detailed recommendations for bedroom colour schemes. However, the approach is different. It is based on your personality rather than what you wish to attract. People with an air personality should use green and yellow, fire and water personalities blues and greens, and earth and water personalities should choose violets and reds.
Electronic Items
Both Vastu Shastra and Feng Shui teach you to take out items that do not work outside of your bedroom, especially electronics that have stopped working. TVs do not belong in bedrooms according to either concept but Vastu Shastra says that wall clocks and air conditioners are acceptable. Position your air conditioner on the northern or eastern wall and the clock on the western or southern wall.
Positioning Your Bed
You should aim to have open space on both sides of the bed. If you have things bushed up to the sides of the bed or either side is pushed against the wall, it can prevent you from being lucky according to Vastu Shastra. You also need free space on the foot of the bed to allow positive energy to congregate.
Feng Shui recommends positioning your bed so the headboard is against a wall and not underneath windows. The best position is opposite the door, so you can see out but people looking in cannot see you. This position is called a command position and it can help you feel in control and empowered.
Add Art, Plants, and Soft Furnishings
Based on Feng Shui teaching, adding artwork, plants, and soft furnishings such as curtains can help capture negative energy in the room and transform it into positive energy. Plants especially can help reduce stress and bring more calming energy to the room.
What Does Science Say About Sleep Orientation?
Some scientists agree that the position you sleep in does affect how well you sleep. According to some scientific research, people often sleep better if they sleep with their heads to the south.
There are also some preliminary studies indicating that when people change their sleeping position to south-facing, not only the quality of their sleep improves but their blood pressure lowers, too.
A study comparing people sleeping in the north-south direction to people sleeping in the east-west direction found that after three months, people who slept north-south slept more soundly and longer, and had lower blood pressure.
While there is some evidence that your sleep orientation affects your sleep quality and that it may be related to the earth’s electromagnetic field, more research is needed. Until there is more scientific research into sleep orientation, it is not possible to back up the ancient teachings with science.
Since there is no conclusive scientific evidence yet, you can conduct your own sleep trials. Switch your sleeping position to another direction for a week or two and see if it has a positive impact on your sleep.
What if Changing Your Sleeping Orientation Does Not Help?
If you have followed the old teachings and changed your sleeping position but still have restless sleep, the issue clearly lies elsewhere. It could be possible that you need a new mattress.
An old mattress that is sagging or lumpy can leave you searching for a comfortable sleeping position and interrupt your sleep. It may also not be right for your sleeping position. For example, stomach sleepers need a softer mattress than people who are back or combination sleepers.
Your pillow can also make a difference. For example, if you prefer to sleep on your side, consider getting a pillow that supports your head, neck, and spine in a sideways position. If you often sleep hot, consider getting a cooling pillow to help you regulate your temperature as you sleep.
How to Choose a New Mattress
If you decide that you need a new mattress, you need to consider several factors when choosing one. Whether you sleep on your stomach, back, or side is just one of the considerations.
Your Bodyweight
You need to consider your weight. For most Canadians, a medium mattress will be the best option to get the best support for your spine and to reduce pressure points. For children or very lightweight adults, a soft mattress can be the best option, while heavy and extra tall people may need to get a firm mattress to prevent sinking in too deep, which takes your body out of alignment.
Temperature Regulation
Another factor to consider is how much temperature regulation you need. If you often find yourself getting so hot in your bed that it disrupts your sleep, avoid mattresses that can make you feel even hotter.
While regular foam mattresses do not have the best air circulation, which can lead them to trap heat and make you feel hotter, innerspring mattresses can help you stay cooler. Hot sleepers can also look into the range of cooling mattresses available on the Canadian market.
Mattress Type
There are four main mattress categories: foam, latex, innerspring, and hybrid. Foam, latex, and hybrid mattresses give you more motion isolation so you do not feel the other person’s movements as much as with most innerspring mattresses. The only exception is the pocket coil mattress, where the individually pocketed coils help isolate movement.
Foam and hybrid mattresses give you the most contouring, while innerspring mattresses give more bounce. Latex mattresses, when made with natural latex from rubber trees, are hypoallergenic and the most resistant to dust mites. For people who wish to make an eco-conscious choice, there are several organic mattresses to choose from.
Your Budget
You also need to consider your budget. The average mattress in Canada costs around $850. Innerspring mattresses are often cheaper options, while hybrid and latex mattresses will be priced the highest. However, it is not necessary to exceed your budget to find a good mattress as there are many good cheap mattresses available in Canada, too.
Conclusion
The teachings of Feng Shui and Vastu Shastra recommend that you do not sleep with your head facing north but position your bed so your head is to the south, southwest, or southeast. There is also some scientific research that suggests that sleeping with your head to the south can improve your sleep quality. However, more research is needed to back up the old teachings.
If you have tried the recommendations of Feng Shui and Vastu Shastra and you notice no improvement, it may be because your mattress needs changing. If your mattress is the wrong type for you or it is old, it will no longer give you enough support for comfortable sleep so consider upgrading to a new mattress.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to the teachings of Vastu Shastra, an ancient Indian concept, the best sleep direction is with your head to the south. Feng Shui, a Chinese concept, recommends sleeping with your head to the southeast or southwest. Both teachings agree that you should not sleep with your head to the north. Some scientific research conducted into sleeping directions also suggests that the south is the best direction for a good night’s sleep.
The guidance of not having your head to the north when sleeping is based on the earth’s electromagnetic field. When your head is to the north, it is facing the earth’s north pole and this creates a repelling force, which may disturb your sleep.
If following the recommendations of Vastu Shastra and Feng Shui has not improved your sleep, the fault could be in your mattress. An old or wrong type of mattress for your weight and sleeping position may cause you discomfort and lead to restless sleep.
