Eating and sleeping are two things that people cannot live without for thousands of years. Therefore, many topics about eating and sleeping have emerged, and today we will talk about the question of which direction is the best to sleep. This is actually a very interesting topic, and there seems to be no consensus on it for thousands of years. Many people have their own opinions and reasons.
Opinion One: Head to the North and Feet to the South is the Best
Although there is currently no consensus on which direction is the best to sleep, the idea of head to the north and feet to the south is accepted and recognized by many people. The main supporting viewpoints are as follows:
1. Traditional Chinese culture believes that the human body has Yin and Yang, with the head representing Yang and the feet representing Yin. The natural Yin and Yang correspond to the south as Yang and the north as Yin. Therefore, placing the head towards the Yin position in the north and the feet towards the Yang position in the south achieves a balance of Yin and Yang. Otherwise, it would be Yang against Yang, Yin against Yin, which is excessive and unbalanced and not conducive to health.
2. People who believe in the impact of geomagnetism on sleep think that the Earth's magnetic field is oriented north-south, and the magnetic field has the property of attracting iron, cobalt, and nickel. The human body contains these three elements, especially iron in the blood (in hemoglobin in red blood cells). Following the direction of the Earth's magnetic field allows the magnetic field lines to smoothly pass through the body, minimizing the interference of the Earth's magnetic field on the body and making sleep more sound.
Opinion Two: Head to the East in Spring and Summer, Head to the West in Autumn and Winter
In "Qian Jin Yao Fang" by Sun Simiao, it says, "When sleeping, head to the east in spring and summer, head to the west in autumn and winter."
"Lao Lao Heng Yan" quotes "Ji Yu Zao": "When sleeping, head to the east in spring and summer, head to the west in autumn and winter."
The reason is that spring and summer belong to Yang, so it is suitable to sleep with the head towards the east; autumn and winter belong to Yin, so it is suitable to sleep with the head towards the west, following the principle of "nourishing Yang in spring and summer, nourishing Yin in autumn and winter."
Opinion Three: Head to the Northwest and Feet to the Southeast
This opinion is mainly based on the terrain of China and the theories of traditional Chinese medicine. In other words, if you are abroad, this opinion may not be applicable. Let's take a look at the viewpoints of these people first:
In Chinese medicine, it is believed that the human body should align its meridians and qi (energy flow) with the natural meridians and qi during sleep. The word "align" here means that the qi and blood flow smoothly. In China, the terrain is higher in the west and lower in the east, and the air flows from the northwest to the southeast along the mountains and rivers. Therefore, sleeping with the head towards the northwest aligns the body's meridians with nature. In addition, feng shui theory believes that the northwest direction is related to the "Qian Gua" and is also considered the most conducive direction for sleep.
(Of course, in real life, most of our houses are oriented north-south, so it may not be practical to place the bed with the head to the northwest and feet to the southeast)
Opinion Four: Head to the East
This viewpoint is mainly found in the discussions of some scientists abroad. They believe that sleeping with the head towards the east gives people a feeling of tranquility. The most representative advocate of this view is Mrs. Sarada Subramaniam, a professor of physiology at Madras Medical College in India. She believes that the weak interference of the Earth's magnetic field will cause significant changes in the electrical activity in the brain. Sleeping with the head towards the north will cause significant changes in the biochemical movements in the body. The micro-pulses of the magnetic field can greatly inhibit the electrical activity in the brain, causing discomfort, irritability, and easy anger. Sleeping with the head towards the east will not have this feeling.
Tips
It seems that there is currently no definitive conclusion on which side to sleep with the head. However, everyone has the right to choose their own sleep habits as long as they can sleep peacefully. But when it comes to the placement of the bed, we would like to remind everyone that it is best not to have the head against an outer wall (the wall where there may be outdoor bells), as outdoor movements or light can have a negative impact on your sleep.
