The Best Direction to Sleep, Plus How to Get a Good Night's Rest

• The best direction to sleep in to promote good health and quality sleep is with your head facing south and your feet facing north, according to vastu shastra.
• Although science hasn’t proven which direction is the best to sleep in, there is some evidence to support that orienting yourself north and south is best.
• Consider sleeping with your head to the east if you’re a student. Some say that sleeping in this direction can improve your memory and concentration.

Which direction is the best to sleep in?

Position your head to the south and your feet to the north. According to ancient architectural traditions like vastu shastra, the optimal direction to sleep in is with your head facing south and your feet facing north. Vastu shastra draws from the Hindu belief that the human body has its own north and south poles that interact and are affected by the poles of the earth. Your head, or the “north pole” of your body, faces the earth’s south pole so that opposite magnetic forces attract to each other. If you live in the southern hemisphere, vastu practitioners advise sleeping with your head to the north.

There’s no proven scientific benefit for sleeping in a southward direction. One study in 2020 found that those who slept in a north-south direction had better sleep quality and longer sleep overall. However, there’s no definite scientific evidence that proves whether the direction you sleep in affects your sleep and your health. Some recent studies suggest that humans might be sensitive to the earth’s magnetic energy. However, older studies found that sleep quality didn’t change when participants were exposed to electromagnetic fields. One study found that some people are more sensitive to the electromagnetic field than others, but that those who slept in a southern direction tended to have a lower heart rate and blood pressure. Some research has found that deer and cattle naturally sleep and eat in a north-south direction.

Benefits of Sleeping Facing the East, West, or North

Sleep with your head pointing east to improve your memory and focus. Just because sleeping in a southward direction is best doesn’t mean that it’s bad to sleep in other directions. Sleeping with your head facing east is believed to improve your memory and increase your concentration, which makes this position especially beneficial for students. According to vastu shastra, this is the second best direction to sleep in if you can’t sleep with your head to the south. Some vastu practitioners recommend that if you sleep on your side, sleep with your head pointed south and facing east, with your feet to the north.

Sleep with your head pointing west to attract power, wealth, and fame. Some believe that sleeping facing west is a good position for those who are driven by success and ambition, but may attract bad dreams and nightmares. However, if your goals are rooted in prestige, wealth, or fame, you may try sleeping with your head pointing west. Vastu shastra says that the guest bedroom should be arranged facing westward so that guests will not have a restful night’s sleep and won’t overstay their welcome in your home.

Sleeping with your head pointing north is not believed to be beneficial. According to vastu shastra tradition, sleeping with your head facing north may lead to health problems related to blood pressure, although this hasn’t been proven. To achieve a sense of balance, sleep with your head facing south, in line with the earth’s electromagnetic pull, or east. In Hindu tradition, it’s believed that north is the route that the soul takes when exiting the body after you die, which might contribute to the belief that sleeping to the north can lead to bad health.

Improving Sleep With Feng Shui

Remove any clutter from your bedroom. Like vastu shastra, the Chinese tradition of feng shui focuses on the balance of energy and the importance of designing your space to promote good health and well-being. To promote free-flowing positive energy (or chi) in your bedroom, remove unnecessary belongings or clutter. Try to avoid storing objects under your bed so that air can flow all around you while you’re sleeping.

Place your bed directly against the wall on the opposite side of the door. According to feng shui, it’s best to place your bed in the “command position” on the wall opposite your bedroom door without being directly in line with it. Some studies have also found that seeing your door give you a sense of safety and control that can improve the quality of your sleep. If you can’t see the door from the bed, try placing a mirror to gain command over your doorways and channel positive energy. Try to orient your room to the south and avoid placing your bed underneath any windows, especially if your bedroom is on the ground level.

Take any electronic devices out of the bedroom and add art and plants. Like with vastu shastra, those who practice feng shui may worry about the negative effects of electromagnetic fields. Unplug or remove televisions and other devices and replace them with plants that can remove negative energy and connect your home with nature. If you share a bedroom with your partner, try to remove anything that isn’t related to your relationship, like a desk or work computer, and create a sense balance by placing two nightstands of the same size on either side of the bed.

Paint your bedroom a neutral or earthy color to promote better sleep. Both feng shui and vastu shastra recommend painting your bedroom in earthy or neutral shades like whites, browns, creams, blues, or greens to help radiate positive energy. You can also paint an accent wall in a specific color—some believe that green helps with creation and growth, white with money, red with power, and black with communication. Ayurveda tradition states that each person has a different dosha based on their physical, emotional, and behavioral characteristics. If you’re slim, energetic, creative vata, paint with blues and purples. For athletic, motivated, competitive pitta, use reds, yellows, and oranges. For thick-boned, empathetic kapha, go with white, pale yellow, or green.

Improving Sleep Hygiene

Create a calming bedtime routine and keep a consistent sleep schedule. Try to wake up and go to bed at the same time every day, including weekends, to reinforce your body’s circadian rhythm. Your sleep routine starts before you even get into bed, so consider building in time every evening to relax your body and your mind. Before bed, try a calming activity such as doing breathing exercises, listening to a guided meditation, journaling, listening to music, or practicing yoga. If you’re prone to worrying before bed, try writing down everything you need to do in the form of a to-do list for tomorrow. That way, you can put your mind at rest and sleep in peace. If you can’t sleep while in bed, try getting up, sitting in a comfortable place, and doing something relaxing like reading a book or listening to quiet music until you feel sleepier.

Keep your bedroom dark, cool, and quiet. Practicing good “sleep hygiene” can improve your ability to fall and stay asleep at night. To promote healthy sleep habits, keep the room at a cool, comfortable temperature and limit your exposure to bright lights or screens right before bedtime. Consider hanging black-out curtains in your bedroom, wearing earplugs, playing soft music, or turning on a fan to create a sleeping environment that’s right for you. If you do use a screen before bed, put it away at least thirty minutes before bedtime and stick to content that won’t cause you too much excitement or stress.

Nap for 20 to 30 minutes if you constantly feel sleepy throughout the day. Sleeping too long during the day or too close to your normal bedtime may disrupt your sleep schedule. However, if you set a timer and enjoy a 20- or 30-minute nap in the early or late afternoon, you might feel reinvigorated, which can create a positive effect on your sleep quality at night.

Try to avoid eating large meals or drinking caffeine or alcohol before bed. To promote good sleep, try to avoid eating a meal 2 to 3 hours before bed. If you do have a light snack before you sleep, try to avoid stimulants, like alcohol or caffeine, and acidic or spicy foods that can cause heartburn.