Should You Sleep with Your Head to the North?

A dear friend of mine is renovating her home and she reached out to me about the placement of her head when she sleeps. She had heard that your head should not face north.

I think most of y’all know that I am an adjunct professor at the University of Texas in El Paso, so indulge me for a minute to offer an explanation as to the origin of the theory of the direction of our head when we sleep. We all know that the earth and our bodies have magnetic fields. The earth has a north and south pole as do each of us on the planet within our bodies, not just humans.

In India and in India feng shui – the Vastu Shastra– they feel that pointing your head north will interfere with your body’s magnetic field and with that of the earth. They also say that since blood contains a lot of iron when you sleep north your brain accumulates too much iron. So, the set of Ayurvedic teachings aims to live in harmony with the energy flow of the world.

However, as we say in Texas, “That dog won’t hunt.”

Here’s why.
There is ZERO evidence in science that proves the integrity of these theories – “don’t sleep with your head pointing north” – to date. If we look at nature, bird nests, ant beds, and the way an animal lays down all are always North/South. I come from a fifth-generation ranching family in Texas, and everyone knows a horse, goat, wolf, or whatever will always put its head north if it must lie down to sleep. So, if you are lost, find a sleeping animal. The theory is that the quieting radiation coming from the north vitalizes currents from the south. It is best for circulation.

When I was learning this theory, I pointed out that the magnetic north and south poles do not coincide with the traditional geographic poles of the earth.

That is why it is so difficult to reach the geographic poles using a magnetic compass. And, above all, what about the people who live in the southern hemisphere? Does it work the opposite for them?

See what I mean? This is superstition at its best. So, my suggestion to you is to tune into your own intuition and follow that. You already know what to do, I am giving you permission to do that.

Have any Feng Shui questions? Feel free to contact me at michelle@michellecromer.com and sign up for your Power Color or visit me on Facebook at Michelle Cromer Feng Shui.