Ashwin Lewis
Sleeping facing north is a widespread belief that is said to affect our health and wellbeing. The idea that the direction in which we sleep can influence our health originates from the ancient Hindu practice of Vastu Shastra. This philosophy suggests that if you sleep facing north, you make the positive pole of the Earth coincide with the positive pole of your body, which is located in your head. This can cause nightmares, sleep disorders, and even affect blood circulation and raise cholesterol. However, there is no scientific evidence to support these theories, and everything we know about magnetism tells us that the influence of terrestrial magnetism on the body is negligible.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Earth's magnetic field | North to South |
| Sleeping facing north | May cause nightmares and sleep disorders |
| Sleeping facing north | May cause an "internal struggle" between your body and the planet |
| Sleeping facing north | May affect blood circulation and raise cholesterol |
| Hindu tradition | Sleeping facing north is impure |
| Vastu Shastra | Ancient Hindu practice that believes the direction we sleep in affects our wellbeing |
| Sadhguru | Sleeping facing north may cause a haemorrhage |
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What You'll Learn
- The Earth's magnetic field goes from north to south, and sleeping north can cause an 'internal struggle' between your body and the planet
- The Hindu tradition believes that sleeping north is impure because when the soul dies, it leaves the body for the north
- The influence of terrestrial magnetism on the body is nil because the power of that field is very low
- The ancient Hindu practice of Vastu Shastra is the origin of the idea that the direction we sleep in affects our health
- Sleeping with your head to the north can cause a haemorrhage because the blood vessels going up into the brain are hair-like and cannot take an extra drop of blood
The Earth's magnetic field goes from north to south, and sleeping north can cause an 'internal struggle' between your body and the planet
The Earth's magnetic field goes from north to south, and sleeping north can cause an internal struggle between your body and the planet. This is because the positive pole of the Earth coincides with the positive pole of your body, which is located in your head, causing both to repel each other. This can lead to nightmares, sleep disorders, and tiredness. Some people also believe that this polarity can impact blood circulation and cholesterol levels.
The idea that the direction we sleep in can affect our health originates from the ancient Hindu practice of Vastu Shastra, which holds that when the soul dies, it leaves the body for the north, so sleeping in that direction is impure. In India, it is also believed that sleeping with your head to the north is dangerous because of the difficulty of pumping blood up against gravity to the brain.
However, it is important to note that there is no scientific evidence to support these theories. Our current understanding of magnetism suggests that the influence of terrestrial magnetism on the body is negligible due to the low power of the Earth's magnetic field. For example, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques used in medicine do not affect the body despite utilising magnetism.
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The Hindu tradition believes that sleeping north is impure because when the soul dies, it leaves the body for the north
The Hindu tradition believes that sleeping north is impure because when the soul dies, it leaves the body and travels north. This belief is so widespread that most people will have heard it. It is based on the ancient Hindu practice of Vastu Shastra.
On a scientific level, there is no evidence to support this theory. Everything we know about magnetism tells us that the influence of terrestrial magnetism on the body is negligible. However, some people claim that sleeping facing north can cause nightmares and sleep disorders because the positive pole of the Earth coincides with the positive pole of your body, located in your head, causing both to repel each other. This can also affect blood circulation and raise cholesterol.
In India, it is also believed that sleeping with your head facing north is dangerous because of the position of your heart. The heart is three-quarters of the way up the body, and it is more difficult to pump blood up against gravity than it is to pump it down. The blood vessels that go upward are finer, and if one extra drop is pumped into the brain, something will burst and cause a haemorrhage.
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The influence of terrestrial magnetism on the body is nil because the power of that field is very low
The idea that sleeping facing north is harmful to your health is a widespread belief. This belief originates from the ancient Hindu practice of Vastu Shastra, which holds that when the soul dies, it leaves the body for the north, so sleeping in that direction is impure.
However, the influence of terrestrial magnetism on the body is nil because the power of that field is very low. In fact, everything we know so far about magnetism tells us that its influence is absolutely nil. For example, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a well-known medical diagnostic technique, demonstrates that the power of the Earth's magnetic field is insufficient for us to realise it.
Some people claim that sleeping facing north can cause nightmares and sleep disorders due to the "internal struggle" between your body and the planet. They argue that the positive pole of the Earth will coincide with the positive pole of your body, located in your head, causing both to repel each other. This, they say, can also affect blood circulation and raise cholesterol. However, there is no scientific study that has proven the integrity of these theories to date.
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The ancient Hindu practice of Vastu Shastra is the origin of the idea that the direction we sleep in affects our health
On a spiritual level, Hindu tradition believes that when the soul dies, it leaves the body for the north, so sleeping in that direction is impure. However, Vastu Shastra recommends placing your bedroom in the south direction of the house. The south is the direction ruled by Yama, the lord of death and right justice. Therefore, it is advisable to sleep with your head in the south if you want a deep, heavy and sound sleep. The energies of the south direction also bring name, fame and goodwill. Even the south-west is a good direction for sleeping.
Vastu Shastra is an ancient system of harmonizing your lives in your physical surroundings. It is a traditional Indian system of architecture. The physical space where you sleep plays a large role in the quality and duration of your sleep. Vastu aims to create living spaces that align energetically with nature to create a harmonious environment. A true Vastu guideline helps you to experience better sleep in your private place. A bed is an important component in the bedroom. Correct positioning of the bed according to the direction is very important to help you keep healthy and energetic.
However, it is important to note that there is no scientific study that has proven the integrity of these theories to date. In fact, everything we know so far about magnetism, which is a lot, tells us that the influence of terrestrial magnetism on the body is absolutely nil because the power of that field is very low, insufficient for us to realize it.
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Sleeping with your head to the north can cause a haemorrhage because the blood vessels going up into the brain are hair-like and cannot take an extra drop of blood
Sleeping with your head to the north is believed to cause nightmares, sleep disorders, and tiredness. This is because the positive pole of the Earth, which is in the north, will repel the positive pole of your body, which is located in your head. This can also affect blood circulation and raise cholesterol.
In Hindu tradition, it is believed that when the soul dies, it leaves the body and travels north. Therefore, sleeping with your head to the north is considered impure. The ancient Hindu practice of Vastu Shastra is also believed to be the origin of the idea that the direction in which we sleep can influence our health.
However, there is no scientific evidence to support these theories. Everything we know about magnetism tells us that its influence on the body is negligible due to the low power of the magnetic field.
In India, it is also believed that sleeping with your head to the north can cause a haemorrhage. This is because the blood vessels going up into the brain are finer and more hair-like than those going down, and cannot take an extra drop of blood. If one extra drop is pumped in, something will burst.
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Frequently asked questions
Some people believe that sleeping facing north can cause nightmares and sleep disorders. This is because the Earth's magnetic field goes from north to south, and if you sleep facing north, the positive pole of the Earth will coincide with the positive pole of your body (located in your head), causing them to repel each other.
Some people claim that sleeping facing north can affect blood circulation and raise cholesterol. It is also believed to neutralise magnetic fields, promoting memory and concentration and having general health benefits.
The belief that sleeping facing north is harmful originates from the ancient Hindu practice of Vastu Shastra. In Hindu tradition, it is believed that when the soul dies, it leaves the body for the north, so sleeping in that direction is impure.
No, there is no scientific study that has proven the integrity of these theories. In fact, everything we know so far about magnetism tells us that the influence of terrestrial magnetism on the body is negligible.
Yes, in India, it is believed that you should not place your head to the north while sleeping. This is because the blood vessels that go upward into the brain are very fine, and if one extra drop of blood is pumped in, something will burst and you will have a haemorrhage.
