Have you ever come across tales of sleep superstitions? Like the belief that leaving a hat on the bed is bad luck, or that sleeping in front of a mirror will attract evil spirits? Whether or not you believe in these superstitions, chances are you've encountered at least one shared by a family member or friend. In honour of World Sleep Day, to celebrate the many beliefs surrounding sleep, we’ve pulled together a list of some well-known sleep superstitions and where they came from! Read on below, and you may just walk away believing in one or two new superstitions…
1. Don’t sleep with your bed facing the door
When designing a bedroom, there are many superstitions and cultural practices about where the best position is for your bed. Some cultures believe that placing your bed facing the door is bad luck. For example, according to Feng Shui (a traditional Chinese practice of harmonious space arrangement), placing a bed directly in front of the door is the worst position. It's called the “dead man’s position,” as positioning feet towards the door resembles how the deceased are carried through open doors, bringing bad luck. Vastu Shastra is an Indian architectural system for design, which also asserts one should not sleep directly in front of a door. It is considered negative for energy flow and leads to disturbed sleep.Both Feng Shui and Vastu Shastra have suggestions for the best bed position. Some suggestions include leaving space around the bed for better movement and energy circulation, placing it by a solid wall for more stability and avoiding being too close to power outlets or other electromagnetic fields.
2. Never get up on the wrong side of the bed
Have you ever been accused of getting up “on the wrong side of the bed”? Many cultures have conflicting notions on which side of the bed is the best to get up on. Roman tradition states one must get up on the right side of the bed, as getting out on the left side was believed to bring bad luck for the rest of the day. However some Feng Shui experts say the opposite, believing the left side is associated with good fortune when it comes to money, power and health!
3. Don’t flip your mattress on a Sunday
There are various beliefs relating to what you should and shouldn’t do on different days of the week. One superstition contends you should not flip your mattress on a Sunday or change your sheets on a Friday, or you will have bad luck. This may have originated because Sunday is a holy day in many religions, associated with rest and observance. Flipping a mattress can be seen as disruptive to the sanctity of the day. We recommend flipping your Endy Mattress at least once every six months to keep your mattress surface feeling even. What day of the week you do this is up to you!
4. Put cake under your pillow to find your soulmate
For those out there looking for love, there is a notion from the 17th century that if you sleep with a piece of wedding cake beneath your pillow, you will dream of your soulmate. By the late 18th century, this concept gave rise to an intriguing tradition where brides would pass small crumbs of cake through their rings. These crumbs were then given to guests, who could place them under their own pillows. We have lots of pillows for any of your sleeping needs: both the Endy Customizable Pillow and the Memory Foam Pillow are comfortable and supportive. However, we don’t recommend putting cake under either!Do you follow these sleep superstitions, or any of your own? As we mark World Sleep Day today, we hope you enjoyed learning more about some of the many beliefs out there and where they came from. Sleep is such an important part of your general health and wellbeing, it makes sense that many beliefs about how to get the best sleep have emerged from all corners of the world. Whether it’s using the best-in-class sleep products from Endy or dedicatedly following your sleep superstitions, whatever helps you sleep better at night!
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