Q. My baby’s crib is facing the doorway to his room, and I believe there is a preference which way to sleep, but I do not recall if it is head towards the door or feet towards the door.

A. There is indeed a persistent folklore that one should not sleep with one’s feet facing the door, The reason often given is that dead bodies are placed on the floor facing that way (see Gesher Hachaim 3:2). However you will be hard pressed to find anything mentioned in Torah sources, as it is a common far eastern custom (Feng Shui).

Although avoiding feet facing door, is not a Jewish tradition, on which cardinal point the bed is placed is mentioned in the Talmud (Brochos 5b), Shulchan Oruch (O.C. 3:6 – 240:17) and Zohar (see Mishna Berurah ibid.).

Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit”a