1.輔英技術學院共同科, 高雄, 台灣=Fooyin Institute of Technology, Kao-Shiung, Taiwan; 2.衛生署桃園醫院內科, 桃園, 台灣=General Hospital, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan; 3.台北榮總教學研究部, 台北, 台灣=Department of Medical Research and Education, Veterans General Hospital-Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan
睡眠是每個人每天生活中很重要的活動，良好品質的睡眠可以促進健康，而睡眠時的臥姿則是決定睡眠品質的一個重要關鍵.臥姿不外乎仰臥，趴臥，左側臥與右側臥四種. 睡眠時採取那一種臥姿對健康比較有幫助呢? 佛教對睡眠時的臥姿主張應採取「師子王臥」， 即右側臥. 現代醫學對這個主張有相關的研究，結論與佛教的看法相似. 道教是中國三大宗教之一，它對臥姿的看法是如何呢? 這是本文所要探討的重點.由於中國本土的道教非常重視養生之道，所以關於日常生活中的睡眠也有很多的規範，對睡眠時的臥姿也多所論及. 歷代道家的著作中主張的臥姿與佛教的主張有共同處，都是主張不可採仰臥或趴臥的姿勢，而應採取側臥姿勢; 但道家對應採左側臥或右側臥，則無定論. 有主張要輪流採取左側臥與右側臥兩種姿勢者; 有主張要採側臥，但沒明言左側臥或右側臥者; 也有主張要右側臥者. 老人則被道家認為不宜採右側臥姿，這點倒是與佛教認為老病者不要右側臥有共同處. 另外道家主張孕婦也不要採右側臥姿，這點也與現代醫學有相同的看法.Sleep is an important activity in daily life. A quality sleep is helpful in promoting health. The position during recumbency is thus important for sleep. The usual positions for sleep include supine，prone，right lateral decubitus and left lateral decubitus positions. The right lateral position or Lion-King recumbency has been suggested for sleep in Buddhism. Researches by using heart rate variability analysis found that the right lateral decubilus position could lead to a higher vagal activity in normal subjects, and in patients with coronary artery disease and acute myocardial infarction; whereas in late pregnant women a left lateral decubitus position should be adopted to avoid aortocaval compression.Taoism is one of the major three religions in China. Taoist has paid very much attention to the maintenance and promotion of health. There are quite a lot of books or comments on the position during recumbency in Taoism. This article summarizes the comments of Taoism in different era of history. We found that Taoism often suggested the lateral decubitus position to people，and the supine and prone positions were often suggested to be avoided. As to which lateral decubitus position is preferred，there is no definite conclusion regarding right or left decubitus position. Some masters suggested alternating right and left lateral decubitus position，and some suggested right lateral decubitus position only. For the pregnant women，Taoism always suggested that right lateral position should be avoided.
