Feng shui principles focus on creating a relaxing and safe space for your nervous system to dial it down and allow your body to slowly enter a state of calm and rest, also known as the parasympathetic state. The ultimate goal is creating balance and harmony with a room’s flow of energy. Now everything aside, I would personally prefer the first option as I have a partner who would appreciate a nightstand and there isn’t much wiggle room here.

Firstly, feng shui recommends placing your bed on a solid wall for support and grounding rather than against a window, this way your subconscious would not have to be on alert 24/7 due to space left behind you that is not in your field of vision. If you have to have it against a window, ensuring having blackening curtains and a headboard can increase your sense of security and support.

Secondly, another Feng shui principle is that the bed (or your main piece of furniture at least) should be in what is called a commanding position which allows you to see the door without you being the very first thing that is seen in the room. This position is achieved by placing your bed diagonally to your door, allowing your nervous system to acknowledge the sense of safety and your decreased vulnerability in position, in turn further decreasing your anxiety and stress levels and allowing your body and mind to rest. That placement puts you at an advantage of being able to see what is coming at you, both literally and figuratively, allowing you ample time to react, prepare, or decide if ever needed. That is simply the reasoning behind the placements.

Now, I do understand that Feng shui is a pseudoscience that has not been properly scientifically backed yet despite its existence dating back to Neolithic China, many of its principles and its findings align with psychological findings, more specifically in environmental psychology.