What is ‘bed rotting’ and what do experts have to say about it?
Bed rotting is a term recently coined by Gen Z on social media that describes spending hours in bed to regroup, rejuvenate or relax your mind. Forbes said, “A ‘bed rot’ is when you feel stress or anxiety or in some way feel ‘overwrought’ with emotion and then end up spending a lengthy period of time in bed to rest or cope.”
Experts from multiple online news outlets have shared opinions and insights about this trend.
Jessica Gold, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, told CNN, “I think it is OK to do if you need it,” adding, “as long as you understand why you are doing it and turn to other coping skills as well.”
Dr. Ryan Sultan, a board-certified psychiatrist, research professor at Columbia University in New York and medical director of Integrative Psych NYC, told Fox News that he found the bed rotting trend “fascinating.”
Sultan said, “In our current culture, with too much to do, too many expectations and too much productivity, many individuals are feeling burned out and often aren’t getting enough sleep,” per Fox News Digital.
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“A long-term need or desire for ‘bed rotting’ could be a warning sign,” Sultan told Fox News.
Simon A. Rego is a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and chief of psychology and director of psychology training at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City.
Rego told CNN, “Spending too much time lying in bed can disrupt your mood and increase stress,” and to “be mindful and avoid overdoing it, no matter how good it may feel in the moment.”
Forbes stated, “It’s totally OK to take days off here and there. It’s absurd to believe that you should be productive each and every day. Instead, it’s important to pace yourself.”
Concerning sleep science, Kelly Glazer Baron, associate professor of family and preventive medicine at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, told CNN, “Bed rotting is exactly the opposite of what we want people to do,” since it may disrupt sleeping schedules.
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What to do instead
The New York Post reported on Scott Galloway, a marketing professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business, and his advice to the next generation.
“You should never be at home,” Galloway said in a TikTok posted by The Wall Street Journal, adding that, “The amount of time you spend at home is inversely correlated to your success professionally and romantically. You need to be out of the house.”
Gold said that learning new coping skills and treating them like hobbies can help energize people and prepare them to face daily stressors, per CNN.
Forbes listed relaxing activities to do instead of bed rotting, which include:
Exercising.
Dancing.
Reading a book.
Cooking.
