As the weekend approaches, you might be looking forward to some downtime. One way to spend it, which is gaining traction on social media, is “bed rotting.” Despite its unappealing name, it’s a concept many of us are already familiar with.
“Bed rotting” might conjure up images of neglected chores and decaying snacks under your sheets, but it simply means lounging in bed all day, detached from the outside world.
The concept isn’t revolutionary. Bruno Mars captured this mood perfectly in his 2010 hit “The Lazy Song” where he croons, “Today, I don’t feel like doing anything / I just wanna lay in my bed / Don’t feel like picking up my phone / So leave a message at the tone / ‘Cause today, I swear I’m not doing anything.” This lyric could be the anthem for bed rotting.
Given the stressors in our current global landscape—economic pressures, international conflicts, and political unrest— it’s not surprising that many, particularly the younger crowd free from heavier responsibilities like parenting, are embracing this trend.
However, indulging in excessive bed rotting might signal deeper issues. Dr. Jessi Gold, an assistant professor of Psychiatry at Washington University, shares insights on TikTok about this trend. “I just learned this word, bed rotting, and apparently it’s like you’re so tired and so stressed out that you just don’t leave your bed, and that’s what you do to cope,” she explained.
Dr. Gold encourages people to reflect on their motivations for staying in bed: “I think a lot of us do that. We say ‘I’m tired’, because stress makes us tired, being anxious makes us tired, not sleeping because of both makes us tired. But while we need sleep we need to ask ourselves is the sleep restorative or avoidant. Are you sleeping because you don’t want to be awake, because of stress and anxiety or the things you have to do, or are you sleeping because you actually need it? You don’t always have to fight the urge to bed rot, but ask yourself why.”
So, as you plan your weekend, consider whether your bed rotting is a well-deserved break or a sign of something more that needs addressing.