'Bed rotting' trend that's taking over young people has people divided over if it's bad for you

'Bed rotting' is the latest trend that has been causing a bit of a stir online.

The term itself - bed rotting - sounds pretty horrific.

But thankfully, it does not mean sleeping in dirty sheets, or even worse - starving yourself to death.

To bed rot quite simply means to stay in bed and to normalise doing so.

And if we're being honest, on your day-off, sometimes there's no better feeling than ordering a takeaway and binge-watching a series on Netflix, in the comfort of your own bed.

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But it seems that users on TikTok have been taking things to the next level by using bed rotting to cope with their anxiety or stress.

Now, there's over eight billion people on earth, and there is arguably no right or wrong way to unwind and deal with your problems.

However, it seems the social media trend has been dividing the crowd on how beneficial or not it can be to your health.

On the one hand, Dr Katrina Ostmeyer, Psychologist and CEO at Beyond the Individual LLC, says 'bed rotting' might actually harm your mental health as opposed to helping it.

"While most people enjoy a good lazy day, the new trend of 'sleep rotting' seems like a way to popularise a behaviour pattern that can be very harmful to many," she said.

"When we spend our days laying in bed and engaged in passive activities, we limit the opportunities to encounter reinforcement and meaning in our lives."

On the other hand, according to Happier Human, bed rotting is 'empowering and helps you cope with stress and anxiety'.

The site claims it 'helps to avoid burnout' and 'mentally recharge'.

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Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Washington University, Dr Jessi Gold, has attempted to address some common concerns around the trend.

Taking to TikTok, he said: "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.

"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?"

Topics: Sleep, Social Media, TikTok

Anish Vij

Anish is a GG2 Young Journalist of the Year 2024 finalist. He has a Master's degree in Multimedia Journalism and a Bachelor's degree in International Business Management. Apart from that, his life revolves around the ‘Four F’s’ - family, friends, football and food. Email: [email protected]

@Anish_Vij