Everyone benefits from taking some time off to disengage their brains, decompress and do what they like. Some people enjoy yoga, others like playing video games, and others may want to stay in bed all day and scroll on their phones or do something passively. While there isn’t inherently anything wrong with this, it has become a trend that has swept across social media—so, what is bed rotting, and why do people do it?
What Is Bed Rotting? A Social Trend Explained
The term ‘bed rotting’ essentially means lying in your bed all day without doing any chores or having any responsibilities. It is the chance to scroll, watch movies or series, listen to music, read books, or do something else that allows you to relax and take a day for yourself.
Bed rotting is a new social media trend that has been making its rounds on TikTok, and is overwhelmingly popular around the world—but are there risks to doing this?
What Are the Signs of Bed Rotting?
Prominent signs of bed rotting in kids and teens might include staying in bed (or even the couch) all day, issues with sleep, social isolation, showing disinterest in their usual activities, using technology more than usual, neglecting responsibilities, changes in appetite, and changes in both behaviour and mood.
Please note that the above signs are also the signs of depression, and too much ‘bed rotting’ can be a strong indication of depression and other mental health issues that should be further investigated so that you can help. However, if someone is bed rotting occasionally, then it is unlikely to be something like depression, and is generally not something to be concerned about.
Why Are Children and Teens Doing It?
Many people might want to participate in ‘bed rotting’ as a way to take some time away from the stresses of life and relax for a while as a form of self-care. However, there could be numerous reasons as to why someone might want to do this, and it will be different for everyone
Below are some key reasons why someone might engage in ‘bed rotting’:
- Social media trend – the more other people participate in trends that are aired on social media, the more others will want to take part. They will gain reinforcement through online comments such as, views, likes, and comments, which will further make them feel validated, and therefore make them continue the behaviour
- Burnout – burnout is a common issue that many of us face, and stressful things like school, family responsibilities, and various obligations and extracurricular activities can lead to kids and teens using bed rotting as a way to recharge and get away from these stressors
- Disconnection – we live in a constantly connected world, and there are demands everywhere you go, whether it is for work, school, or in our personal lives. Bed rotting can be used as a means to disconnect yourself from these responsibilities for a while and instead engage in various passive activities that don’t need a lot of effort
- Free time to do it – depending on the time of year, many kids and teens will have more than enough free time to allow them to partake in bed rotting. Without obligations and responsibilities to see to, this free time will mean that they can engage in these ‘enjoyable’ passive activities for extended periods of time without any consequence
- Escapism – life is busy, and the world around us is even busier. Many people will use bed rotting as a way to escape from reality for a while, and get comfort in not needing to participate in everyday life and decisions
- Mental health struggles – for many people, bed rotting can be one of the manifestations of mental health struggles such as anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and more. Most of us are comfortable in bed, and it can be a prominent source of comfort that people can turn to when they are going through something difficult, no matter their age
The Difference Between Rest and Avoidance
The primary difference between resting and avoiding is the intention behind it—ask yourself if you are resting or ‘bed rotting’ as a means of actually relaxing for a while and regaining your energy, or if you are doing it so that you don’t have to do something else, like have a difficult conversation with someone or finish an assignment. If you feel better after lying in bed all day, you can call it rest, but if you won’t, you might call it avoidance.
Rest | Avoidance |
Productive | Unproductive |
Leaves you feeling recovered/better | Leaves you feeling worse/more anxious |
A healthy measure to take a break and stop what you are doing to recover and relax for a while to feel better/more ready to jump back in | An attempt to avoid stress or lessen anxiety by procrastinating, cancelling, or avoiding something that you don’t want to and need to do |
Is Bed Rotting a Mental Health Red Flag?
Bed rotting can be a mental health red flag if it is done too often or for the wrong reasons. Resting is important to avoid or recover from burnout and stress, but when resting becomes an avoidance behaviour, it is a problem that needs to be addressed as soon as possible. Not only will frequent bed rotting make you feel worse about yourself, but you will quickly realise that the problems you were avoiding are still there the next day—and this can be exhausting to deal with.
As with anything, too much of something can be bad, and bed rotting is no different. Bed rotting can be bad for kids in a number of ways, from potentially causing sleep issues and furthering social isolation, to causing your child to be more sedentary, which is also bad for their overall health and fitness. Either way, these can make symptoms of mental health issues worse, and more difficult to deal with, and therefore more difficult to stop bed rotting as a behaviour.
Potential Effects on Brain Development and Wellbeing
Potential effects of bed rotting on your child’s mental and physical health can include the worsening of existing mental health struggles (especially depression), the formation of sleep issues or disorders like insomnia, loneliness, mood swings, and prolonged inactivity that can negatively impact the heart, lungs, brain, muscles, circulatory system, and the rest of the body.
Bed rotting could have the following effects on the brain’s development and wellbeing:
- Fatigue
- Sleep issues
- Mood swings
- Mental sluggishness
- Isolation and loneliness
- Worsen mental health conditions
How Parents Can Respond Supportively
If you are worried about bed rotting, you should take measures to remedy the situation and help your kid or teen overcome it. Please remember that it may take some time, and you need to try and make yourself as available as possible to help your kid or teen get through their difficulties.
As a parent, you can do the following:
- Communicate clearly and empathetically and actively listen to their needs to help them
- Be supportive and build a supportive environment at home
- Explore and encourage healthier eating habits with nutrient-rich foods for brain function
- Try to get them to enjoy a sport or some kind of physical activity to keep them active
- Teach your kids and teens about mindfulness to help manage stress
- Increase real-world interactions and relationships and reduce screen time
- Practice only sleeping in bed, and using other parts of the house for healthy lounging
When to Seek Help for Mental Health or Emotional Withdrawal
You should seek help for someone who is bed rotting or emotionally withdrawing when it starts to impact their lives. If you notice excessive bed rotting, sleeping all day, or other similar behaviours, you should first try speaking with your kid or teen, and see how you can help them. If things do not improve within a few days or weeks, it is recommended to get help.
How The Brain Workshop Helps Kids Build Healthy Habits
Worried about your child’s behaviour or screen habits? Speak with an expert at The Brain Workshop for early guidance and support backed by neuroscience to help now that you know the answer to ‘what is bed rotting’.
If you would like to learn more or get tested for ADHD, please don’t hesitate to learn more about us at the Brain Workshop, meet our team, check out events, or even read our FAQ. Or, find out more about how doomscrolling affects a child’s developing brain, how to stay productive in school during the holy month, and how to manage exams during this time.
