lounging around for days
Maximum relaxation through maximum idleness? What’s behind the TikTok trend “Bed rotting”.
Just stay in bed – all day long. A dream, right?
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Sometimes everything is just too much. Then you just want to pull the covers over your head and stay in bed. Bed rotting has become a health trend on TikTok. But is the unconditional bumbling really to be recommended?
Last weekend. Time for shopping, washing the car, the tax, Zumba. But be quick, because the children are already scratching their hooves and want to go to the zoo. After all, that little free time has to be used optimally, right? Are you kidding me? Are you serious when you say that. More and more people are so tired from the eternal fight against the to-do list that they just don’t get up anymore. They spend entire days in bed aiming for maximum inactivity. The forced rest is called “bed rotting” and has become a global problem TikTok trend developed.
“Bed rotting” loosely translated means “lazing in bed” and is something like the absolute refusal of productivity. Unlike the so-called “lazy day” (roughly: lazy day), it’s not just about letting go of obligations and filling the day with things that are fun and relaxing, but to move as little as possible in the truest sense of the word . Even going to the sauna or going to the cinema, anything outside of bed, is taboo when it comes to “bed rotting”. Proponents understand this chosen immobility as self-care.
“Bed rotting”: Self-care or suppressed psychological problems?
Countless pictures on the social media platform show what this self-care looks like: people bury themselves comfortably under layers of blankets. Snacks, remote control and telephone within reach. Whether going to bed actually has the effect that many are hoping for – maximum relaxation through maximum idleness – or can even be counterproductive for your health in the end, cannot be said in general terms.
“‘Bed rotting’ is 100 percent backed by science,” says sleep scientist Vanessa Hill in a TikTok video. She describes hanging around as perfect, the trend is the end of optimization. Across from “buzz feed” She explains: “In a world characterized by hectic activity and productivity hacks, rest and ‘doing nothing’ are associated with shame.” Allowing yourself to rest without feeling guilty about it is an act of self-care. “Self-care is linked to better physical and mental health and can lead to better sleep quality,” she says. Hill contradicts critics who complain that “bed rotting” can mess up the biorhythm and thus negatively affect sleep.
Spending too much time in bed can be a symptom of depression
However, she cannot recommend the trend unreservedly. Spending all day in bed can also be a symptom of depression. Jessica Gold also warns of this. She is an assistant professor of psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine and also a Tiktok educator on health trends spreading through social media. Lying in bed for more than a day or two is troubling and can be a sign of mental illness, he said “CNN” Gold.
“The urge to lie in bed all day, especially when it becomes more frequent, probably has more to do with more than just catching up on sleep or the need to do nothing for a day,” the psychiatrist said. Rather, it is more about avoiding the feelings, stress or pain that wakefulness brings with it.