‘Bed rotting’ has divided the Internet as the trend takes over young people

Plenty of people can’t decide whether it’s good or not

When first hearing the term, it sounds like a painful and gruelling experience but in reality it’s just staying in bed.

Even if you don’t want to admit it, we’ve all done it.

The idea of staying in bed, watching Netflix, ordering a takeaway or even simply just relaxing under the sheets has appealed to all of us once in a while.

However on TikTok, some users have admitted that they’ve used ‘bed rotting’ as a coping mechanism for when they are struggling with their anxiety or stress.

This has led to plenty of discussion online on how beneficial ‘bed rotting’ can be for your health.

Dr Katrina Ostmeyer, Psychologist and CEO at Beyond the Individual LLC, says ‘bed rotting’ could actually have a negative impact on people’s mental health.

She said: “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.

“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, Happier Human claim that ‘bed rotting’ is “empowering and helps you cope with stress and anxiety”.

They add that it can help to “avoid burnout” and “mentally recharge”.

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Washington University, Dr Jessi Gold, debunked some of the theories on 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?”

This article originally appeared on Joe.co.uk

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