“Bed rotting” — it’s trendy, “very tempting” and one of TikTok’s latest crazes. But sleep experts say they are not impressed.
The social media fad has become popular among Gen Z for its alleged physical and mental health benefits. The truth, according to the science, is that it likely harms more than it helps.
“Bed rotting” is a self-care trend that promotes staying in bed for extended periods of time, even up to a whole weekend. Advocates on social media claim the practice helps people avoid or recover from burnout. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine completed a 2,006-person survey in May that asked adults in the United States questions about popular sleep trends, including TikTok’s fad.
The survey revealed that 37% of all participants have tried at least one social media sleep trend in their lives, including more than half Gen Z survey takers. Around 14% (284) of respondents have practiced bed rotting, with people 18 to 24 years old being the most likely to try it.
The academy issued a warning concerning TikTok’s rising trend in August.
“These trends may not be inherently harmful, but it’s important to remember that the bed’s primary purpose is for sleep,” Dr. Anne Marie Morse, Geisinger sleep medicine physician and spokesperson for the AASM, said in a news release. “The intentional practice of maintaining healthy sleep habits, like a consistent sleep schedule with regular timing of bedtime and waking and not going to bed unless you are sleepy, will serve as a positive reinforcement of the bed being a place for sleep and is essential for maintaining ease of falling and staying asleep.
“However, it is critical to differentiate whether the reason for experimenting with new ‘sleep trends’ is because of existing difficulties with sleep or unsatisfactory wakefulness, as utilizing trends like ‘bed rotting’ may actually worsen the sleep problem you may be experiencing,” she added.
According to Samantha Boardman, a psychiatrist and clinical instructor at Weill-Cornell Medical College, the allure of bed rotting can lead to bad habits.
“It’s very tempting,” she told CNBC Make It. “But the reality is, many people after they engage in some extended period of bed rotting, they don’t feel that much better. If anything, they feel a little bit more drained.”
So what should unsound sleepers do instead of bed rotting? Boardman said it’s about going out of your comfort zone in a productive way. Nature walks, for instance, can help with anxiety and depression (two major sleep hazards) more than bed rotting.
“They’re typically really glad that they did that thing. … They went outside, they had one-on-one time with somebody who they care about, they were out in nature in some way,” she explained. “Doing a little bit of something is much more restorative (than bed rotting).”
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