Bed Rotting: The Self-Care Trend That Has Gen-Zs Doing Nothing in Bed All Day

Great news for people whose go-to coping skill is climbing under the covers and binge-watching shows in a pair of old ratty pajamas: Tiktok has churned out a new trend that validates the desire to spend an extended amount of hours in bed.  

Dubbed "bed rotting," the trend is the latest phenomenon sweeping the self-care zeitgeist. The term was first coined by Tiktok user @g0bra77y, essentially referring to the act of wasting away in the comfort of your bed and doing absolutely nothing until you muster up the energy to face life again. 

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@g0bra77y

Talented and very ambitious

? original sound - hard ahh audios fr????

It’s the antithesis of the girlboss lifestyle and hustle culture, particularly one of its many iterations, the “productive 5-9 routine,” where people document the things they do either before or after their 9-5 jobs. It makes you wonder if people have become so molded by the capitalist framework that they’re starting to rebrand unpaid time as “aesthetic.” In many ways, this bed-rotting trend might just be a rebellion against the idea that one’s value is proportional to their productivity. 

Clearly, people are receptive to the idea of rest without guilt because the original video is flooded with comments affirming their love for the activity, or lack thereof. One user commented, “i feel my purpose in this life is to rot in dif places. my bed, hotel bed, beach sand, hammock etc. i was made to lay and rot.” Some even said it’s their hobby, passion, and life purpose.  

The sarcasm is noted, but while we all need a break every now and then, too much rest can ruin your circadian rhythm and sleep-wake cycles, according to wellness publication Well + Good. And as experts have reiterated, constant inactivity isn’t good for your mental–or physical–health. 

Although bed rotting is not exactly a healthy daily habit—it’s well established that mobility, sunlight, and socialization are essential to a sound mind and body—there’s no harm in indulging in the occasional stress decomposition if done in moderation. Longevity specialist and sleep doctor Dr. Seema Bonney tells Well + Good that limiting your bed rotting to two to three hours per week is best for your health. 

So there you go. Bed rotting isn’t all bad, but be mindful not to glorify it too much. We all deserve rest. And if this is the way to take some pressure off from the crushing weight of life then, by all means, rot away.