HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — Have you ever heard the term "bed rotting"? You may have even seen it trending on TikTok. But, what exactly is it? Huntsville Psychotherapy and Counseling Services Owner and Psychotherapist Monretta Vega breaks it down. "Bed rotting is really when you intentionally take a long period of time to be in the bed."
Outside of normal sleep hours, some people may view this as relaxing or just having time to decompress. "But a lot of times it can lead into negative thoughts, negative emotions because of the amount of time that we are laying in bed, whether we're simply watching tv or just snacking. It may seem like we're resting, but it can definitely lead to negative feelings and emotions down the line."
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama Medical Director Dr. Ginnie Prater agrees. "People are using that to mean, 'I don't ever feel motivated to get out of bed, and I spend the majority of what would be waking hours in the bed'."
So is bed rotting only seen in young people? "Well, the term bed rotting is something that is generally applicable to younger people. Um, but I have seen middle aged folks refer to it as well."
Vega believes all in all, it's important to have work life balance, and when it come to bed rotting, "We're impacting ourselves in a negative way, in considering it rest and that's not what we want. Work life balance is probably going to be the biggest factor because this is exactly a form of attempting to have effective, beneficial work life balance. You want to make sure that you are giving your work and your assignments as much energy as possible. But time management, so that you can prioritize your self-care and your skills in general."