If you spent weekends lying in bed, scrolling aimlessly through TikTok, eating snacks you swore you would save for later, and convincing yourself it was “rest,” congratulations —you might just be suffering from bed rot.
What is Bed Rotting?
The term “bed rotting” started trending on TikTok in 2023, when Gen Z users began romanticising the idea of spending entire days under the covers doing nothing. Initially, it was viewed as an act of rebellion against hustle culture and a gentle rejection of productivity and burnout.
However, now in 2025, experts are warning that what began as “resting without guilt” can easily become a sign of emotional exhaustion, mild depression, or escapism in disguise.
In simple terms, “bed rotting” refers to spending extended hours in bed not for sleeping or resting, but to disconnect from the world indefinitely.
It is much different from a lazy Sunday or a much-needed rest day because during bed rotting, your bed becomes your go-to space for eating, binge-watching, working, and avoiding life.
While this behaviour may feel comforting at the moment, spending too much time “rotting” can gradually drain your energy and motivation.
Here are five ways you might be bed-rotting and how to fix them.
1. You Keep Saying You’re Resting, But You Never Feel Rested
You keep telling yourself, “I’m just catching up on rest.” But somehow, you wake up the next morning still tired, groggy, and slightly annoyed at everything. That is because staying in bed and scrolling on your phone does not count as actual rest. Your brain is still overstimulated by constant content, light, and noise.
According to a 2024 Sleep Foundation survey, 78% of adults who use their phones before bed report experiencing poorer sleep quality. When you lie in bed scrolling for hours, your mind does not get the downtime it needs to reset properly.
Fix: Make your rest more intentional. Switch off your phone at least 30 minutes before sleeping. Try low-energy, low-screen activities like journalling, stretching, or listening to soft music. If that sounds too much for you, just dim your screen and set a scroll limit and mean it.
2. Your Bed Has Become Your Office, Dining Table, and Therapy Couch
If your bed now doubles as your workspace, dining table, and emotional support station, you might be blurring lines between comfort and confinement.
Once you start doing everything in bed —eating, replying to work emails, and overthinking your life —your brain stops associating that space with sleep. So even when you try to rest, it is like your body can not switch off because your mind thinks it is still on duty.
Fix: You do not need a fancy desk or a lot of space. Even sitting up with a pillow behind you or working from your dining table helps reset this habit. Make your bed a no-work, no-phone zone for at least two hours a day. Try making it each morning and watch it signal to your brain that “We’re starting the day, not melting into the sheets.”
3. You Feel Anxious When You’re Not in Bed
This is a very tricky one. You want to get up, go outside, maybe touch some grass, but the thought feels overwhelming. If your bed has become your comfort cocoon, stepping out of it might trigger mild anxiety or guilt.
Experts say this can be a form of avoidant behaviour, in which we hide from life’s stressors rather than deal with them. You might not even realise it is happening.
Fix: Start with micro-movements. You do not need to hit the gym or suddenly become a morning jogger. Just sit by the window for 10 minutes, stretch while scrolling, or walk to the kitchen without your phone. Gradual physical movement helps your body break the cycle, and your mood will thank you for it.
4. Your Hygiene and Social Life Are Fading
You know bed rotting is getting real when showering feels like an Olympic sport. Your once-colourful social calendar now looks like a ghost town, and every message from friends starts with “We haven’t seen you in ages.”
While solitude can feel comforting during exhausting times, prolonged isolation and neglecting personal care are often early signs of burnout rather than relaxation.
Fix: Start with what feels easiest. It could be brushing your teeth and washing your face before checking your phone, and or replying to just one message today instead of ghosting everyone. Create a “bare-minimum routine” of small, repeatable actions that help you feel human again. And when you can, step outside as sunlight boosts serotonin and helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle.
5. You Call It ‘Self-Care,’ But It’s Actually Emotional Withdrawal
There is a fine line between self-care and self-neglect disguised as rest. Real self-care is about restoration and doing things that recharge your body and mind. Bed rotting, on the other hand, often numbs your emotions instead of addressing them.
Psychologists explain that “passive coping” (like endless scrolling or sleeping away feelings) provides temporary comfort but deepens emotional fatigue long-term. You feel better for a while, then guilty, then worse, and that creates a cycle that feeds itself.
How to Bed Rot — The Healthy Way
Let’s be honest, sometimes all you need is an actual duvet day. Occasional, intentional bed rotting can help you reset, as long as it is a choice, not a habit.
