What Is ‘Mattress Rotting’? A Physician Weighs In on This TikTok Development

In a society that values productiveness, it’s uncommon that folks simply sit again and do nothing—or no less than that’s the way it was. Recently the narrative round relaxation has modified, and TikTok customers are literally gravitating towards doing completely nothing all day in a development often known as “mattress rotting.”

“Mattress rotting refers to doing nothing apart from laying in mattress and unwinding,” says Kristin Gill, MD, board-certified psychiatrist and chief medical officer of Minded. “It’s a time period that youthful individuals have coined to explain taking a step again from their busy lives and giving themselves time to recharge their batteries.” 

At press time, the hashtag #bedrotting had garnered over 3.2 million views on TikTok. Customers put up movies of themselves laying in mattress, touting the development as a type of self-care. For some individuals, laying in mattress, catching up on a whole Netflix collection and scarfing down some ramen noodles could also be precisely what they should relaxation and recharge each occasionally. Nonetheless, is it attainable that “mattress rotting” can go too far, to the place it’s not really helpful and perhaps even detrimental to 1’s psychological well being? We requested psychological well being specialists and sleep specialists to weigh in on this viral development. 

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The advantages of mattress rotting 

Many TikTok customers appear to seek out mattress rotting helpful to their general psychological well being and well-being—and surprisingly, Dr. Gill says it may be. 

“It’s regular and wholesome for individuals to need to take time to relaxation and unplug from the world round them,” Dr. Gill says. “This could really assist individuals recharge their social battery and bodily relaxation their our bodies so they’re higher suited to deal with what lies forward.” 

One other advantage of mattress rotting consists of taking a step again from hustle tradition and easily being extra current. “Taking this initiative to say ‘I’m going to do nothing as we speak’ or ‘I’m going to take a relaxation day’ could be very empowering to individuals in a society that feels responsible for resting and taking breaks,” Dr. Gill says.

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The dangers of mattress rotting 

Nonetheless, as with something, an excessive amount of mattress rotting can harm greater than it helps. 

“Staying in mattress for lengthy durations of time generally is a type of avoidance and doubtlessly result in isolation,” says Justin Puder, a licensed psychologist and psychological well being content material creator. “Intervals of solitude may help us reset, however lengthy durations of isolation are linked to despair. Moreover, staying in our consolation zones for days on finish can enhance our nervousness when we’ve to go away for work/faculty/social meetups.”

Puder provides it’s additionally necessary to range up your setting and get out of your home day by day, even when just for an hour or two. 

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Except for mattress rotting doubtlessly affecting your psychological well being, it might additionally negatively impression your sleep schedule. “Whenever you spend an excessive amount of time in mattress exterior of your typical sleep window, and that point is spent doing actions that you simply may usually do once you’re awake, your mind is extra more likely to blur sleep and wake collectively,” says Sarah Silverman, a holistic sleep physician and behavioral sleep medication specialist. “This will lower your general sleep high quality and doubtlessly result in insomnia (or worsen insomnia).” 

Moreover, Silverman provides that spending an excessive amount of time in mattress can even weaken your sleep drive and for sleep to occur simply, you need to make sure that your physique has a excessive sleep drive once you get into mattress at night time.

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Closing takeaways 

On the finish of the day, mattress rotting could be helpful if included into your life in a wholesome and balanced means. Nonetheless, you’ll nonetheless need to discover different wholesome coping mechanisms to cope with every day stressors, whether or not that’s happening a solo date to a espresso store or taking a hike in nature. 

“It’s necessary to notice that if ‘mattress rotting’ occurs on a number of events and even unintentionally it may be an indication of a extra extreme psychological or bodily well being challenge that needs to be addressed by a medical skilled,” Dr. Gill says.