Are You Rotting? A Biblical Perspective on Bed Rotting

In 2023, a trend known as “bed rotting” exploded on TikTok, encouraging people to retreat to their beds for hours or even days as a form of self-care. 

As this practice spreads, it raises an important question for believers: 

Should Christians take part in it?

What is bed rotting?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, “Bed rotting is the act of intentionally spending the day in bed being unproductive.” In practice, this often means spending hours—or in extreme cases, several days—lying in bed scrolling on a phone, binge-watching shows, gaming or simply zoning out. 

Those who participate in the trend often refer to it as “having a rot day.”

The trend has largely been popularized by Gen Z, many of whom say they need “rot days” to recharge and cope with the demands of life and an out-of-control world. They often describe these days as cozy, aesthetic and a form of self-care.

However, several accounts detail more extreme cases of bed rotting. Staying in bed for several days without personal hygiene, physical activity or connection with others can be an indication of clinical depression, which may require professional help. 

Why do people bed rot?

The trend appeals to people who feel emotionally and physically drained, offering what they see as a guilt-free rest period. 

While primarily promoted by Gen Z, people of all ages partake in the practice of bed rotting. An Amerisleep survey estimated that bed rotting is practiced by 89 percent of Gen Z, 69 percent of Millennials, 54 percent of Gen X and 31 percent of Baby Boomers. 

• Feelings of burnout.
• Pressure to always be productive.
• Desire to check out of society.   
• Stress from the news cycle and what’s going on in the world.
• Worry about finances or the future.
• Low energy.
• Decreased motivation.
• Anxiety.
• Depression.

Bed rotting is promoted as a self-care tool to deal with a variety of challenges. Some who engage in bed rotting say that “rot days” help them become more productive members of society.

Are there benefits?

First of all, it is true that our bodies and minds do need rest. 

When asked specifically about bed rotting, some experts note that getting extra sleep or spending a little extra time in bed to recharge isn’t necessarily harmful. It depends on how much time is spent in bed and what we are doing. 

Though health experts understand the body’s need for rest, they also point out that there are several significant risks with the practice of bed rotting.  

What is the problem?

While many assert that bed rotting is a valid way to recharge, others look back and lament the time they feel they have wasted. Several people report feeling trapped in a cycle of bed rotting, unable to break free. 

This is a sign of a deeper problem.

Dr. Meghan Galili, an internal medicine physician at the Cleveland Clinic, notes, “Humans are creatures of habit. So, I worry about these periods of intentionally unproductive time becoming a recurring pattern in your life.” 

She adds, “I can see bed rotting becoming a go-to way to avoid stressful situations, instead of a rare break from the daily grind. And avoidance can lead to feelings of guilt, loneliness and lack of motivation.”

Instead of recharging us, bed rotting often increases the very symptoms it is meant to relieve. This raises an important question: Why does something intended to rejuvenate so often have the opposite effect?

Mental harm of bedding rotting

Spending significant time in bed can have negative impacts on mental health. Physical inactivity can contribute to the development or worsening of depression and anxiety. This can also lead to reduced motivation and increased physical, mental and emotional fatigue. 

Staying in bed to cope with the stress of work or other responsibilities can lead to increased rumination and feelings of guilt and avoidance, which can perpetuate stress instead of resolving it. 

Since these are some of the reasons people engage in bed rotting, this can become a vicious cycle.

Instead of recharging us, bed rotting often increases the very symptoms it is meant to relieve. Many people report going back and forth between scrolling on their phones, watching television and engaging in other forms of screen leisure while bed rotting. This continual input of content can reduce the brain’s ability to focus, depleting the energy needed to perform. 

Even passive media consumption is not truly passive. It still requires attention and mental energy to process, which helps explain why many people report brain fog and difficulty concentrating or completing tasks after extended screen time. 

Fragmented attention also makes it harder to engage in deep, reflective thought, often leading to increased feelings of burnout and emotional exhaustion.

On the other hand, meditation (focused thought and reflection on Scripture or spiritual topics) is one of the spiritual tools we can use to both grow closer to God and be spiritually refreshed and renewed. Philippians 4:8 and Colossians 3:2 provide a good starting point for Christian meditation.

To learn more, read “What Is Meditation?” 

Physical harm from bed rotting? 

According to the Sleep Foundation, bed rotting can actually affect your sleep. Spending extended time awake in bed—reading, scrolling on a phone, talking or watching media—can cause the brain to associate the bed with wakeful activities rather than with sleep.

Healthy sleep is important for both mental and physical health. Without quality sleep, symptoms such as drowsiness, lack of energy, brain fog and depression can develop. Notably, these are some of the very reasons people say they bed rot!

Staying in bed to cope with stress can lead to increased rumination and feelings of guilt and avoidance, which can perpetuate stress instead of resolving it. Instead, sleep hygiene is a first-line treatment for insomnia.

Sleep hygiene includes focusing on positive sleep habits, such as having a consistent sleep schedule, limiting screen time before bed and using the bed primarily for sleep rather than prolonged wakeful activities.

Additionally, both prolonged inactivity and repeated periods of inactivity can reduce cardiovascular health and energy levels, contribute to weight gain and lead to loss of muscle mass and strength. Extended bed rest can also cause or worsen pain.

Simple activities like walking, gentle movement and spending time in sunlight are healthier alternatives to bed rotting that can help support positive physical and mental recharging. 

Social harm of bed rotting 

When staying in bed becomes the primary way of recharging, disconnection and isolation are inevitable. Dr. Andrea Papa-Molter told U.S. News that bed rotting “becomes detrimental when someone avoids contact with others . . . Humans are innately social and need interaction with other humans.” 

Spending too much time in bed can also lead people to avoid human interaction, miss activities or develop deep feelings of guilt for misusing time.   

Scripture tells us that isolating ourselves from others is contrary to sound judgment (Proverbs 18:1). 

Reaching out to a friend or family member, planning a coffee date or attending some other social activity can help combat isolation—and you might find you’re not the only one struggling.

A better way to avoid burnout

Our loving Creator knows that human beings need regular rest. After creating Adam and Eve, God established the weekly Sabbath as a gift for humanity. We were never meant to be “on” 24/7, as our world so often demands.

Jesus Christ is our ultimate example, and He faithfully observed the Sabbath. From sunset Friday to sunset Saturday, the Sabbath provides the blessing of stepping away from the pressures of daily life to rest, recharge and be refreshed—both physically and spiritually.

Not only did God command its observance as part of the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20:8-11), but in Mark 2:27 Christ also tells us, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.”

Resting on the weekly Sabbath does not mean that we never need opportunities to recharge during the week.

Throughout the Gospels, we find that Christ regularly took time to step away from the hectic world around Him in order to connect with God the Father through prayer. This practice strengthened Him for the work He was called to do.

Nowhere do we read that Jesus recharged through extended periods of physical inactivity, such as “rotting.” 

Christians are called to be renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16). God promises that if we draw near to Him, He will also draw near to us (James 4:8). We draw near to God through prayer, meditation on His law and His will and by striving to honor Him in our thoughts and actions.

While it’s not wrong to take periods of time outside the Sabbath for physical relaxation, we should be mindful of the dangers of extended inactivity. Even when we take time away from work to rest and recharge, that time can still be used productively—such as for reading, physical exercise, hobbies, catching up on chores or working on personal projects.

The Proverbs warn of the danger of laziness and inactivity (Proverbs 12:11; 13:4; 19:15).  

Redeeming the time

There is coming a time when our physical bodies will decay and return to the dust from which we were formed (Ecclesiastes 3:20). Those of us who seek to please God are called to redeem the time that we have been given (Ephesians 5:16)—that is, to use it wisely and productively—and to put our full effort into the work set before us (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

This includes prioritizing what is most important, both spiritually and physically, and setting appropriate boundaries for our time during the week. We need to allow time for daily focus on God and adequate physical and mental rest.

The Scriptures provide many spiritual and physical principles that help prevent burnout and overexhaustion.  

Bed rotting is not one of them.

Date Posted: January 14, 2026