It’s when someone decides to spend all day in bed -- scrolling through social media or binge-watching their favorite show.
“‘Bed rotting’ can become a problem if you are doing it in the context to avoid something, or you feel like you are not physically or emotionally able to get out of bed,” explained Emily Mudd, a child psychologist at Cleveland Clinic Children’s. “For example, if you’re staying in bed because you’re anxious about something or you’re doing it to avoid social interactions.”With this in mind, taking a day off to rest in bed isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Spending too much time in bed can lead to social isolation, which is a risk factor for mental health disorders like depression and anxiety.“If you’re a parent and your child has been spending significant periods of time in bed, that is a raise for concern,” Mudd said. “Children have social, developmental and emotional needs that cannot be met by being solitary in bed. They have activity-based needs, like being with peers and academic learning.