What Is Bed Rotting? 7 Ways It Promotes Self-Care
In recent years, a curious and perhaps a bit distasteful term has been making waves across social media platforms: “bed rotting.” So, what is bed rotting? Despite its somewhat alarming name, the bed rotting trend is not a form of decay but rather a colloquial term for spending extended periods in bed, often as a means of rest, recovery, or withdrawal from daily stressors.
For many individuals, especially those on the autism spectrum, this practice can serve as a vital coping mechanism and form of self-care.
While some self-care rituals require the right circumstances or location (like how I love to drive around on a jet ski on the very rare opportunities I get to allow me to clear my head), others can be as simple as sitting outdoors in a comfy chair while basking in the sun, petting your favorite animal, or embracing the start of a new day with a fresh cup of coffee.
That’s where the bed rotting trend comes in.
There’s something therapeutic about lounging around and watching Netflix (or another favorite streaming channel) from a comfortable and familiar setting. It’s not always a bad thing either; the bed rotting trend, when it doesn’t keep a person from living life overall, can help foster better mental health and serve to recharge batteries and lessen stress. My easy escape is watching anime on my phone (don’t judge!).
When it comes to the intersection of autism and bed rotting, there are many reasons why it occurs, its potential benefits and risks, and how to approach it healthily for self-care.
Understanding Autism and Its Challenges
Before delving into bed rotting, it’s crucial to understand autism and the unique challenges it presents. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by differences in social communication, sensory processing, and patterns of behavior or interests. Autistic individuals often experience the world in ways that can be both enriching and challenging.
Key aspects of autism that may contribute to the need for extended rest and replenishing energy include:
Sensory Sensitivities
Many autistics experience heightened or altered sensory perceptions. Sounds, lights, textures, or smells that others might not notice can be overwhelming or even painful.
Social Challenges
While social experiences vary widely among autistic individuals, many find social interactions taxing due to difficulties in interpreting nonverbal cues, navigating unwritten social rules, or managing the sensory aspects of social settings.
Executive Function Differences
Executive function skills, which include planning, organizing, initiating tasks, and shifting between activities, can be areas of difficulty for many autistic people.
Anxiety and Stress
Autistics often experience higher levels of anxiety, which can be exacerbated by unpredictable changes, sensory overload, or social pressures.
Intense Interests
Many autistic people have deep, focused interests that they may prefer to engage with over other activities.
Given these factors, it’s not surprising that many autistic individuals might seek out extended periods of rest and seclusion. Enter: bed rotting.
What is Bed Rotting Exactly and Does It Differ From Other Self-Care Escapes?
Bed rotting, despite its unpleasant-sounding name, is essentially an extended period of rest spent in bed.
It goes beyond a typical nap or night’s sleep, often involving hours or even days spent in bed. Typically, it often extends even further than taking a chill day or spending the weekend in isolation.
During this time, individuals might engage in low-energy activities like scrolling through social media, watching videos, reading, or simply lying still.
It’s important to note that bed rotting is not the same as clinical depression, though there can be overlap.
While depression often involves a loss of interest in activities and a persistent low mood, the bed rotting trend can be a conscious choice made for self-care purposes.
RELATED: The Fascinating Explanation of Spoon Theory Mental Health
Why Might Autistics Engage in Bed Rotting Trend? Here Are 7 Possible Benefits
For many autistic individuals, the bed rotting trend can serve several important functions:
Sensory Overload Recovery
The world can be an intensely stimulating place for autistic people. Bright lights, loud noises, strong smells, and even certain textures on clothing or furniture can quickly become overwhelming. Retreating to bed provides a low-stimulus environment where one can recover from sensory overload. The comfort of familiar bedding, the ability to control light and sound levels, and the lack of demands for physical movement can all contribute to sensory relief.
Social Battery Recharge
Social interactions, while potentially rewarding, can be particularly draining for autistic individuals. The effort required to interpret social cues, manage sensory input in social settings, and navigate complex social dynamics (where some individuals even become overly social) can quickly deplete one’s “social battery.” Bed rotting allows time to recharge after social engagements, providing a space free from social demands and expectations.
Task or Decision-Making Breaks
Many autistic people struggle with aspects of executive function, which governs task initiation, planning, organizing, and completion. The constant effort required to manage these challenges in daily life can be exhausting. Bedtime can offer respite from these demands, allowing the mind to rest and reset without the pressure of task completion or decision-making.
Stress Relief
For many autistic individuals, stress (usually coupled with anxiety) is a constant companion. Whether stemming from sensory overload, social pressures, or the challenges of navigating a neurotypical world, this anxiety can be debilitating. The bed can feel like a safe space for processing anxiety or recovering from stressful situations. The physical comfort and familiar environment can help promote relaxation.
Special Interest Engagement
Many autistic people have intense, focused interests (check out monotropism theory) that bring them joy and comfort. Bed rotting can provide uninterrupted time to engage with these special interests, whether through reading, watching videos, or contemplating ideas related to the interest. This engagement can be deeply satisfying and restorative.
Routine and Predictability
Autistic individuals often thrive on a rigid routine and predictability. The bed environment is typically stable and unchanging, providing a sense of security and control that may be lacking in other aspects of life.
Physical Rest and Recovery
Autism can be associated with heightened fatigue levels, partly due to the extra energy expended in managing sensory input and social interactions. Extended time in bed can allow for physical rest and recovery.
5 Potential Risks and Considerations for Following Bed Rotting Trend
While bed rotting can be beneficial, it’s important to be aware of potential risks:
Physical Health Issues
Extended periods of inactivity can lead to muscle weakness, decreased cardiovascular health, and other physical health problems.
Disrupted Sleep Patterns
Spending too much time in bed during the day can interfere with nighttime sleep patterns.
Social Isolation
While solitude can be restorative, extended isolation may lead to feelings of loneliness or missed opportunities for positive social interaction.
Neglect of Responsibilities
Excessive bed rotting might lead to neglecting important tasks or responsibilities. It also contributes to poor hygiene.
Mental Health Concerns
While bed rotting itself is not a mental health disorder, it can sometimes be a symptom of depression or anxiety disorders. It’s important to be aware of one’s overall mental health and seek professional help if needed.
8 Approaches for Finding a Healthy Balance
For autistic individuals who find bed rotting helpful, the key is to approach it mindfully and maintain a balance. Here are some strategies:
- Set Reasonable Time Limits: Decide in advance how long you’ll spend in bed and try to stick to this limit.
- Ensure Basic Needs Are Met: Make sure you’re still eating regular meals, staying hydrated, and maintaining basic hygiene.
- Incorporate Gentle Movement: Even small amounts of movement, like stretching in bed or taking a short walk, can help prevent physical health issues.
- Create a Comfortable Environment: Make your bed space as comfortable and soothing as possible. This might include soft lighting, comfortable bedding, or white noise machines.
- Plan Post-Bed Activities: Having a plan for what you’ll do after your bed rotting session can help prevent it from extending indefinitely.
- Communicate Your Needs: Let understanding friends or family members know about your need for this type of rest. Their support can be invaluable.
- Combine with Other Self-Care Practices: Integrate bed rotting with other self-care activities, such as meditation, journaling, or engaging with a special interest.
- Monitor Your Mental Health: Be aware of your overall mental state. If bed rotting is accompanied by persistent low mood or loss of interest in activities, it may be worth consulting a mental health professional.
The Role of Masking in Bed Rotting and How It Can Be Therapeutic
One important aspect to consider when discussing autism and bed rotting is the concept of masking. Masking, also known as camouflaging, refers to the practice of hiding or suppressing autistic traits to fit in with neurotypical society. This can involve mimicking social behaviors, hiding stimming (self-stimulatory behaviors), or forcing eye contact despite discomfort.
Masking is often exhausting for autistic individuals and can lead to burnout. In this context, bed rotting can serve as a crucial period of “unmasking” – a time when an autistic person can fully be themselves without the pressure to conform to neurotypical expectations. This unmasking period can be incredibly restorative, allowing for:
- Authentic self-expression
- Freedom to stim without judgment
- Relief from the cognitive load of constant social interpretation
- Processing of experiences and emotions without external pressure
The need for these unmasking periods may be especially pronounced in autistic individuals who mask heavily in their daily lives, such as those in high-pressure work environments or those who weren’t diagnosed until adulthood and developed strong masking habits.
Following The Bed Rotting Trend to Relieve Autistic Burnout
Autistic burnout is a state of physical and emotional exhaustion that can occur when an autistic person has been pushing themselves too hard to meet external demands. It often involves a loss of skills, increased meltdowns or shutdowns, and intense fatigue.
Bed rotting can be both a symptom of and a coping mechanism for autistic burnout.
During periods of burnout, extended rest may be necessary for recovery. However, it’s important to distinguish between restorative bed rotting and the potentially harmful effects of prolonged isolation during burnout.
If bed rotting extends for long periods and is accompanied by a significant loss of function, it may be a sign that professional support is needed.
The bed environment can be tailored to meet specific sensory needs, making it an ideal space for autistic individuals to regulate their sensory input.
Some considerations might include:
- Weighted blankets for deep-pressure stimulation
- Specific textures of sheets or pillowcases
- Control over lighting levels
- Use of noise-canceling headphones or white noise machines
- Aromatherapy with calming scents
By creating a sensory-friendly environment, bed rotting can become an even more effective tool for managing sensory sensitivities and promoting relaxation.
Societal Perspectives and Acceptance of Autism
It’s worth noting that the concept of bed rotting often faces stigma in a society that tends to value constant productivity. For autistic individuals, who may already face misunderstanding and judgment, the need for extended rest can be particularly challenging to explain or justify to others.
However, it’s crucial to recognize that self-care looks different for everyone. What might seem unproductive to some can be a vital coping mechanism for others. As our understanding of neurodiversity grows, so too should our acceptance of diverse self-care practices.
Bed rotting, when approached mindfully, can be a valuable tool in the self-care toolkit for many autistic individuals. It offers a way to manage sensory overload, recharge social batteries, provide executive function breaks, and engage with special interests in a low-pressure environment.
However, like any coping mechanism, it’s important to use it judiciously. Finding a balance between rest and engagement, solitude and social interaction, is key to maintaining overall well-being.
Remember, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to self-care. If bed rotting helps you manage your autistic traits and overall physical and mental health, it can be a valid part of your coping strategy when used thoughtfully and in moderation.
This is not only necessary but crucial to live the best life possible with renewed energy so you can do all the things you want to do, live the life you want, and be who you want to be.
Other Common Autistic Behaviors
There are many behaviors associated with having autism. Keep in mind that everyone presents differently, which is why it is called a spectrum disorder. However, there are common autism behaviors. Learn more about them.
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- Autism and ADHD: Making Sense of the Overlap
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- OCD and Autism: Could You Have One Condition or Both?
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