Millennials and Gen Z are taking advantage of holidays and weekends by “bed-rotting” – the trend of staying under a cozy duvet all day while sleeping in, watching TV or mindlessly scrolling through their devices.
This is a way to relieve stress after a long work week and prevent burnout, but the trend may be doing more harm than good, according to researchers. Samantha Boardmana psychiatrist and clinical instructor at Weill Cornell Medical College and author ofTransforming daily vitality and stress into strength“
“It’s very tempting,” Boardman told CNBC Make It, “but the reality is that a lot of people who have had bed rot for an extended period of time don’t end up feeling much better. Instead, they end up feeling a little tired.”
Bed rot can potentially affect your Circadian rhythmBoardman says it’s your body’s natural alarm clock, telling you when to sleep and when to wake up. If you’ve ever had a night where you didn’t get enough sleep or slept longer than usual, you may feel drowsy and unwell. Difficulty falling asleep At a suitable time in the evening.
Getting enough sleep is important for your health. But sleeping too much is linked to a number of health problems, including heart disease, obesity and depression. Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Similarly, studies have shown that staring at a cell phone or TV screen for long periods of time can Eye strain, Sleeping disorder Mental health also deteriorates.
If you’re oversleeping, binge-watching the next TV show, or obsessing over social media, you’re not really resting, Boardman says. You’re just distracting yourself from the problems at hand, like a tired job, stressful issues, or unhealthy habits.
While lounging in bed for hours when you want to refuel may seem like a good idea, the key to actually getting rest is to be more “intentional,” which is “the opposite of what we want to do,” Boardman says.
She recommends varying your routine and doing low-intensity exercise or relaxing activities that will improve your mental wellbeing and help your body recover.
It may sound counterintuitive, but in Boardman’s opinion, rest can include any activity that is restorative to your mental or physical health in the long term.
“If you go for a walk outside, meet up with a friend, or do something you don’t like, you’ll feel a lot better,” Boardman says.
Research suggests Nature walks are particularly effective in promoting mental health and well-beingFor example, if you take a 40-minute walk in nature, Helped people feel more energetic and focused That’s shorter than a 40-minute or more walking trip in urban areas.
Push yourself to do something productive, even if only for a few minutes. Boardman asks his clients to keep a log of activities they dislike, rank them on a scale of 1 to 10 for their dislike, and write about how they felt after completing the task.
“They’re usually really glad they did it – they got outside, they spent one-on-one time with their loved ones, they got out in nature in some way,” she said. “Doing little things is a lot more restorative.” [than bed rotting]”
If leaving the house is absolutely impossible, there are still better ways to decompress than just lying in bed, says Diane Augeri, MD, a sleep medicine specialist at Weill Cornell Medicine/New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
For an uninterrupted night’s sleep, conduct your spoiling session on the couch, kitchen table, guest bedroom, etc. He told TODAY.com In 2023, swap your scrolling time for reading or meditating, she adds. You can also start walking around the house or doing a quick workout to get the blood flowing.
Active rest may take some effort, Boardman says, but it “really helps” to actually feel refreshed and rejuvenated.
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