Sunday, August 23, 2026

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Rest or avoiding reality? How Gen Z’s ‘Bed Rotting’ trend uncovers a global mental health crisis

What began as a viral form of self-care is raising new questions about where healthy rest ends and emotional withdrawal begins.

By Hiyaa Sampat

info@thearabianstories.com

Sunday, August 23, 2026

Muscat: The “bed rotting” phenomenon of Generation Z, spending many hours in bed playing games, watching movies, or just disconnecting, has become a synonym for escaping the anxiety of living in a world with constant digital communication.

Even though resting occasionally may help people relax, psychologists warn that going to bed too often may become a strategy of evasion.

Scientists in the field of sleep therapy advise against spending too much time awake while in bed. When this occurs, the brain may no longer associate sleeping with being in bed.

However, another distressing issue arises, which is the fact that ‘rest’ becomes a response to issues including stress and anxiety, sleeping or lying in bed for too long does not facilitate genuine recovery from stressors.

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