Step aside, hustle culture. Gen Z college students are 'bed-rotting' instead.

• If you've been in bed all day, you've been taking part in a TikTok trend called "bed rotting."
• The trend is about letting your sheets engulf you as you literally waste the day away. 
• It sits alongside other relaxation-focused trends that have been popularized on the app. 

You know those days when you feel like doing nothing but laying in bed? There's a TikTok trend for that now. 

While some trends on the app have popularized productivity and hustle culture, such as the action-packed format of TikTokers showing off their morning routines, other trends, which many have begun to associate with Gen Z users, have more of a focus on relaxation, such as quiet quitting and acting your wage, two workplace trends that promote self-care over a rise and grind mentality. 

"Bed rotting" is another such concept that reflects Gen Z's affinity for "soft living," another slang term popularized by TikTok to refer to a lifestyle that is as stress-free as possible.

The concept of "bed rotting," is simple: it's when you sink into the comfort of your sheets and stay there — for hours, or even days — metaphorically rotting away while the rest of the world blissfully passes you by.

It bears much resemblance to a trend that emerged on the Chinese internet last year, called "letting it rot," or the 2021 trend, "lying flat," which were both popularized as a way of refusing to compete with the mounting pressures of working life. 

"Bed rotting" has become heavily associated with self-care, as TikTokers have discussed using the concept to make time for relishing in relaxing activities that they might not otherwise have time for, like binging television or slowly enjoying a meal. Some users have aestheticized the concept further by sharing videos of their pristinely-made beds and filming themselves doing an extra-luxurious skincare routine to prepare themselves for bed rotting the night away. 

Those partaking in the trend on TikTok mainly appear to be college students or young professionals, who are deliberately putting off assignments and responsibilities for some extra hours in relaxation mode. 

23-year-old pop singer Olivia O'Brien also partook in the trend on her TikTok account, sharing a video of herself lying down with a bag of M&M's. 

"Sometimes u just have to rot in bed all day and only get up to get little snacks," she captioned her post. 

Many TikTok viewers say the trend makes them feel less guilty about feeling a need to spend extra time in bed, but some have said the concept has gone a step too far by encouraging people to waste their days and become lazy. 

Dr. Jessi Gold, MD, an assistant professor in the department of psychiatry at Washington University, addressed some common concerns about "bed rotting" in a TikTok video posted on June 1. 

Gold said it is important to balance sleeping for rest with other coping mechanisms that are more active, such as reading or running. She also encouraged viewers to assess whether the sleep they get during times of "bed rotting" is truly restorative, or whether they are merely trying to sleep more to avoid the stress that can come with being awake. 

"You don't always have to fight the urge to bed rot, but ask yourself why," she said. 

For more stories like this, check out coverage from Insider's Digital Culture team here.