What happens if you stay in bed all the time? (7 things)

In this blog post, we will try to answer the question of what happens if you stay in bed all the time? In addition, we will also look at a few tips to help if you feel like staying in bed all the time. 

What happens if you stay in bed all the time? 

Lying in bed all day and doing nothing can sound like a dream, but it can also be scary as: 

• Over the period of six months to a year, most of our muscles and bones would break down
• You’d be suffering from nasty ulcers called bed sores
• Your mental health would also take a toll, while  you’d be at higher risk of anxiety and depression

Remember the feeling when you wake up in the morning? You just want to stay in your bed and snuggle. While staying in bed may sound like the ultimate luxury, it’s actually nothing to wish for.

Laying in bed forever may sound relaxing, but it can lead to serious health issues. It is not just this particular position that can be bad for the body, but too much bed rest in any position can be very harmful to the overall well-being of an individual.it can affect both the mental and physical health of the individual. 

Is it bad to stay in bed all the time? 

Of course, it is! Anything in excess is considered to be bad.

• Over the period of six months to a year, most of our muscles and bones would break down: While some bed rest can make people suffering from back pain feel better, too much bed rest can prove to be counterproductive. This is because it results in the weakening of muscles, including the ones that support the backbone. our muscles and bones will start to lose mass, resting heart rate will go up, and blood volume will go down. Surprisingly, people can also develop constipation and other gastrointestinal problems when muscles lose their conditioning and tone.

Additionally, the inactivity associated with staying in bed for long hours increases the risk of damaging the veins especially those of the pelvis and legs, and developing blood clots. This situation can also lead to a deadly condition called pulmonary embolism in the event that the clot breaks away and enters the lungs.

• You’d be suffering from nasty ulcers called bed sores: We usually twitch and turn while sleeping. If you don’t move at all, you can have pressure ulcers, more commonly known as bedsores. These are caused when, due to a lack of movement, the disruption of blood throughout the skin causes certain regions of the skin to perish. There are a few different stages of bedsores; if bedsores hit Stage 4, then they can negatively affect bones. In extreme cases, bedsores can even kill people.

• Your mental health would also take a toll, while  you’d be at higher risk of anxiety and depression: Our mental health and sense of well-being also take a hit due to being confined to bed. Research that studied the psychological effects of bed rest in people observed a tendency of development of depression and neurosis through self-reporting. In a different study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology in 2008, rats were put in a specific position similar to the one that humans assume during bed rest. It was observed that rats displayed signs of depression and stress after a period of only 2 weeks. Later, they developed more psychological and cardiovascular disorders, as a result of the prolonged period of bed rest to which they were subjected. Psychological and physical ill-effects of extended periods of bed rest have also been found in pregnant women who were sent to bed due to complications in pregnancies. These effects included depression, anxiety, headache, muscle atrophy, and weight loss. 

A study by NASA that proves if you stay in bed all the time can be harmful. 

Back in 2014, NASA conducted an experiment to study the effects of laying in bed for days, to determine the nature and magnitude of the deterioration of human bones and muscles in space. 

The study required Andrew Iwanicki, the volunteer to lay down on a bed for 70 days straight, without getting up for any purpose whatsoever except for a 30-minute window where he could prop himself up on his elbows to eat. NASA actually paid this man  $18,000 to stay in bed. Sounds like the most perfect job, right? But it is not. 

The moment Andrew Iwanicki stood up for the first time in 70 days, his heart rate jumped to 150 beats per minute and he struggled to stay upright without fainting. It was no surprise my body acted this way, of course,” Iwanicki said. After spending 70 days tilted at a negative-six-degree angle, Iwanicki had lost about 20 percent of his total blood volume.

Depression and the inability to get out of bed. 

Staying in bed all the time is a common symptom of various mental health disorders. However, a person with depression is immediately associated with staying in the bed all the time. 

So the question arises- ‘Why do depressed people stay in bed all the time? It certainly isn’t because of great snuggle time under the blankets. It’s merely because depressed people can’t bring themselves to get out of bed. Almost any activity or task becomes painful, even things as simple as taking a shower or getting dressed. A perfectly able-bodied person can’t even bring him or herself to rise out of bed. Why does this happen?

The spontaneous answer to this is a lack of motivation. Depressed people have no direction because they lack a commitment to goals. Without goals to drive future behavior, current behavior becomes frozen for long periods. Beds are the most natural location for a behavioral pause, as the place in the house most associated with inactivity. Low moods usually make our progress towards goals poor and we know that a depressed person isn’t usually in an ecstatic mood. 

What to do if you stay in bed all the time? 

We have seen that staying in bed all the time is no good. It starts to degrade our bodies as well as our minds. So what can a person do who is currently going through a low phase? 

Here are a few tips one can follow if you stay in the bed all the time: 

• Start with taking small steps: If the goals for a particular day are overwhelming, then you should start to focus on the small things. If a deadline is looming or anxiety about a particular task is causing you to have trouble getting out of bed, they should try to divide their morning and day into manageable steps. You should first think about getting up, then using the bathroom, then getting dressed, and so on, without thinking of the day as a whole. Breaking the day down into manageable goals can make it seem less overwhelming. Just like the episode of FRIENDS where ROss asks Chandler to focus on small things instead of the fact that he is getting married 

• Rely on a pet: A review of studies found that interacting with pets, particularly dogs, has a positive effect on stress levels, feelings of loneliness, and anxiety. Having a dog may also encourage exercise, which can lead to reduced stress and overall better health. Plus you have to take them for a walk. 

• Find someone who you can trust: Friends and family members can serve as support and a point of accountability. They can check in with you and provide encouragement. They can also provide reassurance and assistance. A person who is struggling to get out of bed can try making plans with a family member or friend. Being accountable to someone else can be a good motivator.For example, you could go for a  walk, run, or exercise first thing in the morning with your neighbor or meet your sibling at a coffee shop on the way to work, carpool to work with your colleague or talk to each other on the way to work or school each morning

• Think of the successful moments and days: it is possible that once you think of your achievements and successes in your life, you may start to feel good. You may be filled with the urge to do more. This can certainly drive you out of the bed, motivated right to your place of work. 

• Turn some music on : Research over the years has shown that music can often alter a person’s mood. According to a review of these studies, how a person listens to music in everyday life can affect the feelings that they associate with it. Try to sit up straight and listen to some upbeat music, or music that soothes and calms you down. 

• Do not stress about daily tasks: Breaking from the idea of not wanting to get out of bed can take some time. Sometimes planning your day with things to do may not be the right thing to do, especially in the morning. Instead of letting the stress of lots of tasks become overwhelming, a person struggling to get out of bed should try not to worry about getting it all done.

Instead, the person should do what they can and remember that tomorrow is a new day to accomplish things. It might be helpful for them to prioritize a few tasks on the list that they know are possible to complete. Ticking these tasks off the list may motivate a person to do more.

• Shed some light: Dark, dim rooms are inviting for sleeping, but that’s a problem if you’re struggling to get out of bed. They also come with a sense of gloominess. Turn on lamps or throw open the shades to invite bright, warming light into your room. This can help you feel more alert and energetic to go ahead with the day. 

Finally, for you to understand that Tomorrow is a new day. If you can’t get out of bed today, it’s OK. If you can’t get beyond the first goal, it’s OK. You can look to tomorrow to get things done. The fog will lift, and you’ll be able to return to your normal activities.

Conclusion 

In this blog post, we have tried to answer the question of what happens if you stay in bed all the time? In addition, we have also looked at a few tips to help if you feel like staying in bed all the time. 

FAQs: What happens if you stay in bed all the time? 

References 

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/84856/what-would-happen-your-body-if-you-stayed-bed-forever

https://www.healthline.com/health/cant-get-out-of-bed

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/charting-the-depths/201106/why-do-depressed-people-lie-in-bed