The negative consequences of too much bed rest

Enough rest and sleep is extremely important for the human body as well as the psyche, we all know that. But did you also know that too much bed rest over a longer period of time can be harmful to your health? Especially people who are plagued by chronic fatigue, exhaustion and weakness, e.g. with Long Covid Syndrome, often lie down in bed during the day, which is of course understandable and comprehensible. However, you have probably also experienced that sleeping or lying down for too long makes you even more tired. If you lie down too much in the long term, you get into a negative cycle and become weaker and weaker, further damaging your body and psyche.

Especially with long covid, especially if the lungs are also affected, it can have great disadvantages for the body if you lie in bed for a large part of the day for weeks. Humans are made for movement. If muscles are not moved enough, the body suffers from weakness after a relatively short time, because muscle mass decreases by about 15% per week. Lack of exercise also has a negative effect on the heart and cardiovascular system; it contributes to a backlog of blood in the veins and thus increases the risk of thrombosis. After only about eight days of bed rest, the heart rate increases by 10-15 beats per minute. After two weeks, fewer red blood cells are produced, therefore oxygen transport also deteriorates and lung capacity decreases. Shortness of breath, low oxygen levels and even pneumonia can be the result. It is harder to breathe through when lying down, which is why areas of the lungs are not properly ventilated, increasing the risk of pneumonia by about 56%. Not only the veins, but also the lymphatic vessels depend on regular muscle movement; lymphatic blood flow is reduced by almost 65% during long periods of bed rest. This in turn has an impact on our immune system, because the lymphatic system is an important part of our defense system; it is responsible for fighting infections, among other things. Bones are also dependent on regular exercise; if this is lacking, there is a risk of bone loss in the long term.

Bed rest is also not good for the kidneys and can even lead to kidney stones in some people, especially if you drink too little and eat poorly at the same time. Mental health and well-being are also affected by prolonged lying down, and depression can increase. For all these reasons, it is important to slowly mobilize the body again and become active so that the negative cycle can be broken. Small steps are a good start in the right direction. A short walk in the fresh air and daylight, preferably with understanding and encouraging company, is highly recommended.