Explaining “Bathroom Camping” and Why Some Rooms Are Built Better for Solitude

"The term, currently trending on TikTok, has us thinking about designing with boundaries in mind."

By Elizabeth Fazzare

July 9, 2025

In the 2012 Judd Apatow film This is 40, Pete (Paul Rudd) takes several half-hour breaks from his kids—and familial responsibilities—in a perhaps unexpected space in the home: the bathroom. A longtime Hollywood trope for alone time, you’ll notice in many a movie, an overwhelmed character escapes to the toilet to find a moment of clarity and calm. Now, TikTok users have christened the experience with a name: bathroom camping. And for many, finding extended private time in the washroom has become a pivotal form of self-regulation.

In Harris Reed's London Victorian, a Nina Campbell striped wallpaper and Farrow & Ball’s Incarnadine Red define the bath. Sconce by Elstead Lighting; Washbasin and stand by C.P. Hart. Art: Faye Wei Wei.

What is bathroom camping?

According to those on TikTok, “bathroom camping” involves spending extended time in the restroom for reasons other than its typical use. Think lounging in a bathtub filled with blankets and pillows rather than hot water and bubbles or sitting on a closed toilet scrolling through social media.

“How did I not know bathroom camping was a common thing? If I’m overwhelmed or overstimulated, best believe I’m in the bathroom,” one TikTok user, @Justadad, said in a video that has been viewed over one million times. “I just thought I was kind of crazy, but there is nothing like going to the bathroom and just escaping.” Others note spending hours in the shower, smoking, relaxing, or using the space as a sort of escape when feeling overwhelmed. Remember those viral images of celebrities smoking in the bathroom at the 2017 Met Gala? Even Kim Kardashian has admitted to a version of bathroom camping in the past, locking herself in the room at home when she needed a quiet place to take a call without her children interfering.

It didn’t take internet access for most of us to realize the bathroom’s potential for refuge—but the online discourse is building bridges between bathroom campers who may have believed their solitude was singular. “People often retreat to the bathroom because it’s one of the few small, private, and contained spaces that offers an immediate sense of control and refuge,” explains Dr. Bev Walpole, an Ontario-based psychologist and the founder of Haven, a design-focused wellness company. “Bathrooms tend to be quieter, less trafficked, and physically enclosed, which can create a feeling of safety and containment.”

The primary bath is outfitted with a John Wigmore light box, wallpaper by Marthe Armitage, Heath Ceramics tile, and a glass screen by Theodore Ellison Designs. Photo: Laure Joliet

Why do people like bathroom camping?

Many people bathroom camp out of a desire for privacy. For parents, like Kardashian, bathrooms can be the one place children aren’t to invade. Utah mother and TikToker Mada Graviet was ahead of the trend, posting in 2022 about “camping out in the hotel bathroom” during a trip to allow her son, Rez, to take an undisturbed nap in the bedroom. Of course this logic goes two ways: The bathroom is a space in the house where children know will not be intruded.

Another TikTok user, @hendorunit, said in a video that he has been camping in the restroom for the “past 20 years of [his] life” because “who’s going to bother you while you’re in the bathroom?” Others say they began “camping” in their own home’s baths at age 6, 9, or 13, often describing it as a “safe space.” Such “private spaces teach both children and adults that self-care and personal boundaries are valid and necessary—not selfish,” says Dr. Walpole.

Is bathroom camping good for you?

Because of its size and primary function, bathroom camping offers alone time, which Walpole states is “critical for self-regulation,” as in, “it gives us space to downshift from the nervous system’s fight-or-flight mode into a restorative state.”

That being said, “if your sanctuary is the bathroom, your home is failing you,” Dr. Walpole asserts. “A truly restorative home is designed like a nervous system—a smart ecosystem of stimulation and rest, connection, and retreat.”

A glimpse into the primary bath, which is livened up with trim painted with Benjamin Moore’s Varsity Blues. Photo: Michael Turek

Can you bathroom camp outside of the bathroom?

So how do we replicate the feel of bathroom camping elsewhere? More doors is an obvious answer, but this doesn’t necessarily create the non-negotiable privacy that a bathroom can. Walpole instead recommends designing sensorially driven “micro-havens” throughout the house—a sunny reading nook; a soundproof corner; or a decompression zone in the bedroom with a weighted blanket, essential oils, or comfortable seat; for example—that can “cater to different emotional states and needs.”

If the only place a person feels they can find solace is a bathroom, Dr. Walpole says setting familial expectations and respect for any resident needing a pause or a solo moment is a far healthier option. “Build rituals and language around claiming space,” she advises. Physical signage, verbal statements, or areas in the home dedicated to alone time are ways to achieve it.

“Needing to hide out in the bathroom isn’t a sustainable solution,” Dr. Walpole says. “It’s a signal that the home environment is asking for better boundaries, better flow, and more personal sanctuary spaces for everyone.”