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"Why on earth Merry, Pippin, and Frodo decide to rest against a tree after traveling through a hostile forest?"

Consider perhaps that they did not exactly "choose" to do so. I think it was more like what could be compared to a heaviness that one might experience with certain kinds of drugs.

Let me recount a personal experience I had that I think makes an even more fitting comparison. I was always a vivid dreamer but like so many people, I had difficulty remembering a lot of the details of my dreams, so during one period of time I decided to keep a dream journal. It proved to be very effective as a means of recalling the dreams but there was a totally unanticipated side effect. I would have days that being awake seemed more like dragging a painfully dense physical body through a dream. And it was literally almost painful and completely beyond my capability to control. Try to imagine moving through an atmosphere with the resistance against you something like that of moving underwater and you will get the idea. It seemed to be not such a great idea to muddy the boundaries between waking and sleeping.

I suspect that it was something of that kind of irresistable heaviness that the hobbits were experiencing. Add to that an other worldly sleepiness combined with their already tired bodies, and it makes sense that they couldn't help but succumb.

Now, that said, there is a question I have. Perhaps it is answered in the book but I have been good and not read ahead and I don't recall from earlier readings. What was Tom Bombadil's relationship with the trees? He reminded me of a kind of Middle Earth Paul Bunyan in his general presence and demeanor. Did he just "happen" along at that time or did he hear their call for help? Or did he perhaps learn of their presence from the trees themselves?

Spoiler Alert?
Is this the guy that turned into a bear or something like that?

Well, as Frodo was running down the path and shouting for help, he became aware of Tom's presence far behind him, not in front of him where it would have been easier to hear. Also, Frodo could barely hear himself because of the effects of the willow-wind. Tom was clearly returning from somewhere as he states in his song ("Old Tom Bobadil water-liles bringing Comes hopping home again. Can you hear him singing")? So it would appear, at least, that he happened upon the scene........

Consider perhaps that they did not exactly "choose" to do so. I think it was more like what could be compared to a heaviness that one might experience with certain kinds of drugs.

I had thought at first that maybe they were drawn to Old Man Willow. The fact that Sam wasn't drawn that way made me think that Willow was doing only the sleeping part. After reading your comment, however, I went back and re-read the passage. The only hint I got about drawing the hobbits to him was this:

Frodo lay for a while fighting with the sleep that was overpowering him; then with an effort he struggled to his feet again. He felt a compelling desire for cool water.

Did he [Bombadil] just "happen" along at that time or did he hear their call for help? Or did he perhaps learn of their presence from the trees themselves?

For what it's worth, I think it's just one of those master of his territory things. Tom just knows what's going on in his yard!