bed rest

American  

noun

1. a prolonged rest in bed, as in the treatment of an illness.

2. a device used to support a person sitting up in bed.

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Etymology

Origin of bed rest

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

When my wife was pregnant, her OB-GYN declared her cervix to be incompetent and put her on bed rest.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

By the time she finally retrieved her friend’s vehicle, I felt like I needed five days bed rest; my daughter was trying to think of ways she could park the car inside her friend’s apartment.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 14, 2024

Researchers note that partial sleep deprivation of a similar extent has been found to result in changes in immune system function and inflammatory status during both bed rest and spaceflight.

From Science Daily • Apr. 22, 2024

People on bed rest lose muscle mass, have a slowed-down metabolism, and become dehydrated.

From Slate • Mar. 17, 2024

The treatment is bed rest, which he desperately needs anyway, injections of zinc sulfate, and quinine tablets.

From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman