How to Get More REM Sleep
Jake Newby
| 3 min read
The Rapid Eye Movement (REM)stage of sleep only accounts for 25% of your total sleep time each night, so why is it so important?
REM sleep – which gets its name because of the way your eyes dart around behind your eyelids during this stage – stimulates the areas of your brain that help with learning and memory, according to WebMD. It’s the sleep stage most associated with dreaming, and your health could suffer if you fail to consistently reach this stage of sleep.
What are the differences between NREM and REM sleep?
Non-REM (NREM) occurs in three stages of progressively deeper sleep, until you hit the REM stage and begin dreaming. After the first REM cycle, you typically start over and cycle through these four stages again. One cycle normally takes about 90 to 120 minutes, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Whenever you get eight hours of sleep per night you repeat this cycle four to five times.
Both the REM and NREM sleep stages are important to good overall health and brain function. NREM helps the body repair tissues, build bone and muscle, and strengthen its immune system, according to the National Cancer Institute. In addition to helping with learning and memory consolidation, REM sleep ensures better mental concentration and mood regulation, which helps keeps us sharp and focused during the day.
What happens if we don’t get enough REM sleep?
Experts have learned that REM sleep deprivation can interfere with memory formation, impair learning and cause drowsiness and reduced concentration the next day.
According to the Sleep Foundation, individuals who participated in recent small studies in which they did not experience REM reported no problems with memory or learning. More research is needed to determine the effects of REM sleep deprivation, but those who suffer from a lack of REM sleep may struggle with these symptoms, per WebMD:
- A weakened immune system
- Feeling groggy in the morning
- Trouble concentrating
- Trouble coping with emotions
How to get more REM sleep?
If you suffer from the symptoms listed above, you can try to increase your REM sleep by working to improve your sleep hygiene. This means taking the same approach you would take to trying to get eight hours of sleep a night. Focusing on your sleep environment and making some lifestyle changes can put you on a path to more REM sleep. This approach can include:
- Creating an optimal sleep environment that accounts for temperature and darkness. Typically, the ideal sleeping temperature is between 64-68° Fahrenheit.
- Getting regular exercise during the day, which can improve sleep quality, help you fall asleep faster and relieve stress, according to studies.
- Going to bed and waking up at the same time each night and keeping that same schedule on weekends.
- Limiting alcohol intake and avoiding alcohol consumption late at night; alcohol can significantly reduce or delay REM sleep.
- Abstaining from caffeine at least six hours before bed.
- Limiting screen time and disconnecting from devices up to two hours before bed.
- Avoiding sleep aids; some antidepressants, sleeping pills and other medications can reduce or suppress REM sleep, even those available over the counter. Only take sleep-related medications approved and prescribed by your primary care provider.
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Medically Reviewed by: Dr. William Beecroft, M.D.