You did it! You finally won the lottery and are making plans to spend all that money… but then you wake up startled by your alarm clock. It was just a dream (sigh). Whether you remember them or not, you probably have several dreams every night – they happen when you enter the rapid eye movement (REM) phase of your sleep cycle.
REM sleep is one of four sleep stages you go through each night. During this stage, your eyes move rapidly behind your eyelids (hence the name), and your brain waves work in a similar way to when you are awake, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Your body becomes temporarily paralyzed as you dream and your breathing increases. This stage of sleep is particularly important because it helps your brain form connections and record memories, so you don’t want to harm yourself with a bad night’s sleep.
Below, we’ll explain what you can do to improve your overall sleep, which in turn will improve the amount of REM sleep you’re getting. To give yourself the best chance of success, make sure you sleep on the best sheets out there. Also consider the best pillows for each type of sleeper and how often you should replace them.
What is REM sleep and why is it so important?
REM sleep doesn’t just involve dreaming, Dr Erik St., neurologist and chair of the Division of Sleep Neurology at Mayo Clinic, told Yahoo. It also appears to play a key role in brain development and memory formation.
“Early in life, REM sleep plays a very important role in brain development and its network properties,” he says. It is also believed to play a role in regulating emotional and novel memories.
Sleep medicine doctors consider this stage important, since obstructive sleep apnea often worsens during REM sleep, says St. All of the following parasomnias may appear during REM sleep: nightmare disorder; isolated sleep paralysis; and REM sleep behavior disorder (dream acting out), which can lead to violent sleep behaviors.
How can you get more REM sleep?
There is no scientifically proven way to improve just REM sleep, but improving overall sleep can help. It’s important to develop a regular sleep schedule and stick to it strictly, even on weekends, experts say.
Adults generally need seven to eight hours of sleep for optimal daytime functioning, says St. To help you get a good night’s rest, he recommends avoiding stimulants like caffeine or nicotine in the late afternoon and evening, in addition to of alcohol before bed. Also, make sure you get enough physical activity throughout the day and keep your daytime naps short.
You should also take steps to improve your sleep environment. A hot room, ambient light, and outside noise can negatively affect your ability to sleep. Set the room temperature between 60 and 67°F (or use a fan to help keep it cool), and use tools like a sleep mask, blackout curtains, and headphones or earmuffs if you need to block out noise. You can also try using a sound machine, like this tried-and-true Hatch Rest+ machine, and calming lavender oil.
If you suspect you have a sleep disorder that could affect your sleep, such as chronic insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, or restless legs syndrome, talk to your doctor to improve your sleep quality.
What causes lack of REM sleep?
Sleep deprivation affects all sleep states and is probably the most common cause of decreased REM sleep, says St. Primary sleep disorders, such as chronic insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea, can also affect REM sleep.
Common medications, such as antidepressants or benzodiazepine medications such as diazepam (Valium) can also decrease or delay REM sleep. If these medications are used to treat a mood or anxiety disorder, decreased REM sleep is not considered harmful, but these medications should not be continued if not necessary, says St. Louis.
You should discuss any sleep disorders with your doctor. You may also be evaluated at a sleep medicine center to gain insight into your sleep patterns.
Are sleep trackers reliable when it comes to monitoring REM sleep?
In a word: no, says St. Louis. “These devices remain poorly validated overall for accurately detecting sleep stages and only provide accurate estimates for total sleep time.” Commercial EEG devices, such as the dream tiaraThey likely provide better estimates than commercial sleep tracking devices, and have been validated based on full sleep polysomnography tests, says St. John.
What are the other stages of sleep?
You cycle through four stages of sleep every night. While you may already be familiar with REM sleep, the other three are non-REM stages.
Stage 1: This is when you fall asleep and it only lasts about one to seven minutes, according to SleepFoundation.org. During this sleep cycle, you may wake up easily because your body has not yet fully relaxed.
Step 2: Once you enter this sleep cycle (also known as the light sleep stage), your breathing and heart rate slow down and your body fully relaxes. Your eye movement stops and brain activity helps keep you from being woken up as easily. The first round of this sleep cycle can last up to 25 minutes, but lasts throughout the night. Half of your total sleep time is spent in this phase.
Step 3: This is your deep sleep stage. It’s harder to wake up when you’re going through this phase, which is when you get restorative sleep and your body recovers. On average, you get about 20 to 40 minutes of deep sleep when you first enter this cycle, and shorter periods throughout the night.
Step 4: You enter REM sleep last during each cycle. You stay in REM sleep for 10 minutes to an hour at a time. During this time, you will likely have dreams as your brain will be more awake.
REM Sleep FAQs
How much REM sleep do you need each night?
There’s no exact answer to that question, says St. Louis. “Generally, REM sleep comprises about 20 to 25 percent of overall sleep in most adults, which would equate to about one to two hours at night in an adult.”
Why am I not getting enough REM sleep?
If you get more or less REM sleep than this amount every night, it doesn’t mean there’s a problem, especially if you’re taking medications that affect REM sleep. REM sleep needs are greater for young children than for adults, which is a normal feature of brain development.
Are REM sleep and deep sleep the same thing?
No, these are two different stages of sleep. Deep sleep occurs in stage 3, while REM sleep occurs in stage 4. Deep sleep is more restorative, while REM sleep plays an important role in brain development. Both REM sleep and deep sleep are important for sleep hygiene.
