Understanding REM Sleep: What It Does and How to Get More

Dreams are more than nighttime curiosities. They signal that your brain has entered REM sleep, a stage that plays a crucial role in memory, mood regulation, and overall brain health. While every sleep stage matters, REM sleep carries unique functions that directly influence how you think, learn, and feel throughout the day.

What is REM sleep?

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is one phase of the body's nightly sleep cycle. Each night, you move through cycles lasting about 80 to 100 minutes, and most people complete four to six cycles in total.

Your first REM stage is brief, lasting just a few minutes. As the night progresses, each REM period becomes longer. By the last cycle, you may spend 20 to 30 minutes in REM sleep.

Earlier sleep cycles contain more deep non-REM sleep, while REM periods lengthen as the night goes on. This pattern follows your natural circadian rhythm and helps balance memory processing, emotional regulation, and physical recovery.

REM sleep has several distinguishing features:

• Most dreaming happens during this stage

• Brain activity increases to levels similar to wakefulness

• Heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure rise

• Eyes move rapidly beneath closed eyelids

• Arm and leg muscles temporarily become immobile

This temporary paralysis protects you from physically acting out your dreams.

How much REM sleep do you need?

REM sleep needs change with age. Newborns spend about 50% of their total sleep time in REM, but this decreases around 6 months of age and continues gradually through childhood and adolescence.

By adulthood, REM sleep typically accounts for 20 to 25% of total sleep time (about 90 to 120 minutes of REM for an eight-hour sleeper). In older adults, this may decrease slightly to around 17% by age 80, although research shows this percentage remains relatively well-preserved in healthy elderly populations.

These changes show how brain development and care needs vary at different stages of life.

Certain medications—including some antidepressants, beta-blockers, and other drugs—can reduce REM sleep as a known side effect. Research shows that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) commonly suppress REM sleep, which may explain why some people notice changes in their dreaming patterns during treatment.

Also Read: Insomnia Can be Triggered by Antidepressants

Why is REM sleep important?

Research has identified several key roles of REM sleep in supporting brain health and emotional well-being.

Memory consolidation

During REM sleep, the brain processes, organizes, and stabilizes memories. A 2023  study published in the journal Science Advances showed that REM helps recalibrate neural activity in ways that support long-term memory formation. Neural circuits adjust their balance of excitatory and inhibitory activity, creating optimal conditions for storing information.

Research also demonstrates that working memory performance improves after sleep periods that contain adequate REM, with accuracy closely linked to REM duration.

Emotional processing

REM sleep helps regulate emotions. A 2024 study published in the journal eNeuro found that intact REM sleep supports more stable emotional responses to stress. The theta brain waves characteristic of REM appear to help the brain process emotional memories, including fear-related ones.

Chronic stress and anxiety can disrupt REM sleep or make REM stages more fragmented. In contrast, people with depression may enter REM sleep earlier and experience it more intensely—a pattern documented in sleep research for decades. 

Studies show that a disrupted REM cycle can make emotional regulation more difficult, creating a cycle of poor sleep and mood instability.

Brain development

Infants experience high levels of REM sleep because this stage supports central nervous system development. During periods of rapid brain growth, REM provides necessary conditions for neural connections to form. Disrupted sleep in early childhood has been linked to longer-term cognitive difficulties, highlighting the importance of this stage in early life.

Brain connectivity

A 2024 study published in the journal Translational Psychiatry found that REM sleep helps maintain healthy connectivity within regions like the default mode network—areas involved in memory, self-reflection, and emotional processing. When REM sleep is restricted, these connections weaken, with late-night sleep deprivation causing more significant problems than early-night sleep loss.

Another 2024 study in the Journal of Neuroscience identified melatonin receptors as key regulators of REM sleep. This discovery may eventually help guide treatment methods for certain neurological conditions, including Parkinson's disease and dementia, though more research is needed to understand these connections fully.

Did you know?

If you lose REM sleep one night, your brain compensates the next by entering REM sleep more quickly and spending longer in it. This phenomenon is known as REM rebound and demonstrates how important the body considers this sleep stage.

What happens if you don't get enough REM sleep?

Chronic REM sleep deprivation can have noticeable effects on daily functioning. Research links insufficient REM sleep to several consequences:

• Cognitive difficulties: Problems with concentration, learning new information, and memory consolidation.

• Emotional instability: Increased irritability, anxiety, and mood swings.

• Reduced problem-solving: Decreased ability to think creatively and solve complex problems.

• Long-term health concerns:  One 2017 study found that for every 1% reduction in REM sleep, there was a 9% increase in dementia risk, although researchers continue to investigate this relationship.

These effects underscore why protecting your REM sleep matters for both daily functioning and long-term brain health.

Also Read: Is Lack of Sleep Hurting Your Relationship? 5 Science-Backed Tips to Reconnect

How can you get more REM sleep at night?

Most REM sleep occurs during the later part of the night, so cutting sleep short significantly reduces your REM time. According to the CDC, more than 14% of American adults report trouble falling asleep most days of the week.

Here are science-based tips for supporting better sleep:

Maintain a consistent schedule

Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends. A steady routine helps regulate your circadian rhythm and makes falling asleep easier.

If you can't fall asleep within 20 to 30 minutes, get out of bed and do something calming until you feel sleepy again. Staying awake in bed can create negative associations that worsen insomnia.

If you sleep poorly one night, keep your usual wake time the next day. Although you'll feel tired, this strengthens your sleep rhythm and helps you sleep better the following night.

Limit alcohol consumption

Even small amounts of alcohol can interfere with REM sleep. One study published in Sleep Medicine Reviews found that alcohol reduces REM sleep in a dose-dependent manner. 

Even two standard drinks can disrupt REM sleep cycles.

For every gram of alcohol per kilogram of body weight, REM sleep duration decreases by approximately 40 minutes. Another study found that drinking before bed on consecutive nights continues to impair REM sleep without the body adapting.

Reduce caffeine intake

Caffeine blocks sleep-promoting brain chemicals, and its effects can last four to six hours. Afternoon caffeine may still be active at bedtime. Research shows that consuming around 450 milligrams of caffeine daily (about four to five cups of coffee) can reduce REM sleep in healthy adults.

Limiting caffeine to morning hours or choosing decaffeinated beverages later in the day can help protect your sleep.

Exercise regularly

Regular physical activity supports overall sleep quality. A 2023 study published in Scientific Reports found that while exercise can slightly reduce REM sleep, it significantly increases deeper stages of non-REM sleep, which benefits mood, energy, and overall sleep quality.

Exercise timing matters. Morning exercise, especially outdoors, offers additional benefits by helping to set your circadian rhythm through natural light exposure.

Create a bedtime routine

Start winding down an hour before bed with calming activities such as:

• Listening to soft music to help lower your heart rate

• Taking a warm bath or shower (the subsequent cooldown helps signal sleep time)

• Gentle stretching to release physical tension

• Reading while avoiding bright screens that emit blue light

Optimize your sleep environment

A comfortable environment helps signal your brain that it's time for sleep. Keep your bedroom cool—ideally between 60 and 68°F. Reduce light with blackout curtains or an eye mask. Use earplugs or white noise if sound is an issue. Make sure your mattress and pillows provide adequate comfort and support.

When should you talk to a doctor?

If sleep problems continue despite following these recommendations, consult your doctor. Persistent difficulty may be related to conditions such as insomnia, restless legs syndrome, sleep apnea, or, in rare cases, REM sleep behavior disorder, which often require specific treatment beyond lifestyle adjustments.

Getting the REM sleep you need

REM sleep is essential for memory consolidation, emotional regulation, and overall brain health. Prioritizing good sleep habits helps ensure you're getting not just enough sleep, but also quality REM sleep that supports cognitive function and emotional well-being.

Sip2Sleep® offers natural support for those looking to improve their sleep routine. Our blend of Montmorency tart cherry extract and Rafuma leaf extract (Venetron®) works with your body's natural sleep cycles to support deeper, more restorative sleep. 

Discover how Sip2Sleep® can complement your healthy sleep habits.

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