What is REM sleep and how do you improve it?

Rapid eye movement, more commonly known as REM sleep, is one of the 4 stages of sleep (awake, light, deep & REM) your body goes through each night. The REM phase is the phase in which you are "mentally recuperating" and the brain converts short-term memories of the day into long-term memories. But how do I improve my REM sleep and why is it so important?

Why is REM sleep important?

REM sleep is essential for keeping your brain and body healthy. A sufficient amount of REM sleep is necessary for optimal performance. Moreover, it also plays an important role in regulating mood.

Do I need more REM sleep?

Adults should aim to spend about 20-25% of their night's sleep in REM sleep, with 90 minutes generally suggested. The graph below shows the average amount of nightly REM sleep for all people who track this with a fitness tracker from the American brand WHOOP. The average for everyone is 105 minutes, with the middle 50% averaging 87-124 minutes of REM sleep per night.

Why am I not getting enough REM sleep?

Worried about not getting enough REM sleep? These are a few possible causes (other than sleep disturbances) that you should try to avoid, and they are often associated with a decrease in REM sleep.

• stress
• Late meals or eating just before bed
• Using your phone in bed
• Sleeping in a new place or in a bed that is not yours
• Alcohol consumption before going to sleep

Alcohol derails REM sleep. You miss your first big REM period and you miss a lot of deep sleep. In other words; you only get light sleep. You are not achieving what the purpose of sleep actually is.

How can I improve REM sleep?

In general, anything you can do to improve your sleep quality, habits, and behavior will also benefit your REM cycle. Below are a few tips to sleep better and improve your REM sleep.

• Moisturize well during the day (not before bed, which can disrupt sleep with trips to the bathroom)
• Massage therapy or a steam room
• Wear blue light blocking glasses before bed
• Read in bed before falling asleep
• Sleep mask and/or earplugs while sleeping
• Sound machine or other noise during sleep
• Take our Sleep & Relax supplement

Sleep consistency and REM sleep

One thing to note about increasing REM sleep: It's a concept called sleep consistency. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day. Your body functions more efficiently on a regular schedule, and so does your sleep schedule.

An analysis of sleep consistency data from 25,000 WHOOP members showed a significant increase in nighttime REM sleep duration as sleep consistency increased:

Hikaya's Sleep & Relax

From data analyzes of the night's sleep among our users, we see an average increase of 44% in REM sleep after a minimum of two weeks of consistent use of Sleep & Relax . Sleep & Relax is our own natural sleep aid that improves your deep & REM sleep. Getting the necessary deep sleep earlier, which revolves around your body's recovery, leaves more time for REM sleep.

Are you looking for a good and natural solution to significantly improve your night's sleep? Try Sleep & Relax now with our carefree 14-day money-back guarantee and enjoy discounts of up to 45% in subscription form in the month of December.

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