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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