Rem's Guide: Navigating The Complexities Of Memory

Sleep is a complex and mysterious process that is essential for the body and brain to rest and repair. During sleep, individuals cycle between rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. REM sleep is characterized by rapid eye movement and increased brain activity, and it is when most dreams occur. NREM sleep is further divided into three stages of increasingly deeper sleep, where the body repairs and regrows tissues, builds bone and muscle, and strengthens the immune system. While the amount of sleep needed varies between individuals and across the lifespan, adults generally require seven to nine hours of sleep per night, with REM sleep comprising around 20-25% of this. Adequate REM sleep is crucial for brain health and function, including improved learning, mood regulation, brain development, and protection against dementia.

How to get more REM sleep

REM sleep is important for brain health and function. It stimulates the areas of the brain that help with learning and memory, and it helps with mood regulation and brain development.

Develop and maintain a sleep schedule

Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. This will help to regulate your sleep/wake cycle and make it easier for you to fall asleep at night.

Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco

Drinking alcohol can delay when you first enter REM sleep and reduce the overall time spent in this stage. Caffeine and tobacco may also interfere with your sleep, especially if consumed in the evening or close to your desired sleep time. Try to cut down on these substances and avoid them entirely in the late afternoon or evening.

Use sleep hygiene techniques

Adopt sleep hygiene habits such as exercising regularly, maintaining a cool, dark, and quiet bedroom environment, and establishing a regular bedtime routine with soothing activities like reading or taking a warm bath. Keep gadgets and screens out of the bedroom, and if you can't sleep after 20 minutes, get up and do something quietly in another room until you feel sleepy.

Treat sleep disorders

If your lack of REM sleep is due to a sleep disorder, treating the disorder can help restore normal REM sleep patterns. For example, treating obstructive sleep apnea with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy can lead to REM rebound sleep, improved mood, and higher-quality sleep overall.

Stop taking sleep aids

Certain medications, such as antidepressants and antipsychotics, may reduce or suppress REM sleep. If the lack of REM sleep is affecting your quality of life, consult your doctor about alternative options or lowering your dosage.

Avoid bright lights and electronics before bed

The light from screens can interfere with your sleep, so it's best to avoid them close to bedtime. Additionally, try to avoid bright lights as they can hinder melatonin production, leading to disrupted sleep.

Exercise regularly and spend time outside

Regular exercise can improve your sleep quality, and spending time outside in natural sunlight can help set your body's sleep/wake cycle. Try to exercise in the morning, as morning light helps regulate your sleep cycle.

Create a relaxing bedtime routine

Try listening to soft music, taking a warm bath or shower, or reading a book (avoid doing this on your phone or tablet as these devices emit blue light that can interfere with sleep).

Limit alcohol and caffeine intake

While a nightcap may help you fall asleep, it suppresses REM sleep. Caffeine also interferes with sleep as it blocks brain chemicals that promote sleep.

Replace your pillows

If you've had your pillows for over a year, consider replacing them. This may make you more comfortable for sleep.

The benefits of REM sleep

Sleep is crucial for our health and well-being. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adults aged 18 to 60 years require a minimum of 7 hours of uninterrupted, deep sleep every day to function optimally.

REM sleep, or the rapid eye movement stage of sleep, is the fourth stage of the sleep cycle. During this stage, the eyes move rapidly, the heart rate and blood pressure increase, and the body experiences temporary paralysis. This stage is also associated with dreaming, and dreams during REM sleep tend to be more vivid and unusual.

• Improved Learning and Memory: During REM sleep, the brain prunes its synapses, enhancing memory and problem-solving abilities. Studies have shown that reaching the REM sleep stage during a nap improves working memory.
• Mood Regulation: REM sleep helps the brain process emotional memories, including those associated with fear. Research suggests that getting sufficient REM sleep may make a person less prone to developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• Brain Development: REM sleep is believed to contribute to the development of the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord. This may explain why newborns require a high amount of REM sleep, with the duration decreasing as we age.
• Protection Against Dementia: A study published in the journal Neurology found that for every 1% reduction in REM sleep, there was a 9% increase in the risk of dementia.
• Emotional Processing and Creativity: REM sleep appears to foster emotional processing and creativity. While dreams during non-REM sleep tend to be more realistic, those during REM sleep are often more vivid and fantastical.
• Recovery from Stressful Events: Obtaining adequate REM sleep after a traumatic event may reduce the likelihood of developing PTSD.
• Bone Health and Muscle Growth: Quality REM sleep is crucial for bone health and muscle growth, irrespective of age.
• Immune System Function: REM sleep boosts the immune system by triggering hormone production, which helps maintain a healthy body temperature.

In summary, REM sleep is essential for various aspects of our health, including cognitive function, emotional processing, and physical well-being. Adequate and uninterrupted sleep is necessary to ensure we spend sufficient time in the REM stage, promoting overall well-being.

REM sleep and memory

Memory consolidation, which is the process of stabilising recently acquired information into long-term storage, is thought to be optimised during sleep. The role of rapid-eye movement sleep (REM) in this process has been controversial due to the difficulty in isolating neural activity during REM. However, recent work has demonstrated that neural activity during REM is required for spatial and contextual memory consolidation.

REM sleep is associated with dreaming and wake-like eye and brain activity. It has been implicated in memory consolidation for decades, with research suggesting that REM and non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREM) both contribute to memory consolidation in healthy brains.

During REM sleep, the brain prunes its synapses, which are the spaces in which brain cells communicate with one another. This process appears to improve memory and problem-solving abilities. REM sleep also helps the brain process emotional memories, including those associated with fear, and may aid in recovering from stressful events.

Most dreaming occurs during REM sleep. The thalamus of the brain transmits cues from the senses to the cerebral cortex, which interprets and processes this information into dreams. The thalamus is mostly inactive during NREM sleep but becomes active during REM sleep, relaying images, sounds, and sensations to the cerebral cortex.

The amount of REM sleep needed changes with age. Newborns spend about half their sleep time in REM sleep, which decreases to just over 20% by age 20, and about 17% by age 80.

To increase the amount of REM sleep, it is recommended to follow a sleep schedule, get regular exercise, and avoid caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco, especially in the evening.

REM sleep and brain development

REM sleep is vital for brain development, particularly in the early years of life. During the first few years, sleep is one of the primary activities of the brain and plays a crucial role in healthy cognitive and psychosocial development.

REM sleep is associated with brain development and is thought to aid in the development of the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord. This may explain why newborns require so much REM sleep. Recent findings have demonstrated that REM sleep selectively prunes newly formed dendritic spines in the developing brain, strengthening new synapses. This process is critical for normal neuronal circuit development and behavioural improvement after learning.

REM sleep is also important for memory consolidation and helps prepare and maintain neural connections to enhance future learning. Studies have shown that taking a nap and reaching the REM sleep stage leads to improvements in working memory. REM sleep also plays a role in emotional processing and creativity.

The amount of REM sleep needed changes as we age. Newborns spend about half their sleep time in REM sleep, which starts to decrease by about 6 months and continues to decline throughout childhood and the teen years. By age 20, most people spend just over 20% of their total sleep time in REM sleep, decreasing slightly to about 17% by age 80.

The dynamic relationship between REM and non-REM sleep and their impact on brain maturation is an area of ongoing research.

REM sleep and mental health

REM sleep is important for brain health and function. During REM sleep, the brain prunes its synapses, improving memory and problem-solving abilities. It also processes emotional memories, including those associated with fear, and plays a role in brain development.

REM sleep is associated with dreaming. During this stage, the eyes move rapidly behind closed eyelids, and brain activity consists of smaller, faster waves, called theta waves, similar to wakefulness. Most muscles become temporarily paralysed during REM sleep to prevent accidental harm from acting out dreams, although individuals may display occasional muscle twitches.

Disturbances in REM sleep have been linked to certain mental health conditions, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder. Research has also shown that people with depression who experience more negative REM-related cognitions and dreams are more likely to have cognitive distortions and negative self-concepts.

Additionally, people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) tend to have more trauma-related memories incorporated into their dreams during REM sleep. This is one of the criteria used in the DSM-IV for diagnosing PTSD.

Adequate REM sleep is necessary for good health and proper functioning. If you are experiencing disturbances in your REM sleep, it is important to consult with a healthcare professional or sleep expert for guidance and treatment options.

Frequently asked questions