Understanding Rem Sleep: What's The Normal Percentage?

Sleep is a complex and mysterious body process that people spend about a third of their lives doing. On average, adults need seven to nine hours of sleep per night, with 25% of that time spent in REM sleep.

REM (rapid eye movement) sleep is one of two stages of sleep, the other being NREM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep. NREM is further divided into three parts: starting to fall asleep, light sleep, and deep sleep. During a typical night, the body alternates through cycles of REM and NREM sleep about every 90 minutes.

REM sleep is important for memory, mental focus, and mood regulation. It is during this stage that most vivid dreaming takes place, and the body becomes temporarily paralysed to prevent the sleeper from acting out their dreams.

REM sleep is when most dreaming occurs

Sleep is a complex and mysterious process that remains, in many ways, not fully understood by experts. However, it is known that sleep occurs in distinct stages, and that dreaming mostly happens during the REM (rapid eye movement) sleep stage.

REM sleep is one of four stages of sleep and the fourth stage that people reach after progressing through three NREM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep stages. During REM sleep, people experience an increase in brain activity, breathing, and heart rate, while their skeletal muscles become temporarily paralysed. This temporary paralysis is thought to be a protective measure that prevents people from acting out their dreams.

REM sleep is also known as "active sleep", "desynchronized sleep", "paradoxical sleep", "rhombencephalic sleep", and "dream sleep". While dreams can occur during any sleep stage, the vivid dreams that people tend to remember occur during REM sleep. On average, people dream for about two hours every night, but they rarely remember all their dreams.

The first REM sleep stage occurs about 60 to 90 minutes after falling asleep. As people progress through the sleep cycle, they spend increasing amounts of time in REM sleep, with most of it occurring in the second half of the night. The first REM cycle is typically the shortest, lasting about 10 minutes, with each subsequent cycle becoming longer, up to an hour. Overall, REM sleep makes up about 20 to 25 percent of total sleep time.

In addition to its role in dreaming, REM sleep is important for memory consolidation, emotional processing, and brain development. Researchers have found that people who learn a new task have a higher density of REM sleep, which is thought to be important for memory consolidation.

While the amount of sleep needed varies from person to person, the recommended amount of sleep for adults is seven to nine hours. However, simply getting enough sleep is not enough. It is also important to ensure that a sufficient proportion of that sleep is deep sleep and REM sleep, as these stages are crucial for restorative functions and overall health and well-being.

It's harder to wake someone from REM sleep

Sleep is a complex and mysterious body process, and most people need around seven to nine hours of it per day. However, the quality of sleep is just as important as the quantity. Sleep occurs in several stages, and one of these is REM sleep, which stands for rapid eye movement sleep. REM sleep is characterised by relaxed muscles, quick eye movement, irregular breathing, elevated heart rate, and increased brain activity.

REM sleep is the fourth and final stage of sleep, and it is also the stage in which most dreams occur. It is preceded by three stages of non-REM sleep, which are characterised by slower brain activity and partial or total muscle relaxation.

During REM sleep, the brain is highly active, and brain activity resembles that of a waking person. This is why it is harder to wake someone from REM sleep than from non-REM sleep. If a person is woken during REM sleep, they will likely experience sleep inertia, a state of confusion or "mental fog" that can last for up to 30 minutes.

The first cycle of REM sleep occurs about 60 to 90 minutes after falling asleep, and it is typically short, lasting only about 10 minutes. However, each subsequent cycle becomes longer, with the last cycle lasting up to an hour. Overall, REM sleep makes up about 20-25% of total sleep, and most adults need about two hours of it each night.

The amount of REM sleep a person gets can vary depending on age, recent sleep patterns, alcohol consumption, and sleep disorders. Newborns, for example, tend to get the most REM sleep, while older adults tend to need less. Alcohol consumption can also affect REM sleep, as it decreases REM sleep early in the night but causes a rebound with prolonged REM stages later.

Getting enough REM sleep is crucial as it plays a vital role in memory consolidation, emotional processing, brain development, and dreaming. Deprivation of REM sleep has been linked to memory issues and problems with the brain's ability to generate new cells. Therefore, it is important to prioritise getting adequate REM sleep to maintain overall health and well-being.

REM sleep is important for memory, learning and creativity

REM sleep is the fourth of four stages of sleep. It is characterised by relaxed muscles, quick eye movement, irregular breathing, elevated heart rate, and increased brain activity.

Memory

REM sleep plays a role in memory consolidation. During this stage, the brain processes new learnings and motor skills from the day, committing some to memory, maintaining others, and deciding which ones to delete.

Research has shown that memories of certain procedures, like playing a melody on a piano, can actually improve while you sleep. Memories seem to become more stable in the brain during the deep stages of sleep. After that, REM sleep seems to play a role in linking together related memories, sometimes in unexpected ways. That's why a full night of sleep may help with problem-solving.

Learning

Scientists have found that sleep improves our ability to learn, memorise, retain, recall, and use our new knowledge to solve problems creatively. Sleep, particularly Stages 2 and 3 sleep, plays a role in replenishing our ability to learn. In one study, a group of participants who napped between two learning sessions learned just as easily in the evening as they did at noon. The group that didn't nap experienced a significant decrease in learning ability.

Creativity

REM sleep may also play a role in improving our ability to solve complex problems. In one study, participants who were woken up during REM sleep could solve 15 to 35% more anagram puzzles than they could when woken up during non-REM sleep. They also performed 15 to 35% better than they did in the middle of the day.

Most adults need about two hours of REM sleep each night. However, this can vary from night to night, depending on what your body needs.

The body repairs and regrows tissues during REM sleep

Sleep is essential for health and well-being. The body repairs and regrows tissues during the deepest stage of sleep, known as stage 3 of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep.

During NREM sleep, the body slows down and relaxes. In stage 3, the deepest stage of NREM sleep, the body repairs and regrows tissues, builds bone and muscle, and strengthens the immune system. This is also when the body releases important hormones.

Stage 3 NREM sleep is crucial for waking up feeling rested. Without enough sleep in this stage, one might feel tired and drained, even after a long sleep. The body tries to get as much of this deep sleep as possible early in the sleep cycle.

As people age, they tend to sleep more lightly and get less deep sleep. However, studies show that older adults still need as much sleep as younger people.

The amount of deep sleep a person needs depends on their age. On average, adults should aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night, with 20-25% of that time spent in deep sleep. So, for every 7-8 hours of sleep, adults should get around 105-120 minutes (1.5-2 hours) of deep sleep.

The first few hours of sleep are typically the deepest, during which the body performs tissue growth and repair. This is also when the brain clears away waste and unneeded information, making room for new memories.

Getting enough deep sleep is vital for overall health and well-being. Lack of deep sleep can lead to physical and mental health issues, and one may experience symptoms of sleep deprivation, such as trouble concentrating and a weakened immune system.

The ideal amount of REM sleep is 20-25% of total sleep

Sleep is divided into two types: non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM). NREM sleep is further divided into four stages, while REM sleep is one stage. The ideal amount of REM sleep is 20-25% of total sleep.

During REM sleep, the eyes move rapidly behind closed eyelids, and most dreams occur. The brain is very active during this stage, but the body is inactive, with the muscles temporarily paralysed. Heart rate and breathing become more irregular, and blood pressure and heart rate increase to levels similar to those experienced when awake.

REM sleep is important for several reasons. It helps the brain to consolidate and process new information, and is linked to better mental concentration and mood regulation, two things that are critical to both daily work performance and overall quality of life.

The amount of REM sleep a person gets can vary with age. Newborns tend to get the most REM sleep, while older adults tend to need less. A typical night of sleep involves the sleeper moving through cycles of REM and NREM sleep about every 90 minutes. The first REM stage is usually the shortest, with later stages lasting longer, up to an hour.

If a person is tired despite getting a full night's sleep, they may not be spending enough time in the REM stage. Seven to nine hours of sleep per night is recommended for most adults, with each cycle lasting 90-120 minutes.

Frequently asked questions