How Much REM Sleep Do You Need? We Asked Sleep Specialists

Although most people are fully aware of the importance of getting enough sleep—and the challenge of trying to function without it—it’s something we’re often too willing to give up. In fact, according to Gallup’s 2022 “State of Sleep” report, only about 32 percent of American adults said they’d describe their sleep as “very good” or “excellent,” and the rest of us have a lot of room for improvement. 

Getting enough sleep isn’t purely about how long you sleep for, however. A lot of it is about the type and the quality of sleep you’re getting while asleep. That’s because there are different stages of sleep, each one with its own essential functions and benefits—and one of these important stages of sleep is called rapid eye movement, or REM sleep. To better understand this crucial phase of our nightly sleep cycle, we asked experts in sleep medicine to find out what happens during the REM stage, and how much REM sleep you need for optimal health.

What Is REM Sleep?

During sleep, the brain produces unique patterns of electrical activity that can be divided into four sleep stages that recur rhythmically in cycles of 90 to 110 minutes throughout the night, explains Rami N. Khayat, MD, medical director of University of California, Irvine Health Sleep Medicine Services. REM sleep—also known as “paradoxical sleep”—is one of these stages.

During the specific stage of REM sleep, our eyes move rapidly in various directions (hence the name), and the majority of vivid dreaming occurs, says Natalie D. Dautovich, PhD, environmental fellow at the National Sleep Foundation. “Physiologically, heart rate and breathing quicken, and brain activity resembles that of waking moments,” she adds. 

Meanwhile, our arm and leg muscles are temporarily paralyzed during REM sleep to prevent us from actually acting out our dreams, says Terry Cralle, RN, certified clinical sleep educator and spokesperson for The Better Sleep Council. When this muscle paralysis doesn’t occur during REM sleep, and someone physically and/or vocally acts out their dreams, they may have a condition called REM sleep behavior disorder. Additionally, some people living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) also experience this phenomenon of acting out their nightmares.

The Importance and Benefits of REM Sleep

Getting the REM sleep we need is essential for various aspects of our health. “It plays a crucial role in memory consolidation, emotional regulation, and learning,” Dautovich explains. “REM sleep is associated with the processing of emotional experiences and maintaining mental health. Additionally, it contributes to overall cognitive functioning and alertness during waking hours.” 

Cralle points out that REM sleep plays a significant role in mental concentration, the processing of new information, and mood regulation. “Some research has demonstrated a relationship between REM sleep disruptions—how long it takes for REM sleep to start, its duration, the frequency of the stages—and certain types of depression,” she says.

REM sleep is also important for our physical health, says Laura Purdy, MD, a Miami-based family medicine physician, because it gives the body a chance to rest and repair itself. “Your body is busy working hard building bones [and] muscles, repairing and re-growing tissues, and strengthening your immune system when you are sleeping,” she explains.

Ultimately, though, it’s important to note that scientists are still trying to fully understand the function of REM, Dr. Khayat says. “There are likely other functions for REM sleep and other sleep stages that we will learn in the future.”

How Much REM Sleep You Need

Considering its role in both our mental and physical wellbeing, how much REM sleep do we need for optimal health and functioning? The National Academies' Sleep Disorders and Sleep Deprivation states that REM sleep constitutes 20 to 25 percent of total sleep time.

After spending roughly seven months in a uterus, a human fetus is asleep most of the time, cycling between REM sleep, and quiet, restful non-REM sleep. Newborns cut back to around 16 hours of sleep each day, about half of which is REM sleep.

From there, the amount of REM sleep we need begins to decrease. By early childhood, it accounts for around 25 percent of our total night’s sleep, Dr. Khayat says, and generally remains the same for the rest of our lives. Experts recommend that the average, healthy adult sleeps between seven and nine hours each night—so they should spend between one hour and 45 minutes, and two hours and 15 minutes in the REM sleep stage (sleep needs do vary by individual and are influenced by both genetic and lifestyle factors).

That said, it’s possible for our REM sleep needs to shift temporarily, Dr. Khayat says. For example, we may need more REM sleep following nights of sleep restriction or deprivation. In other situations, someone may get more than is recommended. 

“While REM sleep is crucial, getting too much REM sleep may be indicative of certain conditions or other sleep disorders,” Dautovich says. Depression is thought to be an example of this, Dr. Khayat notes.

Additionally, individual factors like genetics, overall health, and lifestyle can influence a person’s REM sleep needs, Dautovich says. Sleep disorders such as sleep apnea decrease our REM sleep. “Also, many medications—including commonly used antidepressants and, counterintuitively, many sleep aids—can decrease REM sleep,” Dr. Khayat notes.

Can you go into REM sleep during a nap?

In a perfect world, we’d all get seven to nine hours of uninterrupted sleep each night, and wake up feeling rested, rejuvenated, and perhaps even energetic. Of course, it doesn’t always work that way, and we may try to make up for the sleep we lost by taking a nap. Even if you do drift off for a nap, there’s no guarantee you’ll get through an entire sleep cycle, Dautovich says. “With shorter naps, more time may be spent in lighter stages of sleep, and REM sleep may not occur,” she explains.

Longer naps are a different story, however. A complete sleep cycle—one rotation through each sleep stage—normally takes between 90 minutes and two hours, and REM sleep is the final stage experienced at the end of that timeframe. Typically, naps of that length (an hour and a half to two hours) aren’t recommended because it can impact your nighttime sleep (unless the napper is, for example, a shift or emergency worker with seriously short-changed nighttime sleep). But Dr. Khayat says that catching up on missed sleep during naps can be useful.

How to Get Enough REM Sleep

Given the impact REM sleep has on our health, it’s in our best interest to ensure we’re getting enough of it each night. Here are some tips and strategies for maximizing your REM sleep, courtesy of the experts:

Make sleep a priority.

You can’t control or force yourself into REM sleep (or any sleep stage for that matter); the only way to get the REM sleep your system needs is to spend enough time asleep—this allows you to cycle through each stage fully and enough times. Simply put: “Prioritize sleep so that you spend enough time sleeping,” Dautovich says. “More REM sleep occurs in the second-half of the sleep cycle. Waking too early or having a shortened sleep period can limit your REM sleep.”

Sometimes it takes a big (but doable!) mindset shift to make sleep one of most important aspects of your life. So much can change once you stop choosing to sacrifice precious sleep time—to watch one more episode, to scroll social media, to send one final text. Sometimes life inevitably gets in the way of putting yourself to bed—but there are likely many other nights when your own controllable habits are keeping you awake.

Get—and stay—on a sleep schedule.

In order to get enough REM sleep, it’s important to maintain a consistent sleep schedule, says Dautovich. This includes not only going to sleep around the same time every night, but also waking up around the same time every morning—including on non-work days. “Try to get a full night's rest when [you’re] able,” Dr. Purdy says. “Establish a sleep routine before bed to help prepare your body and mind for rest.” 

Create an environment conducive to sleep.

Take the time to make your sleep space as cool, dark, and quiet as possible, Dautovich says. Bedroom temperature should be on the chillier side (somewhere near 65 degrees Fahrenheit) to help maintain the right core body temperature for optimal sleep. Darkness and quiet are also crucial to avoiding sleep interruptions from your environment, which disrupt your sleep cycles. 

Dr. Purdy agrees, and recommends certain habits like avoiding screens, including a TV, your phone, and your computer, as they do emit some blue light, as well as stimulate your brain, impacting your ability to fall asleep. 

Be mindful of alcohol, caffeine, and medication use.

In addition to avoiding regular and excessive use of alcohol and consuming caffeine late in the day, Dr. Khayat also urges us to be wary when using over-the-counter or prescribed sleep aids, as well as antidepressants, and other medications that affect the amount of REM we get. 

“The more we provide our brains with the right space and time and decrease exposure to extraneous substances and medications, [the more] it will function normally, and produce REM sleep that helps us process and consolidate memories and emotions,” he explains. 

Keep stress levels in check.

No one expects you to be able to eliminate all stressors in your life, but Dautovich and Dr. Purdy both recommend taking the time to try to manage your stress levels before heading to bed. This is the time to break out your favorite relaxation techniques and give yourself a chance to genuinely unwind.