REM Sleep: What It Is and How to Support Healthy Sleep

The key points

• REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement) is a stage of sleep in which particularly vivid dreams often occur. It is part of the normal sleep cycle.

• In adults, REM sleep accounts for around 20 to 25% of total sleep on average. With 8 hours of sleep, this corresponds to approximately 90 to 120 minutes.

• A regular sleep routine, relaxation in the evening and a comfortable sleeping environment can contribute to a balanced sleep pattern.

What is REM sleep?

Sleep is not a uniform state but is divided into different cycles. Each night, your body goes through several of these sleep cycles, each lasting around 90 minutes. Each cycle consists of different stages: light sleep, deep sleep and REM sleep.

The term REM stands for “Rapid Eye Movement”. This characteristic can even be observed from the outside: the eyes of a sleeping person may move rapidly from side to side beneath their closed eyelids.

During REM sleep, brain activity is relatively high, while the skeletal muscles are largely relaxed. This is a normal characteristic of this stage of sleep.

During REM sleep, vivid and emotional dreams often occur, which we may sometimes still remember in the morning. Research continues to investigate the function of this sleep stage and its possible connection with the processing of information and experiences.

How REM sleep differs from deep sleep

• Deep sleep and REM sleep are sometimes confused or treated as the same thing, but they are different stages of sleep. Deep sleep is part of non-REM sleep and is characterised by particularly low brain activity and pronounced physical rest.

• REM sleep, on the other hand, is characterised by relatively high brain activity and the typical rapid eye movements.

Both stages are part of a normal sleep cycle.

Why is REM sleep interesting?

The importance of REM sleep goes beyond dreaming. Research is investigating its connection with memory, learning and emotional processing.

Memory and cognition

During sleep, the brain processes information that we have taken in throughout the day. REM sleep is also associated with learning and memory processes. Exactly how the individual sleep stages contribute to these processes is still the subject of scientific research.

For this reason, it cannot be said that a specific amount of REM sleep automatically leads to better concentration or cognitive performance. Regular and sufficient sleep as a whole remains an important part of personal wellbeing.

Emotions and stress processing

The processing of emotions and experiences is also associated with different stages of sleep. REM sleep plays a particular role in current sleep research.

Sleep and stress can also influence each other: periods of increased stress can affect sleep, while poor sleep may in turn influence how we experience stress. A relaxing evening routine can therefore help you wind down before going to bed.

Recovery and physical wellbeing

The different stages of sleep serve different functions. During sleep, the body enters a state of extensive rest and recovery. REM sleep is just one of several stages that together make up the night's sleep.

For your personal wellbeing, therefore, it is not only the amount of REM sleep that matters, but also getting regular and sufficient sleep overall.

How much REM sleep do you need?

Since sleep varies from person to person, the amount and duration of REM sleep can only be given as general guidelines. In adults, REM sleep accounts for around 20 to 25% of total sleep time. With 8 hours of sleep, this corresponds to approximately 90 to 120 minutes.

REM sleep occurs throughout the night

It is important to understand that REM sleep does not occur only once per night but during several sleep cycles. The proportion of REM sleep tends to increase as the night progresses. This is why longer REM periods often occur during the later morning hours.

Individual differences are normal

The amount of REM sleep a person gets depends on various factors. These include age, sleep duration, lifestyle and current levels of stress or other demands. There can also be differences from one night to another.

Children and teenagers tend to spend more time in REM sleep than adults. As we get older, the distribution of the different sleep stages changes.

Practical tips to support your sleep

If you often feel tired or not fully rested during the day, it may be worth taking a closer look at your sleep habits. A regular daily and sleep routine, together with a comfortable sleeping environment, can help support your sleep.

The following measures can help you create a more conscious and consistent sleep routine.

Tip 1: Maintain a regular sleep routine

Your body can benefit from routines and regular bedtimes. Going to bed and getting up at roughly the same times can help create a consistent rhythm. It can therefore be useful not to shift your sleeping times too much at weekends.

Tip 2: Reduce stress and tension in the evening

Feeling tense in the evening can make it more difficult to wind down. Evening routines and relaxation rituals such as gentle stretching and breathing exercises, a warm tea or a relaxing bath can help you end the day calmly.

Tip 3: Be mindful of caffeine and alcohol

Caffeine and alcohol can affect sleep. Caffeine can make it harder to fall asleep, particularly when consumed later in the day. Alcohol can also alter sleep patterns. If you want to support your sleep, it can therefore be helpful to avoid caffeine in the late afternoon and evening and to consume alcohol consciously.

Tip 4: Create a comfortable sleeping environment

A cool, dark and quiet bedroom can contribute to a comfortable sleeping environment. Temperatures between 16 and 18°C are often recommended as a general guideline, although individual temperature preferences vary. You can also minimise disruptive light and noise where possible.

If you use your smartphone in the bedroom, it may also be helpful to switch off notifications or put the device on airplane mode.

Tip 5: Choose breathable nightwear

The clothes you wear to bed can also influence your personal comfort. Very warm or less breathable materials may feel uncomfortable for some people.

Nightwear made from materials such as cotton or TENCEL™ can offer breathable and moisture-absorbing properties depending on how the material is made. The CALIDA DEEPSLEEPWEAR collection was developed for night-time wear and includes different materials and cuts to suit different sleeping preferences.

Conclusion

REM sleep is an important stage of the normal sleep cycle during which vivid dreams often occur. Research is investigating its possible role in processing information and emotions. At the same time, good sleep consists of several different stages that together make up the night's sleep.

A regular sleep routine, a calm evening routine, a mindful approach to caffeine and alcohol, and a comfortable sleeping environment can help support your sleep habits. Suitable nightwear made from breathable materials can also contribute to a comfortable feeling throughout the night.