How To Increase Rem? What You Need to Do

Getting more REM sleep is one of the most effective things you can do for your memory, mood, and brain health. REM stands for rapid eye movement, and it is the stage where you dream and your brain processes emotions and information from the day. To increase REM sleep, you need to protect your sleep cycle by going to bed at the same time each night, avoiding alcohol in the evening, and making sure you get enough total sleep — most adults need 7 to 9 hours. The simple truth is that you cannot force REM sleep directly, but you can create the conditions where your body naturally spends more time in this stage.

What Exactly Is REM Sleep and Why Does It Matter?

REM sleep is the fourth stage of your sleep cycle. It usually starts about 90 minutes after you fall asleep. During this stage your eyes move rapidly behind closed lids, your brain activity looks similar to when you are awake, and your body is temporarily paralyzed so you do not act out your dreams.

Research published in Nature Reviews Neuroscience has shown that REM sleep is critical for memory consolidation. Your brain sorts through what happened during the day, decides what to keep and what to discard, and stores important memories. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine states that REM sleep also helps regulate your emotions. People who are deprived of REM sleep tend to be more irritable and have a harder time managing stress.

There is also growing evidence that REM sleep plays a role in creative problem-solving. A study from Harvard Medical School found that people who entered REM sleep were better able to find hidden patterns in a task compared to those who stayed in lighter sleep stages. Your brain makes connections during REM that it does not make when you are awake.

How To Increase REM: What the Evidence Actually Shows

The most reliable way to increase REM sleep is to increase your total sleep time. REM sleep makes up about 20 to 25 percent of a healthy adult’s sleep cycle. That percentage stays relatively stable if you get enough sleep. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that one in three adults does not get enough sleep. If you are sleeping only six hours a night, you are likely cutting into your REM time.

Alcohol is one of the biggest disruptors of REM sleep. A study in the journal Alcohol found that drinking alcohol before bed reduces the amount of REM sleep you get that night. Alcohol may help you fall asleep faster, but it suppresses REM during the first half of the night and causes fragmented sleep later on. Even one drink close to bedtime can have an effect.

Another factor is your sleep schedule. Your body’s internal clock, or circadian rhythm, controls when you enter REM sleep. REM periods tend to get longer as the night goes on. The last third of your night contains the longest REM periods. If you wake up too early or have an inconsistent schedule, you miss those long REM cycles.

What Lifestyle Changes Actually Help REM Sleep?

Consistency is the foundation. Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day — including weekends — helps your body know when to enter REM. Research from the Sleep Research Society shows that irregular sleep schedules reduce the quality of REM sleep even if total sleep time stays the same.

Exercise during the day can also improve REM sleep. A study published in Sleep Medicine Reviews looked at dozens of trials and found that moderate aerobic exercise — like brisk walking or cycling — increased the amount of slow-wave sleep and REM sleep. The effect was strongest in people who exercised in the morning or early afternoon. Late-night exercise close to bedtime did not help and sometimes made sleep worse.

Temperature matters. Your body needs to cool down to enter and maintain REM sleep. The National Sleep Foundation recommends keeping your bedroom between 65 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit. A cool room helps your body maintain the temperature drop it needs for deep and REM sleep.

Light exposure also plays a role. Blue light from phones and computers suppresses melatonin, the hormone that helps you fall asleep. A study in Chronobiology International found that people who used screens within an hour of bed had delayed REM onset. Dimming lights and putting screens away 30 to 60 minutes before bed can help your body transition into REM more easily.

What About Supplements and Sleep Aids?

Some people turn to supplements hoping to boost REM sleep. The evidence is mixed at best. Melatonin supplements can help you fall asleep faster, but research has not consistently shown that they increase REM sleep. A review in Sleep Medicine Reviews found that melatonin may slightly increase total sleep time but does not reliably change the percentage of REM.

Magnesium is often promoted for sleep. Some studies suggest magnesium can improve sleep quality in people with low magnesium levels, but there is no strong evidence that it specifically increases REM sleep. The same is true for valerian root and chamomile. These herbs are widely claimed to help sleep, but large clinical trials have not found consistent effects on REM.

Prescription sleep aids like Ambien are a different story. These medications can help you fall asleep, but they often reduce the amount of time you spend in REM sleep. A study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that zolpidem, the active ingredient in Ambien, decreased REM sleep compared to placebo. Using these drugs long term may actually make your sleep quality worse.

What Worsens REM Sleep That People Overlook?

Caffeine has a longer half-life than most people realize. It stays in your system for 4 to 6 hours on average, and for some people it lasts even longer. Drinking coffee or tea after 2 PM can interfere with your sleep cycle and reduce REM sleep. A study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that caffeine consumed even six hours before bed significantly reduced total sleep time and REM sleep.

Sleep apnea is another hidden cause of low REM sleep. People with sleep apnea stop breathing multiple times during the night, which pulls them out of deeper sleep stages. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine reports that untreated sleep apnea can reduce REM sleep by more than half. If you snore loudly or wake up gasping for air, it is worth getting tested.

Stress and anxiety also suppress REM sleep. When your body is in a state of high alert, it stays in lighter sleep stages so it can react to threats. A study in the journal Sleep found that people with high levels of perceived stress spent less time in REM sleep and had more fragmented REM periods. Relaxation techniques like deep breathing or meditation before bed can help lower stress and improve REM.

Common Misconceptions About Increasing REM Sleep

One popular claim is that certain foods or drinks can directly boost REM sleep. You may have read that eating cheese before bed causes vivid dreams. There is no solid evidence for this. Some people report vivid dreams after eating dairy, but studies have not found a consistent link between specific foods and increased REM sleep. The same is true for foods high in tryptophan, like turkey. Tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin, which plays a role in sleep, but eating turkey alone will not meaningfully increase REM.

Another myth is that you can train yourself to have more REM sleep through lucid dreaming techniques. Lucid dreaming is the ability to become aware that you are dreaming. Some people use techniques to induce lucid dreams, but there is no evidence that these methods increase the total amount of REM sleep you get. They may change the content of your dreams, but not the duration of the stage.

Some wearable devices claim to track and improve REM sleep. These devices can estimate when you are in REM based on movement and heart rate, but they are not medically accurate. A study in the Journal of Sleep Research compared consumer sleep trackers to lab-grade equipment and found that the trackers often misidentified sleep stages. Do not rely on a watch or ring to tell you whether you are getting enough REM.