How To Get More REM Sleep: What Helps And What Hurts

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Illustration for How to Get More REM Sleep: What Helps and What Hurts: a dreamy violet night sky with a crescent moon and clouds

The best way to get more REM sleep is to sleep long enough and protect the second half of your night. Most REM sleep happens late, so cutting your night short cuts REM first. Limiting alcohol before bed, keeping a steady schedule and treating sleep problems also help (Sleep Foundation).

Last updated October 9, 2026

Want to time your sleep for REM? The REM sleep calculator shows when your REM periods are likely to fall.

What REM Sleep Is And Why You Need It

REM stands for rapid eye movement. During REM, brain activity looks a lot like being awake, your eyes twitch, and your muscles go limp. Most vivid dreams happen in this stage (NHLBI, Sleep Foundation).

REM may sharpen working memory and help your brain review what you learned. It also supports emotional regulation, and disrupted REM is linked to worse mood and depression (Sleep Foundation). To see how REM fits with the other stages, read the stages of sleep guide.

How Much REM Sleep Do You Need?

Adults spend about 20 to 25 percent of the night in REM, spread over 4 to 5 periods (StatPearls). That adds up to about two hours for most adults. Newborns spend around eight hours a day in REM (Sleep Foundation).

You do not need to hit an exact number. Sleeping 7 to 9 hours supports healthy REM, and the body will make more of it if it is running short (Sleep Foundation).

REM Sleep Grows Through the Night Five columns for five sleep cycles. The REM part of each cycle gets longer, from only a few minutes in the first cycle to around an hour in later cycles. The drawing is an illustration. REM Gets Longer Each Cycle Cycle 1Few min Cycle 2 Cycle 3 Cycle 4 Cycle 5About 1 hour REM Other sleep stages Illustration of the pattern

REM Sleep, Memory And Mood

REM is not just a dream stage. It seems to help the brain sort the day. The Sleep Foundation says REM may sharpen working memory and help you review recent learning, and that disrupted REM is linked to worse mood, depression and PTSD (Sleep Foundation).

Animal work points the same way. In a rat study, a drug that cut REM sleep also impaired learning that depends on the hippocampus, a memory region. The authors state that REM enhances this kind of memory (PMC animal study). Rats are not people, so use this as background, not proof.

The practical lesson is simple. Before a big exam or a hard week, protect your full night. A late-night cram that trims your sleep may trim the REM that helps you keep what you studied. Our dreams hub covers what REM and dreaming do for the mind.

Why REM Changes With Age

Newborns spend far more of their sleep in REM than adults do, and older adults spend less (Sleep Foundation, NHLBI). So a drop in REM as you get older is normal. If your REM seems low for your age but you wake rested and think clearly, there is little reason to worry.

Why REM Sleep Is Cut Short

The first REM period starts about 60 to 90 minutes after you fall asleep and may last only a few minutes. Later REM periods get longer, and some last around an hour (Sleep Foundation). Most of your REM falls in the second half of the night (Sleep Foundation).

That means a short night hits REM hardest. On a short-sleep night, total REM time can get cut short (Sleep Foundation). Waking at 5:00 a.m. after a midnight bedtime may remove the very hours that hold the most REM. This is our reading of the timing facts, not a measured result. The sleep cycle science guide explains why.

Short Nights Lose the REM-Rich Hours Two bars. The 8 hour bar shows a first half with deep sleep and a second half rich in REM. The 6 hour bar ends early so it loses the final two hours, which are part of the REM-rich second half. What a Short Night Costs 8-Hour Night First half: more deep sleepSecond half: more REM 6-Hour Night Lost Illustration of timing. Exact stage amounts vary by person.

What Hurts REM Sleep

Alcohol

Alcohol before bed means less REM than usual at first, and REM can be disrupted later as the body clears the alcohol. The liver clears about one drink per hour, and the Sleep Foundation advises stopping alcohol at least 3 hours before bed (Sleep Foundation).

Cannabis And Some Medicines

Cannabis at night and certain medicines, including some sleep aids, can disrupt REM (Sleep Foundation). Tricyclic antidepressants, SSRIs and MAOIs reduce REM sleep. Stopping serotonin-based antidepressants suddenly often brings on REM rebound (StatPearls). Never stop a medicine on your own. Talk with your doctor first.

Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea reduces slow-wave and REM sleep, and many people have REM rebound when they start CPAP treatment (StatPearls). If you snore loudly or wake unrefreshed, read our sleep apnea hub.

Cold Rooms

Your body controls temperature poorly during REM. REM is reduced in colder conditions (NHLBI). Keep your room cool, but not so cold that you shiver.

Common REM Sleep Disruptors Four cards. Alcohol gives less REM at first and broken REM later. Cannabis at night can disrupt REM. Some medicines such as certain antidepressants reduce REM. Sleep apnea reduces slow-wave and REM sleep. Four Things That Cut REM AlcoholLess REM earlyBroken REM laterStop 3 hours before bed CannabisAt night candisrupt REMAsk your doctor MedicinesSome sleep aidsand antidepressantsNever stop alone Sleep ApneaCuts deep sleepand REMGet tested and treated

What Helps: Habits To Protect REM

  1. Sleep 7 to 9 hours. This is the biggest lever, since REM peaks late. Use the bedtime calculator to count back from your wake-up time.
  2. Keep a steady wake time. Your REM follows your clock. See best time to wake up for how to pick one.
  3. Do not cut the morning short. Skipping the last hour of sleep trims REM. A single snooze does not fix it, as our snooze guide explains.
  4. Limit alcohol and stop it early. Aim for at least 3 hours before bed (Sleep Foundation).
  5. Cut caffeine early. The Sleep Foundation suggests stopping at least 8 hours before bed, so 2 p.m. for a 10 p.m. bedtime (Sleep Foundation). The caffeine impact on sleep calculator sets your cutoff.
  6. Manage stress. A calmer night makes it easier to reach and stay in later cycles. Our sleep hygiene 101 guide has a wind-down routine.

An REM-Friendly Evening for a 10 PM Bedtime A timeline with three milestones for a 10 PM bedtime. Stop caffeine at 2 PM, 8 hours before bed. Finish alcohol by 7 PM, at least 3 hours before bed. Lights out at 10 PM. A REM-Friendly Evening 2 PMLast caffeine8 hours before bed 7 PMLast drink3 hours before bed 10 PMLights outAim for 7 to 9 hours Shift every time to match your own bedtime.

Medicines And REM: A Closer Look

Many antidepressants change REM. Tricyclics, SSRIs and MAOIs all reduce it, and stopping a serotonin-based drug suddenly often triggers rebound (StatPearls). In the rat study, one dose of the drug desipramine suppressed REM for about 8 hours, and the authors cite human data showing a similar effect for 5 to 8 hours (PMC animal study).

This does not mean these medicines are bad. Treating depression often matters more than a change in REM. Just tell your doctor if you notice vivid dreams, poor sleep or daytime tiredness after a change, and never adjust a dose by yourself.

What Not To Worry About

It is easy to obsess over sleep numbers. Try to resist that urge, because worry itself can keep you awake.

One low-REM night is not a problem. Neither is a tracker number that looks low, or a night when you do not recall any dreams. Your body adjusts over several nights. Worry only if you are tired all day, snore loudly, or take a medicine that may affect your sleep. In those cases, talk with a doctor.

REM Rebound After Lost Sleep

When you lose sleep, the body tries to make it up. After a short night, the brain can start more REM sleep the following night (Sleep Foundation). This is called REM rebound. Stress, REM deprivation and starting CPAP can also cause it (StatPearls).

Rebound can bring more intense dreams. It is a sign your body is catching up, not a sign something is wrong. The best fix is regular, full nights. Check how much you owe with the sleep debt calculator.

Do Sleep Trackers Show REM Correctly?

About half of tracker users regularly check their REM numbers (Sleep Foundation). But consumer devices guess sleep stages from movement and heart rate, so treat the numbers as rough. If a tracker says you got too little REM but you feel fine, do not worry. See are sleep trackers accurate.

FAQs About Getting More REM Sleep

How Much REM Sleep Is Enough?

Adults spend about 20 to 25 percent of the night in REM, which is about two hours. Sleeping 7 to 9 hours supports healthy REM (StatPearls, Sleep Foundation).

Why Do I Get So Little REM Sleep?

Common reasons are short nights, alcohol, some medicines, cannabis and sleep apnea. Because REM comes late, waking early cuts it first (Sleep Foundation).

Does Alcohol Reduce REM Sleep?

Yes, at least at first. Drinking before bed means less REM than usual early on, and the rest of the night can be disrupted as alcohol is cleared (Sleep Foundation).

What Time Does REM Sleep Happen?

The first REM period comes about 60 to 90 minutes after you fall asleep, and REM is longest in the second half of the night (Sleep Foundation).

What Is REM Rebound?

REM rebound is extra REM after a period of lost sleep or REM suppression. It can also follow stopping some antidepressants or starting CPAP (StatPearls).

Can I Wake Up In REM Sleep Without Feeling Groggy?

Waking from REM is usually easier than waking from deep sleep. Grogginess is more tied to deep sleep, so see how to get rid of sleep inertia and how to get more deep sleep.

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