Key Takeaways
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REM sleep is a critical sleep stage linked to memory, emotional processing, brain health, and overall sleep quality. Most REM sleep occurs during the second half of the night.
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Poor REM sleep is commonly caused by sleep deprivation, stress, alcohol, sleep apnea, fragmented sleep, and inconsistent sleep schedules.
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The best ways to increase REM sleep naturally include improving sleep hygiene, using mouth tape, getting enough total sleep, managing stress, supporting nasal breathing, and avoiding substances that suppress REM sleep.
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Adults generally spend about 20% to 25% of total sleep in REM sleep, equal to roughly 90 to 120 minutes.
If you wake up groggy, struggle to focus, or feel mentally drained despite getting hours of sleep, you may not be getting enough REM sleep. Rapid eye movement sleep is one of the most important stages of sleep because it supports brain recovery, emotional balance, memory consolidation, and cognitive performance.
The good news is that you can improve REM sleep naturally. Simple changes to your bedtime routine, sleep schedule, breathing habits, and stress management can help you enter REM sleep faster and improve overall sleep quality.
This guide explains what REM sleep is, why REM sleep matters, what causes low REM sleep, and practical tips to get more REM sleep naturally.
What is Rapid Eye Movement (REM) Sleep?
REM sleep, meaning, refers to the sleep stage where your eyes move rapidly beneath closed eyelids while your brain becomes highly active. It is the stage most associated with vivid dreaming, emotional processing, and memory formation.
A normal sleep cycle includes both deep sleep and REM sleep. During slow-wave deep sleep, the body repairs tissues and restores physical energy. During REM sleep, the brain processes information, stores memories, and regulates mood. (1)
REM sleep occurs multiple times throughout the night, but the first REM cycle is usually short. As the night progresses, REM periods become longer. This means that cutting sleep short often reduces the amount of REM sleep you get.
It’s thought that adults spend around 20% to 25% of total sleep time in REM sleep. For someone sleeping eight hours, that equals roughly 90 to 120 minutes nightly.
Why Rapid Eye Movement (REM) Sleep Matters
REM sleep is important because it directly affects brain health, learning ability, emotional regulation, and overall sleep.
Benefits of REM sleep:
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Supports memory consolidation and learning
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Helps regulate mood and emotional resilience
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Improves focus and cognitive performance
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Assists with creativity and problem-solving
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Helps the brain process stress and emotions
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Supports overall sleep quality and recovery(2)
Research from the National Institutes of Health shows that REM sleep deprivation may impair emotional processing and memory retention. (3)
Many people notice a lack of REM sleep indirectly through symptoms like:
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Brain fog
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Poor concentration
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Irritability and difficulty handling stress
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Daytime fatigue
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Feeling tired despite enough hours of sleep
Signs You May Not Be Getting Enough REM Sleep
Low REM sleep can show up in subtle ways long before you notice major sleep problems.
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You wake up mentally exhausted
Even if you get enough total sleep, you may still feel mentally drained if your REM sleep decreases. Since REM sleep supports cognitive restoration, a reduction in the amount of time spent in REM can lead to poor focus, low motivation, and sluggish thinking.
Many people describe this feeling as “sleeping but never feeling refreshed.” If your sleep patterns include frequent waking or fragmented sleep, your body may struggle to enter REM sleep consistently.
If you’ve been waking up tired, learn about some of the best ways to biohack your sleep and how to improve HRV during sleep.
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You struggle with memory and concentration
One of the benefits of REM sleep is memory processing. Without enough REM sleep, the brain may struggle to retain information or stay mentally sharp. (4)
Common signs include:
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Forgetfulness
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Difficulty concentrating
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Slower reaction times
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Mental fatigue during the day
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You feel more emotional or stressed
REM sleep plays a major role in emotional balance. Poor REM sleep may increase irritability, anxiety, and emotional sensitivity.
Some sleep experts describe REM sleep as “overnight therapy” because the brain processes emotions during this sleep stage.
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You experience vivid dreams or act out dreams
REM rebound can happen after sleep deprivation or alcohol withdrawal. During REM rebound, the body tries to compensate for the previous reduction in REM sleep by increasing the time spent in REM sleep later. (5)
This can lead to:
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Extremely vivid dreams
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Intense nightmares
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Acting out dreams
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Disrupted sleep patterns
Why Your REM Sleep Might Be Low
Several lifestyle habits and sleep disorders can interfere with REM sleep. Let’s take a look at some of these.
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You are not getting enough total sleep
The most common reason for low REM sleep is simply not sleeping long enough.
Because REM sleep occurs more heavily during the second half of the night, sleeping only five or six hours can significantly reduce REM sleep at night.
If you consistently avoid sleep or cut sleep time short, your body may never reach optimal REM duration.
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Stress and high cortisol levels
Stress can interfere with sleep quality and circadian rhythm regulation. High stress levels often increase nighttime awakenings, making it harder to stay asleep long enough to improve REM sleep.
People under chronic stress often experience:
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Fragmented sleep
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Difficulty falling asleep
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Less REM sleep
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Poor sleep overall(6)
Creating a calming bedtime routine may help improve your REM sleep naturally.
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Alcohol and certain medications
Alcohol may help some people fall asleep faster, but it can suppress REM sleep later in the night.
Research shows that alcohol consumption before bedtime might reduce REM sleep duration and increase sleep fragmentation. (7)
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Undiagnosed sleep apnea or breathing problems
Sleep apnea repeatedly interrupts breathing during sleep and can severely affect sleep quality.
When breathing disruptions occur, the brain may wake briefly to restore airflow. This fragmented sleep makes it harder to enter REM sleep consistently. (8)
Keep reading about how to sleep with sleep apnea without CPAP.
Tips to Increase REM Sleep Naturally
Improving REM sleep naturally usually comes down to improving your overall sleep quality, protecting your sleep cycle, and reducing anything that may interfere with REM sleep throughout the night.
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Maintain a consistent sleep schedule
One of the best ways to increase REM sleep is to follow a consistent sleep schedule. Your circadian rhythm controls when your body feels alert and when it prepares for sleep. If your bedtime changes constantly, your body may struggle to maintain a healthy, normal sleep cycle.
REM sleep occurs more heavily during the second half of the night. When you go to bed late, wake up early, or frequently change your sleep time, you may shorten the amount of time spent in REM sleep.
Try to:
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Go to bed at the same time every night
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Wake up consistently, even on weekends
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Aim for at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep
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Avoid sleeping in excessively after poor sleep
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Reduce stress before bedtime
Stress is one of the biggest causes of fragmented sleep and poor REM sleep at night. High cortisol levels can keep the brain active, making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep long enough to enter REM sleep consistently.
Creating a calming bedtime routine can improve your REM sleep naturally. Helpful habits include:
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Reading instead of scrolling on your phone
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Taking a warm shower before bed
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Meditation or breathing exercises
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Keeping lights dim during the first half of the night
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A weighted recovery blanket may also help you feel calmer and more relaxed as you fall asleep.
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Improve breathing with mouth tape and nasal strips
Breathing problems during sleep can interfere with REM sleep without you realizing it. Snoring, mouth breathing, and mild sleep apnea often cause repeated micro-awakenings that break up the sleep cycle and reduce time in REM sleep.
Improving nasal breathing may help improve sleep quality by reducing fragmented sleep and improving oxygen flow during the night.
Helpful strategies include:
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Sleeping on your side
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Reducing nasal congestion with Second Wind Nasal Strips
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Maintaining healthy humidity levels with a humidifier (take a look at our guide: do humidifiers help with snoring?)
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Mouth taping with Dream Recovery Mouth Tape
Learn more about the benefits of mouth taping for sleep and other ways to train yourself to sleep with your mouth closed.
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Limit alcohol and caffeine
Alcohol may initially make you sleepy, but it can suppress REM sleep later in the night. Caffeine late in the day may also delay sleep onset and interfere with your ability to enter REM sleep naturally.
To improve REM sleep:
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Avoid alcohol within 3 to 4 hours of bedtime
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Limit caffeine after lunch
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Avoid intense exercise too close to bedtime
Keep reading more at our other guide on how to get more REM sleep each night.
Stop Making These Mistakes to Unlock Better REM Sleep
Even healthy people accidentally interfere with REM sleep through everyday habits. Avoiding these common mistakes can improve sleep quality surprisingly quickly.
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Cutting sleep short during the week
Many people assume six hours of sleep is enough if they can function during the day. In reality, sleep deprivation often reduces REM sleep first because most REM sleep occurs later in the night.
Instead of relying on weekend catch-up sleep, focus on getting enough total sleep consistently throughout the week.
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Ignoring signs of sleep apnea or poor breathing
Some people asking “why am I not getting enough REM sleep?” might actually have undiagnosed sleep apnea or chronic breathing issues during sleep.
Sleep apnea repeatedly interrupts breathing and fragments the normal sleep cycle. Each interruption can briefly wake the brain, reducing both deep sleep and REM sleep.
Warning signs include:
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Loud snoring
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Waking up gasping
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Dry mouth in the morning
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Morning headaches
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Excessive daytime sleepiness
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Spending too much time on screens before bed
Phones, tablets, and TVs can significantly affect sleep hygiene and REM sleep at night. Blue light exposure suppresses melatonin production, delaying sleep onset and disrupting the body’s circadian rhythm.
Late-night scrolling also keeps the brain mentally stimulated when it should be winding down for sleep.
Some helpful tools to reduce your exposure at night include Dream Recovery Blue Light Blocking Glasses, which block up to 98% of blue light. This is a great option if you need to use screens at night but want to limit your exposure to blue light.
Dream Recovery Performance Silk Sleep Mask is another option if you want to create a darker sleeping environment and don’t have blackout curtains. With 3D eye cups and Cool Tech Silk, it’s luxuriously comfortable and blocks out all light for deeper, more restorative sleep.
Get More REM Sleep With Dream Recovery
Improving REM sleep naturally starts with better sleep habits, better breathing, and tools like mouth tape, nasal strips, blue light blocking glasses, and sleep masks.
Dream Recovery offers a variety of research-backed products designed to support deeper sleep, improve breathing, and help you optimize overall sleep quality.
Shop the Dream Recovery Collection here.