This is sort of a trick question because REM isn’t something you can target on its own. It’s a natural outcome of sleeping long enough and consistently enough for your body to complete full sleep cycles. The best way to get more of it is to protect your overall sleep quality and stop doing the things that cut it short.
What Is REM Sleep and Why Does It Matter?
REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement sleep. During this stage, the brain becomes highly active, dreams become more vivid, breathing changes, and the eyes move quickly beneath closed eyelids. (1)
REM sleep affects memory, learning, emotional processing, and mental performance. Researchers also believe it helps the brain organize information from the day and regulate mood. (1)
Stress, sleep deprivation, inconsistent schedules, alcohol, and untreated sleep disorders can reduce REM sleep. Waking up too early can also cut REM sleep short because the longest REM periods happen later in the night. (1)(2)
Adults usually spend about 20% to 25% of total sleep in REM sleep. For someone sleeping 7 to 8 hours, that often equals around 90 minutes to 2 hours of REM sleep. (3)(4)
Small changes in sleep habits can help protect REM sleep and improve sleep quality overall.
How Does REM Sleep Fit Into the Sleep Cycle?
Sleep moves through several stages in cycles of roughly 80 to 100 minutes. Each cycle begins with light non-REM sleep, moves into deeper restorative sleep where the body repairs tissue and restores energy, and then enters REM. REM sleep typically begins about 90 minutes after falling asleep, and here’s the critical part: REM periods get longer as the night progresses, with the most substantial REM happening in the final hours before waking.
Characteristics of REM Sleep
Increased Brain Activity
Brain activity during REM sleep becomes much more active than during non-REM sleep. This is one reason dreams become more vivid during this stage. (1)
Temporary Muscle Paralysis
During REM sleep, the body becomes temporarily immobile. This natural paralysis helps prevent people from physically acting out dreams. (1)
Changes in Breathing and Heart Rate
Breathing and heart rate become more irregular during REM sleep because the nervous system becomes more active. (1)
Why Sleep Timing Affects REM Sleep
REM sleep becomes more concentrated later in the night. Cutting sleep short by waking up too early can reduce REM sleep significantly. (1)(2)
That is one reason consistent sleep schedules matter. Even if someone falls asleep quickly, losing the final hours of sleep may reduce some of the brain and mood benefits linked to REM sleep.
What Factors Disrupt REM Sleep?
Several things can reduce REM sleep. Some delay sleep, some shorten total sleep time, and some cause repeated awakenings. Since REM sleep gets longer later in the night, anything that cuts sleep short or fragments sleep can reduce the amount of REM a person gets. (5)
1. Stress and Mental Health
Stress can affect sleep structure. Research on experimental stress found decreases in REM sleep, slow-wave sleep, and sleep efficiency, along with more awakenings. (6)
PTSD can also interfere with sleep. Nightmares and insomnia are common PTSD symptoms, and nightmares can make it harder to fall back asleep after waking. (7)
2. Alcohol, Caffeine, and Some Medications
Alcohol may help people fall asleep faster, but it can disturb sleep later in the night. Research shows alcohol can suppress REM sleep in the first half of the night and increase sleep disruption in the second half. (8)
Caffeine can also reduce sleep time. One study found that caffeine taken 6 hours before bedtime reduced total sleep time by 41 minutes. Less total sleep can mean less opportunity for REM sleep, especially in the later part of the night. (9)
Some medications can change REM sleep, including certain antidepressants, sedatives, and other drugs that affect the nervous system. Patients should ask their physician before changing or stopping any medication.
3. Irregular Sleep Patterns
Shift work can disturb the body’s circadian rhythm. (10)
A changing sleep schedule can also make sleep less stable. When bedtime and wake time keep shifting, the body may have a harder time moving through full sleep cycles.
4. Noise, Light, and Sleep Interruptions
Interrupted sleep can reduce time spent in certain sleep stages. (5)
Noise, light, and screen exposure can make sleep lighter or more broken. Evening light can also make it harder to fall asleep.
5. Sleep Disorders
Sleep apnea, insomnia, and narcolepsy can all interfere with normal sleep patterns.
Sleep apnea causes repeated breathing pauses during sleep. Insomnia can reduce total sleep time. Narcolepsy affects the brain’s control of sleep and wake cycles. When sleep is repeatedly interrupted, the brain may not spend enough time in REM and other sleep stages. (5)
How Can You Increase REM Sleep?
The best way to get more REM sleep is to protect total sleep time and reduce interruptions. REM sleep is part of a full night of sleep, so the goal is not to force REM directly. The goal is to sleep long enough and consistently enough for REM periods to happen naturally.
1. Keep a Consistent Sleep Schedule
Go to bed and wake up around the same time every day. A steady schedule helps the body follow a more regular sleep-wake rhythm.
2. Make the Bedroom Easier to Sleep In
Keep the room cool, dark, and quiet. Create a restful sleep environment and using tools like room-darkening shades, earplugs, or a fan when needed.
3. Limit Alcohol and Late Caffeine
Alcohol can disturb sleep later in the night and suppress REM sleep earlier in the night. (8)
Caffeine can reduce total sleep time even when taken 6 hours before bed. (9)
4. Exercise Regularly
Regular physical activity can promote better sleep.
Morning or afternoon exercise is usually easier on sleep than intense workouts close to bedtime.
5. Manage Stress Before Bed
Stress can reduce REM sleep and increase awakenings. (6)
Relaxation techniques, journaling, breathing exercises, or a quiet wind-down routine may help the body settle before sleep.
6. Be Careful With Screens at Night
Light exposure in the evening can make it harder to fall asleep.
- Treat Sleep Disorders
If snoring, choking during sleep, insomnia, or severe daytime sleepiness keeps happening, a sleep evaluation matters. These problems can fragment sleep and reduce time spent in normal sleep stages, including REM. (5)
How Can The Insomnia and Sleep Institute of Arizona Help You?
The Insomnia and Sleep Institute of Arizona specializes in diagnosing and treating sleep disorders that affect REM sleep. Our experienced team offers comprehensive care tailored to your needs. From advanced diagnostic tools to evidence-based therapies, we help you reclaim restorative sleep.
Whether you struggle with sleep apnea, insomnia, or other conditions, our experts provide solutions to improve your sleep quality. We focus on optimizing REM sleep to enhance your mental, emotional, and physical health. Contact us today!
References
- What happens during sleep? (2019, April 29). Https://Www.Nichd.Nih.Gov/. https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/sleep/conditioninfo/what-happens
- Sleep Phases and Stages. (2022, March 24). Nhlbi, NIH. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep/stages-of-sleep
- Health, & Study, C. (2026). Information about Sleep. Nih.Gov; National Institutes of Health (US). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK20359/
- Colten, H. R., Altevogt, B. M., & (US), M. (2026). Sleep Physiology. Nih.Gov; National Academies Press (US). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK19956/
- Sleep Disorders. (2025). Medlineplus.Gov; National Library of Medicine. https://medlineplus.gov/sleepdisorders.html
- Kim, E.-J., & Dimsdale, J. E. (2007). The Effect of Psychosocial Stress on Sleep: A Review of Polysomnographic Evidence. Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 5(4), 256–278. https://doi.org/10.1080/15402000701557383
- VA.gov | Veterans Affairs. (2025). Va.Gov. https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand/related/sleep_problems.asp
- Ebrahim, I. O., Shapiro, C. M., Williams, A. J., & Fenwick, P. B. (2013). Alcohol and Sleep I: Effects on Normal Sleep. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 37(4). https://doi.org/10.1111/acer.12006
- Drake, C., Roehrs, T., Shambroom, J., & Roth, T. (2013). Caffeine Effects on Sleep Taken 0, 3, or 6 Hours before Going to Bed. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 9(11), 1195–1200. https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.3170
- Salmond, S., Weaver, S. H., Marcus-Aiyeku, U., & Markiewicz, D. (2025). Working From Dusk to Dawn. Orthopaedic Nursing, 44(1), 4–19. https://doi.org/10.1097/nor.0000000000001087
Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog post is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with a licensed healthcare provider for recommendations specific to your individual health needs.
