Most people know that sleep is important, but what happens during that sleep is another story.
You don’t just sleep. You cycle through the whole night. Each cycle lasts about 90 minutes and consists of several stages. Light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep.
REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement. Your eyes move quickly under your eyelids, your brain is almost as active as it is during the day, and you dream most intensely.
But REM is more than dreaming. It’s the stage in which your brain processes the day, stores memories, regulates emotions, and prepares for the next day. Without enough REM sleep, you’re more irritable, less sharp, and less creative.
And most people don’t get enough of it.
Why you get too little REM sleep
REM sleep mainly takes place in the second half of the night. The longer you sleep, the more REM you build up. The last two hours before waking are packed with REM.
Waking up too early is the biggest REM thief there is. Whether you set an alarm, have children waking you up, or just wake up early from light or noise. Those last hours are precious.
Alcohol is the second. Alcohol suppresses REM sleep directly, especially in the first half of the night, causing your body to try to make up for it for the rest of the night but never fully succeeding.
Stress is the third. High cortisol levels before sleep keep your nervous system active and reduce the quality of your REM sleep.
What you can do to get more REM
Sleep longer. This is the easiest and most direct way. Sleeping thirty minutes longer gives your body an extra REM cycle. That sounds simple, but most people underestimate how much difference it makes.
Keep a consistent bedtime. Your REM sleep follows your biological clock. Going to bed at a different time every night throws that rhythm off and reduces the amount of REM you get.
Avoid alcohol before bed. Even one glass measurably reduces your REM sleep. Especially if you drink it right before bed.
Darken your bedroom. Light in the morning wakes you up earlier than your body is ready for and cuts off the REM-rich final hours of sleep. Blackout curtains are one of the easiest investments for more REM.
Breathe through your nose. Mouth breathing increases your breathing rate and keeps your nervous system lightly active. That disrupts the transition into REM sleep and lowers its quality. Nose breathing does the opposite. It calms your nervous system and helps your body stay in REM longer and more deeply.
Reduce stress before bed. Worrying before sleep keeps cortisol high and directly reduces your REM. Write down your thoughts, dim your lights, and give your brain a chance to settle before you go to bed.
The habit for this week
Pick one thing from this list and do it seven days in a row.
The easiest one to start with? Set your alarm thirty minutes later. No big adjustment, no complicated routine. Just thirty extra minutes for your brain to do what it does best (or turn off that boring series and go to bed earlier).
1% Better Every Night.
Guy Veeke
PS. Nose breathing is one of the simplest ways to improve your REM sleep. But if your nose gets blocked at night, you automatically breathe through your mouth without realizing it. Our nose strips keep your nose open so you can actually get that deep, restorative REM sleep: https://snoozeless.nl/products/sport-neusstrips-zweetbestendig
