Should I try to reduce my REM Sleep?

First off, I won’t suggest changing your sleep patterns solely based on the percentages of the sleep stages. The most important thing to ask is: am I waking up refreshed and do I feel alert during the day?  If the answer is ‘yes’, then there might not be any cause for alarm.  However, if your answer is “no”, then it’s time to start looking at other sleep and lifestyle factors that could be at fault.

A good starting question to ask is: ” am I getting 7-9 hours of largely uninterrupted sleep each night?”

The reason being that if you don’t get at least 7-9 hours of sleep per night, any persistent feelings tiredness is most likely due to not getting enough sleep on a regular basis, rather than having too much REM. Although some people can “get by” on less than 7 hours of sleep–or think that they can “get by”– it’s not sustainable.  The human body pays a heavy toll in the long-run, including higher risks for heart disease and diabetes and a decrease in cognitive abilities. If it’s work that’s keeping you up, strongly consider making sleep a higher priority, one way or another.

When we’re not getting enough sleep, we don’t get enough REM either–and it will intrude into sleep at odd times. REM can even intrude into waking consciousness. If REM is occurring just as you lay down, it may be a sign that you are not getting enough REM sleep, rather than getting too much.

Of course, it is possible that you may be a natural polyphasic sleeper.  You could also have circadian rhythms that are either delayed or non-phasic, meaning that your circadian rhythms beat to their own drum, rather than the clues from the day and night. Many people thrive by sleeping when they are sleepy and keeping erratic hours, although as a lifestyle it can be difficult to maintain if you work a 9-to-5 job.

If anxiety or depression is keeping you up at night, consider seeing a psychiatrist or a sleep specialist. Psychiatrists often prescribe prescription medications that balance REM sleep and make it easier to get longer, more restful nights.

Some things to try:

• In general, get more sleep.  7-9 hours each night should be your target.
• Take more naps during the day to complement a reduced amount of sleep at night.  Read about one polyphasic sleeper’s schedule here
• Aerobic exercise can help with getting more regular sleep, as long as you don’t have a hard workout three hours before bed.  Bonus:  it can also have a positive impact on mental health as well.
• Soak up some bright light in the early morning, as bright light therapy can reset circadian rhythms and make it easier to fall asleep at night.  Read how Derek@Zeo benefited from this here.

Related Questions

• How does our circadian rhythm influence our sleep?
• Is it unusual to go directly from Wake to REM?
• Is it possible to reduce the amount of sleep I need every night?
• What wakes someone from REM sleep?
• I notice discrepancies when I compare my Zeo data to past PSGs; can you explain this?

Still have questions?  Ask yours here

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