Too Much REM Sleep? How Much Do You Need Each Night?

Rapid eye movement sleep, more commonly referred to as REM sleep, is one of 4 stages of sleep (also light, slow wave/deep, and wake) that your body spends time in each night. REM is the "mentally restorative" sleep stage that helps improve mental recovery and cognitive performance. Getting enough REM sleep is an essential part of keeping your brain and body healthy and optimizing daily performance.

So, how much REM sleep do we need? On average, for most adults it's about 90 minutes per night. However, this can change for a variety of different reasons that we'll dive into below.

What is REM sleep?

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is one of the four stages of sleep, alongside light, deep, and wake. During REM, your brain is highly active, processing emotions, consolidating memories, and clearing out cognitive clutter from the day. While deep sleep focuses on physical recovery, REM sleep is essential for cognitive performance, learning, and overall brain health.

What does typical REM sleep look like?

While we're asleep the human body goes through several sleep cycles (normally 3-5 per night), cycling through light, deep, and REM sleep. For healthy adults, 20-25% of your total time asleep should be REM sleep. If you sleep for 7-8 hours, 20% of that equates to roughly 90 minutes.

The amount of REM sleep we need declines with age. Newborn babies spend 50% of their total sleep time in REM. Sleep studies indicate that percentage drops significantly early on, then continues to decrease gradually as we get older.

Read More: The Differences Between REM Sleep and Deep Sleep

How much time should we spend in REM sleep?

Below is a chart depicting the average nightly duration of REM sleep for all WHOOP members. The combined average is 105 minutes per night. The middle 50% (25th-75th percentile) of people average between 87 and 124 minutes of REM each night.

What does too much REM sleep mean? Too little?

If you build up too much sleep debt, you become sleep deprived, which can negatively impact your normal sleep stages and overall recovery. "A great sign that you likely did not get enough sleep last night is that you are getting REM sleep too early in the night [tonight]." - Podcast 55: How sleep stages affect performance, recovery, and daily cognition

Sleep disorders or anything that disrupts your sleep will generally negatively impact your REM sleep patterns as well. Consuming alcohol before going to bed is particularly bad for REM. WHOOP insights indicate that alcohol consumption before bed negatively impacts your sleep and recovery.

How to get more REM sleep

If you are consistently falling short on REM sleep, adjusting your daily behaviors can make a significant difference. First, prioritize sleep consistency by going to bed and waking up at the same times each day. This helps regulate your circadian rhythm and ensures your body has enough time to complete its natural sleep cycles.

Second, limit alcohol consumption before bed. Alcohol acts as a sedative and disproportionately suppresses REM sleep, especially during the first half of the night. Finally, manage your daily stress and strain, as high cortisol levels can disrupt sleep architecture.

Monitor your REM sleep with WHOOP

WHOOP measures your sleep in detail each night, providing exact durations for each stage of sleep, including REM. The WHOOP app features a Sleep Planner that recommends daily bed and wake times based on your personal circadian rhythm. This helps maximize your sleep efficiency and ensures you allocate enough time in bed to get the REM sleep you need.

Frequently asked questions about REM sleep

Which is better, REM or deep sleep?

Neither stage is inherently better than the other; they serve different, complementary purposes. Deep sleep is primarily responsible for physical restoration, muscle repair, and immune system support. REM sleep focuses on cognitive functions like memory consolidation and emotional regulation.

Is 40 minutes of REM sleep good?

For most adults, 40 minutes of REM sleep is below the recommended average. Healthy adults typically need about 90 minutes, or 20 to 25 percent of their total sleep time, to support optimal cognitive function. Consistently getting only 40 minutes may indicate sleep deprivation or disruptions in your sleep environment.

How much REM sleep is normal by age?

The amount of REM sleep you need changes as you age. Newborns spend up to 50 percent of their sleep time in REM. By adulthood, this normalizes to about 20 to 25 percent of total sleep time.