Quick answer: To get better REM sleep, protect the second half of your night. Keep a fixed wake time, sleep 7 to 9 hours, avoid alcohol and late caffeine, and keep your bedroom dark, cool, and quiet. You cannot force more REM sleep directly, but steady habits give your brain the full night it needs to reach it.
If you wear a sleep tracker, you have probably stared at a REM sleep number and wondered what to do with it. That is normal — REM sleep is not something you can switch on with a single trick.
This is the practical companion to our explainer on REM sleep and muscle recovery, which covers what REM sleep does — this one covers what you can do about it.
What is REM sleep and why does it matter?
REM stands for rapid eye movement. It is one of the four stages of sleep, and the stage when most vivid dreaming happens. During it your brain is active — close to waking levels — while your body stays still and relaxed, your breathing quickens, and your eyes move rapidly behind closed eyelids.
Sleep moves through cycles of light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep, repeated several times a night. According to the National Institutes of Health, you first enter REM sleep about 90 minutes after falling asleep, and REM periods get longer as the night goes on. Most REM sleep therefore happens in the second half of the night.
REM sleep is thought to help with memory, learning, and mood. Deep sleep matters too, especially for physical recovery — a healthy night needs all the stages, in balance.
How much REM sleep do you need?
There is no official daily target for REM sleep minutes. In healthy adults, REM sleep makes up about 20 to 25 percent of total sleep — roughly 90 minutes to 2 hours on a 7 to 9 hour night.
The more useful target is total sleep. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends 7 or more hours a night for adults aged 18 to 60, 7 to 9 hours for ages 61 to 64, and 7 to 8 hours for ages 65 and older. Sleeping 6 hours instead of 8 removes a larger share of REM sleep than one hour, because the longest REM periods come last.
Sleep stages at a glance
| Stage | What happens | Share of a typical adult night | When it dominates |
|---|---|---|---|
| N1 (light sleep) | Drifting off; easily woken | About 5% | Night start; between cycles |
| N2 (light sleep) | Heart rate falls; body settles | About 45–55% | Throughout the night |
| N3 (deep sleep) | Deepest sleep; tissue growth and repair | About 13–25% | First half of the night |
| REM sleep | Vivid dreaming; brain active; body still | About 20–25% | Second half of the night |
What habits improve REM sleep?
You cannot choose your REM sleep like a workout, but you can build the conditions for full, undisturbed sleep. These habits work best together.
Keep a fixed wake time
Go to bed and get up at about the same time every day, including weekends. A steady wake time anchors your body clock, helping you fall asleep more easily and move through complete sleep cycles. Pick a wake time you can keep seven days a week, then count back 7 to 9 hours to find your bedtime.
Get enough total sleep
Because REM sleep is weighted toward the morning hours, a short night hits it hardest: an alarm 6 hours after bedtime can cut off the longest REM period of the night. Aim for 7 to 9 hours in bed. For more on building a steady routine, see our guide to restful sleep habits.
Get daylight and move during the day
Morning daylight and regular daytime activity help set your body clock. Get outside within an hour or two of waking, even on a cloudy day, and aim for regular exercise — a daily walk or home workout is enough. If you want to understand how sleep supports training, read our guide on sleep and recovery.
Wind down before bed
A short wind-down of 30 to 60 minutes beats a long, complicated routine. Dim the lights, put your phone away, and do something calm: read, stretch lightly, or take a warm shower. The CDC advises turning off electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
Keep your bedroom dark, cool, and quiet
Keep it dark with curtains or an eye mask, cool, and quiet — earplugs or a fan can help with outside noise. Use your bed mainly for sleep: if you work or scroll in bed, your brain starts to link the bed with being awake.
What hurts REM sleep?
Alcohol is the biggest one. A drink may make you feel drowsy, but alcohol disrupts sleep later in the night and reduces REM sleep. The CDC advises avoiding alcohol before bedtime.
Late caffeine is another common problem. It can stay in your system for hours, so an afternoon coffee can delay sleep and lighten it. The CDC advises avoiding caffeine in the afternoon or evening, so keep caffeine to the morning and early afternoon. Large, heavy meals close to bedtime can also disturb sleep, as can a long or late nap.
Your bedtime checklist for better REM sleep
Use this checklist each evening — aim for most items, most nights.
- ☐ Wake time set; bedtime counted back 7 to 9 hours
- ☐ Last caffeine finished by early afternoon
- ☐ No alcohol in the evening
- ☐ Screens off or dimmed at least 30 minutes before bed
- ☐ Bedroom dark, cool, and quiet
- ☐ Short wind-down: dim lights, read or stretch
- ☐ Phone charging away from the bed
- ☐ In bed on time, even if not sleepy yet
Missed a night? Do not sleep in for hours the next morning — keep your usual wake time. For more, see our guide to catching up on sleep.
How long does it take to improve REM sleep?
Most people notice a difference within a week or two of steadier hours — usually feeling clearer and less groggy during the day, rather than in a tracker number. Trackers estimate sleep stages from movement and heart rate, and their REM estimates can be off by a wide margin. A simple sleep diary — bedtime, wake time, how rested you felt — works better.
When should you talk to a healthcare professional?
Better habits help many people, but they do not treat a sleep problem. Talk to a healthcare professional if you regularly struggle to fall or stay asleep, wake up unrefreshed, snore loudly or gasp during sleep, or feel very sleepy during the day. Do not start sleep supplements or medicines to chase more REM sleep without professional advice.
Frequently asked questions
Keep a fixed wake time, sleep 7 to 9 hours, avoid alcohol and late caffeine, get daylight and exercise, and wind down before bed — these protect the second half of the night, where most REM sleep happens.
Healthy adults typically spend 20 to 25 percent of total sleep in REM sleep — roughly 90 minutes to 2 hours on a 7 to 9 hour night. There is no official minute target; aim for 7 or more hours of total sleep.
Yes. Alcohol may make you feel drowsy at first, but it disrupts sleep later in the night and reduces REM sleep, so a night of drinking often ends with waking up tired.
REM sleep gets longer as the night goes on: the first period starts about 90 minutes after you fall asleep and lasts only a few minutes, while later ones can last up to an hour. Cutting your night short in the morning costs more REM sleep than going to bed a little late.
A short nap earlier in the day is fine for most people, but a long or late nap can make it harder to fall asleep at night and reduce REM sleep. If you nap, keep it to 20 to 30 minutes and finish well before evening.
Use it as a rough guide, not an exact measure — trackers estimate sleep stages from movement and heart rate, so their REM figures can differ widely from lab measurements. Judge mainly by how rested you feel.
Written by the Fitness Daily Guide editorial team. This article shares general information about sleep habits for beginners. It is not medical advice and is not a substitute for professional care. If you have persistent sleep problems, talk to a healthcare professional. See our Disclaimer page for more information.
Sources: National Institutes of Health (NICHD), “What happens during sleep?” — https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/sleep/conditioninfo/Pages/what-happens.aspx ; National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, “Brain Basics: Understanding Sleep” — https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/public-education/brain-basics/brain-basics-understanding-sleep ; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “About Sleep” — https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/how_much_sleep.html