7 Things Ruining Your REM Sleep

Do you still feel groggy after even a good night of sleep? Do you often feel mentally tired even when you are physically rested? You might not be getting enough REM sleep. REM sleep is vital to repairing the body and mind, so in this video I’ll walk through why REM sleep is so important and how to get more of it, including my all-time #1 tip on improving REM sleep.

First, let me explain what REM sleep is and why you need it. There are many ways sleep benefits your health. Sleep restores cellular damage, repairs tissues, fights infections, AND promotes brain function. But it doesn’t all happen at once. Your body tackles that important work in stages.

Now, in each sleep cycle – which are about 90 minutes long – there are four stages. The first three are considered non-REM sleep.

Now, the fourth stage, REM sleep, looks very different from the others. As you probably know, REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement. Brain activity during REM sleep is similar to what is seen when a person is awake. Like I said, very active. Because of its striking similarity to a waking, “thinking” brain, it is sometimes referred to as paradoxical sleep.

REM sleep helps in forming memories and acquiring knowledge. It’s likely that this is the stage when memories are organized and consolidated. This organization also happens with emotions. REM sleep allows the brain to process emotions AND plays a part in your overall mental health.

REM sleep also helps clear out the clutter of the waking day’s accumulated learning and information—a kind of refresh button for the mind.

0:00 Why you need REM sleep
0:30 What the heck is REM sleep?
2:00 Physical, mental, and emotional benefits of REM
3:00 How to know if you aren't getting enough REM sleep
3:30 Lifestyle hacks for more REM
6:00 Bedroom hacks for more REM
7:45 The most important tip for getting more REM sleep

https://sleepdoctor.com/books/sleep-d... ⬅️ I have a new book out! Are you overwhelmed by wellness? Sleep, Drink, Breathe offers you a back-to-basics approach to achieving your health goals! 📕

😴 Michael Breus, Ph.D., is a double board-certified clinical psychologist and sleep expert. He's been in practice since 1999 and helped thousands of patients improve their sleep. Dr. Breus has written five books on sleep and conducted over 1,000 interviews to the press and public.

#sleeproutine #sleeptips #remsleep