Your REM sleep plays a crucial role in consolidating our memory and regulating our emotions. You want to make optimal use of that. Read 10 tips here to improve your REM sleep.
“Sleep” is the means to get more energy, stay more emotionally stable and perform optimally. Do you want to get the most out of your sleep? Then follow my sleep course.
During REM sleep we process our experiences, feelings, memories from the past, desires in the present and wishes for the future.
Dreams are probably so strange because our brain tries to match all these things with each other to see what does and doesn’t work and which useful connections can be made.
It is a very important process that prepares us anew each night for our daily life and performance.
Another interesting aspect of REM sleep is the total paralysis of the muscles. Despite the high brain activity, comparable to when we are awake, we are completely immobile. This is a protection mechanism that prevents us from physically acting out our dreams.
Although REM sleep is not essential for life, it is extremely important for our daily functioning. See it as the dress rehearsal for our daily life.
Normally a person has 90-120 minutes of REM sleep, on average 25% of an 8-hour night. Too much REM sleep can make us feel very tired, so you simply want enough of it and not too much.
Read below 10 tips to get the most out of your REM sleep.
Improve your REM sleep | 10 tips
01
1. Don’t set an alarm
REM sleep increasingly comes later in the night as your sleep progresses. That is why it is important that you sleep through and don’t set the alarm too early.
02
2. Ensure a dark, quiet space
In a dark, quiet space you have no distracting stimuli.
03
3. Ensure a cool sleep environment
Your body needs to be able to cool down in order to go through a good (REM) sleep process.
04
4. Go to bed at the same time
Try to go to bed and get up at the same time every day. This lets your sleep process run optimally.
05
5. No more coffee after 2pm
Avoid caffeine in your blood during sleep, because this disturbs sleep. So no cup after dinner, but simply the last one before or just after lunch.
06
6. Avoid alcohol
Alcohol undoes your REM sleep. Prolonged excessive alcohol in the blood during sleep can lead to a REM rebound, periods of intense dreaming. This can be very exhausting and unpleasant.
07
7. Limit the use of electronic devices before sleeping
The stimuli from electronic devices can negatively affect your REM sleep.
08
8. Do things from your passion
Make sure you do lots of things during the day that align with your passion and your purpose in life.
09
9. Manage your stress level
Try to manage your stress and, if desired, use techniques such as yoga, meditation or deep breathing to relax.
10
10. Do relaxation exercises
Meditation, Yoga Nidra or a nap during the day can help you get into the Theta brainwave zone too and can make up part of your REM sleep if you missed it at night.
Finally
These tips can help you optimise your REM sleep, which can lead to improved physical, mental and emotional well-being.
Sleep well!
Read also 10 tips to sleep better when stressed and/or Improve your deep sleep, 7 tips