how long is a rem cycle
A typical REM cycle lasts about 10–60 minutes, getting longer as the night goes on, within an overall sleep cycle of roughly 90–110 minutes.
Quick Scoop: How long is a REM cycle?
- A full sleep cycle (light sleep, deep sleep, then REM) is usually about 90–110 minutes.
- REM sleep first appears about 90 minutes after you fall asleep.
- The first REM period is short, around 10 minutes.
- Each later REM period gets longer, and the final one can last up to about an hour in a typical night’s sleep.
- Over a full night (around 7–8 hours), you’ll usually cycle through REM 4–5 times.
Think of your night like a series of 90‑minute “loops”: you dip into deeper stages, then pop into REM for a short time at first; with each loop, REM tends to take up more of that time.
| Part of night | Typical REM length |
|---|---|
| First cycle | ~10 minutes of REM | [7][9][3]
| Middle cycles | Roughly 15–30 minutes of REM | [9][3][7]
| Last cycle (early morning) | Up to ~60 minutes of REM | [3][7][9]
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.