how much rem sleep is needed

Adults generally need REM sleep to make up about 20–25% of their total sleep, which works out to roughly 90–120 minutes of REM if you sleep 7–9 hours per night.

What REM sleep does

• REM sleep supports memory consolidation, learning, and emotional processing.

• Missing a lot of REM can be linked to poorer focus, mood issues, and reduced overall sleep quality.

How much REM by age

• Newborns: Around 50% of total sleep time is REM (about 8 hours of REM across a day).

• Teens: Need 8–10 hours of sleep, with 20–25% as REM.

• Adults: Need 7–9 hours, with 20–25% as REM (about 90–120 minutes).

• Older adults: Total REM percentage tends to decline gradually with age.

Signs you get enough REM

• You fall asleep within 15–30 minutes and wake feeling reasonably refreshed.

• You have fairly stable mood, memory, and daytime energy without heavy reliance on caffeine.

How to improve REM sleep

• Keep a consistent sleep schedule (same sleep and wake times daily).

• Limit alcohol and heavy late-night eating, which can suppress REM.

• Create a dark, cool, quiet bedroom and reduce screens before bed.

If you regularly sleep enough hours but still feel exhausted or suspect a sleep disorder (like sleep apnea or REM behavior disorder), a healthcare or sleep specialist should evaluate you.

TL;DR: For most healthy adults, “how much REM sleep is needed” = about one and a half to two hours each night, as part of a consistent 7–9 hours of total sleep.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.