REM sleep is essential to our minds for processing and consolidating emotions, memories, and stress. It is also thought to be vital to learning, stimulating the brain regions used in learning and developing new skills.
Characteristics of REM sleep include:
Eyelid fluttering
Irregular breathing
Heart rate and blood pressure increase
Muscles are paralyzed so you cannot act out your dreams
Brain is very active
Typically occurs at the end of each sleep cycle
3-5 REM episodes per night
May last 10 minutes at the beginning of the night and increases to to 30 minutes at the end of the night
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