REM sleep is the last stage of a human’s sleep cycle, occuring after three NREM stages (also called deep sleep/slow-wave sleep). It’s characterised by rapid eye movement (hence the name), muscular paralysis and dreaming.
| Sleep Stages | Types of Sleep | Other Names | Normal Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 | NREM | N1 | 1-5 minutes |
| Stage 2 | NREM | N2 | 10-60 minutes |
| Stage 3 | NREM | N3, Slow-Wave Sleep (SWS), Delta Sleep, Deep Sleep | 20-40 minutes |
| Stage 4 | REM | REM Sleep | 10-60 minutes |
Missing REM sleep does not make you go crazy, apparently. But if you haven’t dropped into REM for a while, your body will eventually just skip non-REM sleep and go straight to the real deal to even out the deprivation.