Thread: Question About REM

ok, well i was wandering

if i went to sleep and woke up 4-5 hours later
then stayed up for like 9 hours and went back to sleep
would i go directly to REM?

No. What you're describing is basically the equivalent of sleeping 7-8 (or whatever you consider a normal duration) hours and having a normal day. If you stay up 9 hours, or even more than one or less, you basically break the cycle. As far as know, you can only really re-enter REM if you stay awake a short while after waking up in the middle of an REM period, and fall back asleep. If I'm not mistakenm this is basically why WILD works well. You're staying conscious while going into REM, where you have the most vivid dreams. But if you stay up too long or get very awake, it's over.

EDIT: Except if you're talking about naps, where you usually go into REM easier/quicker.

Yup ^ That's pretty much it.

Im not sure thats correct, or else why would you go into REM quicker during a nap, your body doesnt exaclty have a big nap sensor.

It has to do with how long you have previously been asleep and for how long you have been awake your body compensates. If you have been awake for a long amount of time the higher the chance of your sleep period being REM. If you have been awake for a while and then go to sleep I.E. a nap it's pretty much going to be REM sleep. If you have been awake for a normal amount of time and then go to sleep it's going to be normal sleep. Etc.