Can someone please explain this to me?
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Can someone please explain this to me?
Your brain needs to spend a certain amount of time in the REM state.
If it is not allowed to do this (either from you not getting enough sleep, or from intentionally waking up before you enter REM through use of alarm clocks) then you brain will make up for lost REM sleep by greatly increasing it during the times you are asleep.
For example, you get about 20mins of REM after each sleep cycle, which happens about 4 times a night. Lets say you are stressed out and so you only get about 5-6hours sleep a night. Then your brain will be missing out on a couple of sleep cycles, and therefore it will miss out on some REM time.
After a few days you will get a 'REM Rebound', meaning that you could enter the REM state as soon as your head hits the pillow, or at the very least you will spend a good bit longer than 20minutes in REM when your brain is finally allowed to.
REM Rebound is normally regarded as a good thing by lucid dreamers. It gives them more dreamtime and therefore more time to become lucid.
Alright, thanks a lot!
I understand that Certain food and drink causes rem rebound, resulting in more vivid dreams.
From what I remember cheese and milk are two examples.
And apple juice.