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Original poster

No REM sleep at all. Any tips to increase it?

23 replies

DonLewis · 04/08/2021 13:34

Me and DH have both got fitbits. DH has only recently got one (because he's convinced he does more steps than me in a day! Grin he doesn't.)

However, what we've noticed is that the quality of our sleep is so different.

I often get a sleep score of 90. We go to bed at the same time and get up at the same time (generally speaking). His sleep score is around the 50/60 mark.

When we look at the breakdown of sleep, it's remarkable that he gets virtually 0 REM. I yet between 1-2 and a half hours of REM each night. Sometimes his is 20 mins (the most he's had), but usually 0.

No wonder he's so knackered. So, what can you do, if anything, about it? I also wonder how accurate it all is....

OP posts:
ApolloandDaphne · 04/08/2021 13:38

How much deep sleep is he getting? I find the more REM sleep I get the more I dream and it leaves me tired. But if I get a lot of deep sleep and less REM sleep I feel more refreshed.

Original poster
DonLewis · 04/08/2021 13:43

I didn't look at the deep sleep scores, because I was so shocked by the REM scores! I think he sent me a screen shot of last night's scores. Let me check....

OP posts:
Anniissa · 04/08/2021 13:46

I’m not entirely sure how accurate the Fitbit sleep recording is. However, according to mine I get quite a lot of REM sleep (2-3 hrs on average) and still feel exhausted. I thought it was the deep sleep that is the key to feeling rested. My deep sleep score is always terrible - 20 mins on average. Obviously this is as measured by the Fitbit so accuracy is debatable.

Original poster
DonLewis · 04/08/2021 13:46

AHH, the screenshot has cut off the deep sleep, but what I can see is that it was 0% REM and 81% light, 10% awake, do that leaves 9% for deep sleep. Not a fat lot.

OP posts:
Cookerhood · 04/08/2021 13:46

I don't think they are considered terribly accurate. Mine often thinks I'm asleep when I'm lying awake, but because I'm still it thinks I'm asleep.

Original poster
DonLewis · 04/08/2021 13:48

His isn't actually a Fitbit. He's got a Samsung one (were having a WhatsApp chat!). Which I didn't realise. I might suggest swapping tonight and seeing what his records for me and vice versa.

I can imagine it's not terribly accurate, but 0 REM seems weird to me.

OP posts:
ApolloandDaphne · 04/08/2021 13:49

My Garmin thinks I am sleeping when I am awake too.

gamerchick · 04/08/2021 13:50

I would be alarmed at that. You need a decent amount of deep sleep to be rested.

Husband had a shit score before he got his CPAP. The sleep apnoea wouldn't let him sleep properly and he was at the risk of heart attacks/strokes.

Original poster
DonLewis · 04/08/2021 13:54

Yeah, I am alarmed. My dB has narcolepsy and severe obstructive sleep apnoea, so we're pretty well versed in sleep health, but I've never come across this. He doesn't do the snoring or gasping for breath my dbro does, so I'm pretty confident it's not apnoea.

OP posts:
Neondisco · 04/08/2021 13:57

I'm not sure any of these devices are massively accurate. Does he feel OK? Or is he always tired?

MyriadeOfThings · 04/08/2021 14:07

Dh garmin also says he has very poor sleep etc… and that he is sleeping when he knows well he was wide awake.

We’ve swapped our watches fur the night and when he is using the Fitbit, his results were much more normal

How accurate all of this is … is a different matter!

gamerchick · 04/08/2021 14:08

They aren't massively accurate but they're not totally shit either. That's an extreme result even for those things.

Definitely swap tonight and see what's what tomorrow. If it's the same results different machine then I would want to be referred to a sleep clinic to find out the score OP.

CMOTDibbler · 04/08/2021 14:11

DH (who does have OSA and uses CPAP) very, very rarely dreams and his Garmin shows hardly any REM sleep. I, otoh, dream a lot and my Garmin shows lots of light and REM sleep, but I get 30-40 minutes of deep sleep max a night

daisycottage · 04/08/2021 14:27

Mugwort might help to increase REM sleep and help you remember your dreams. You can collect it from the wild because there is tons of it. It's flowering at the moment, so a good time to gather.

FedNlanders · 04/08/2021 14:30

My garmin says I sleep bad...but I feel fine so I just take it off at night now!

Branleuse · 04/08/2021 14:35

Theyre not that accurate. Mine tells me ive slept when i wasnt sleeping.
I think if its picking up poor sleep every night and he is also feeling fatigued, then its worth looking into it further

Dizzywizz · 04/08/2021 14:39

As an aside, I was worried as mine had not much deep sleep (about 13%) but then I read that that is actually a normal amount

Gladioli23 · 04/08/2021 14:42

On nights where I don't feel rough I get about 18% deep sleep, 25% rem and 45 ish light. I feel rough if either deep goes down to 12% or REM down to 15% and they're both within the Fitbit "benchmark" ranges (low end).

GlamGiraffe · 04/08/2021 14:45

I simply do not see how a device fixed to your wrist can claim yo be able to measure electrical activity in your brain.
It is not possible to function properly with no REM sleep. REMslerp allows us to sort our thoughts and organise memories. Starvtion of REM has been used as a form of torture in some instances. The more deprived of REM sleep you are are over time, the more you will crave it, so if you miss it over one night it then your brain SHOULD try and drop into it quickly and for a prolonged period the next time you sleep.
Being aware of dreaming us no indication of having REM stage sleep either. The vast majority of this stage passes by un-noticed, we only know we have been dreaming if we are distubed during this phase and wake during the dream.
Whilst trying one i found a fitness tracker completely unable to accurately differentiate between resting wakefulness and sleep so i remain totally unconvinced by their ability to detect sleep stages, and the meaningfulness of these with no guide for interpretation makes their value even more questionable to me.

Original poster
DonLewis · 04/08/2021 15:24

@GlamGiraffe, I totally agree, we only got them for our step count, and we think that might be horribly inaccurate too. He's had his a few months now, but it's only in the last couple fo days we've compared sleep, and I'll be honest, I was really shocked to see his sleep analysis.

OP posts:
TheCrowFromBelow · 04/08/2021 15:45

Fitbit is not accurate at sleep, I got a sleep score of 81 a few nights ago- I was actually wide awake for 3 hours and it missed it because I was lying down not moving so my heart rate was low.
It does sound like you husband needs some decent sleep though.
It’s pretty good at steps, at least, it is more accurate than my phone.

SpeedRunParent · 04/08/2021 16:27

@DonLewis

Yeah, I am alarmed. My dB has narcolepsy and severe obstructive sleep apnoea, so we're pretty well versed in sleep health, but I've never come across this. He doesn't do the snoring or gasping for breath my dbro does, so I'm pretty confident it's not apnoea.
My husband uses CPAP - used to do all the snoring and gasping for breath. My 14 year old son has just had a sleep study ahead of a major op and it turns out he has severe Obstructive Sleep Apnoea too - he doesn't do big snoring or the gasping for breath but his study shows his brain is waking him an average of 11 times an hour and his SATS are dipping way lower than is healthy, he is getting absolutely no REM sleep at all.
JoshLymanIsHotterThanSam · 04/08/2021 16:32

I have sleep apnoea so I get very poor quality sleep. I only know this because of my Apple Watch.

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