
Deep sleep is part of your sleep cycles during the night, but when we think of the mechanics of sleep, three letters often come to mind: REM. A staple of 1980s rock music (be honest, we all loved “Losing My Religion”) as well as an oft-quoted sleep standard, REM (or rapid eye movement) sleep has gained a reputation as the highly coveted and difficult to achieve period of sleep that recharges your batteries, stores your memories, and houses your dreams. It’s rare to read an article, how-to, or scientific study that doesn’t mention the many benefits of REM sleep.
But contrary to just about anything you read on sleep science, REM sleep isn’t the be-all and end-all of what happens during