Early Risers: Why Your Routine May Be Harming Your Mental Restoration
Waking up at 5 AM might be sabotaging the sleep phase your brain needs most for emotional regulation and creativity.
Hey, sorry, quick post recycled from an old one on my Instagram blog NotNowSchool. But just because it's short doesn't mean it's not valuable. Love you
What is REM Sleep
REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement. If you watch someone in this phase, you can see their eyes darting around beneath their eyelids. The body becomes temporarily paralyzed during this time — it's a protective mechanism so we don't physically act out our dreams.
REM sleep only accounts for 20-25% of total sleep time, but this is when mental restoration happens. Your brain actively synthesizes proteins to restore the cortex, processes emotions, and consolidates memories.
Why REM Sleep Matters
Two main functions: creativity and emotional regulation.
Creativity. During REM sleep, associations get shuffled around — old elements form new, unexpected combinations. Two pieces of information become something greater than the sum of their parts.
Anxiety protection. Quality REM sleep acts like self-therapy: it helps regulate emotions and protects against anxiety and depression.
Why You Might Not Be Getting Enough REM
We sleep in 90-minute cycles. The amount of REM in these cycles increases significantly between 3 AM and noon. If you're waking up at 5 AM, you're literally cutting off your REM sleep — the cycles richest in REM happen during those morning hours.
Lack of REM affects your mood and productivity. You can sleep enough hours but still wake up feeling wrecked because the quality restoration never happened.
Another culprit — vitamin D and B12 deficiency. Worth getting your levels checked, doing a course of supplements if needed, and retesting in three months.
How to Improve Your Sleep Quality
Light. Your circadian rhythm is regulated by light, so put away electronic devices well before bed and make sure your room is pitch black at night. Blackout curtains or a sleep mask — or both.
Temperature. 64-66°F is the optimal range for sleep.
Food and drinks. Eat heavy meals 4-6 hours before bed. Coffee — no later than lunch. Tea — no later than 4 PM. Stop drinking large amounts of fluids two hours before sleep.
Schedule. If possible, reconsider your wake-up time. Sometimes it means negotiating with your boss, moving closer to work, or changing jobs — but it's an investment in your health that pays off.
Healthy sleep improves memory, boosts creativity, and protects against anxiety. It helps you work more effectively and learn more efficiently. In the long run — it delays age-related diseases like Alzheimer's.
