How many hours of REM sleep should one average?

The amount of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep one should aim for is not explicitly specified by Andrew Huberman in the available data, but he does discuss the structure of sleep cycles, stating that a typical night includes several cycles, with each cycle lasting about 90 minutes and comprising of various stages of sleep, including REM. A good night's sleep will typically include multiple REM periods, and a perfect night's sleep is considered to be around seven and a half to eight hours long, which would provide four to five REM periods 1.

For example, in one clip, it is mentioned that our first REM sleep period comes about 105 minutes after falling asleep and lasts around 10 to 15 minutes, indicating that we should have several REM periods per night. Thus, while the specific hours of REM sleep are not directly stated, the structure of sleep cycles implies that consistent and sufficient total sleep duration is key to achieving all necessary sleep stages, including REM 2.

For optimal health and performance, consistency in sleep duration is emphasized rather than just the total duration of sleep, and the implication is that this consistency will facilitate the appropriate amount of REM and other vital sleep stages 2.