Results show that REM sleep may increase reactivity to emotional stimuli in the short-term and this effect of REM sleep appears to facilitate emotional processing, but people have more negative emotions during REM sleep since REM sleep is associated with a massive reduction in forebrain centers including the amygdala which is usually responsible for processing negative emotions like stress and anxiety.

REM Sleep Research on Emotions.

REM sleep may be involved in emotional processing and emotional regulation.

Michigan State University

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All of Sleep is important for your body, but REM sleep particularly plays an important role in dreaming, memory, emotional processing, and healthy brain development.

Why is REM Sleep important?

Vandekerckhove, Marie, and Yu-Lin Wang. “Emotion, Emotion Regulation and Sleep: An Intimate Relationship.” AIMS Neuroscience, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 Dec. 2017, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7181893/#:~:text=During%20REM%2Dsleep%2C%20the%20diminished,we%20encounter%20during%20daily%20life. 

Emotion, emotion regulation and sleep: An intimate relationship


Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

A college student preparing for final exams has been sleeping only 5 hours per night for two consecutive weeks. They report feeling unusually irritable, struggling to recall complex information learned the previous day, and have not remembered having any dreams. Based on these symptoms, which specific phase of sleep is most likely being compromised? Explain how each of the student's reported experiences supports your conclusion.

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