I recently learned that delayed REM can be caused by taking anti-depressants. I'm on two of them plus another one for anxiety. When I wasn't taking them I was usually hitting REM immediately.

I recently got a new Galaxy Watch5. I think the sensors are pretty good. Not only does it record my sleep in great detail (and auto starts), it monitors my O2 level, my skin temp, my heart rate, and records if & when I'm snoring. It recently let me know my deep sleep period was down to 5 - 10 mins (normal is 1.5-2 hrs. I adjusted my bed time & lowered the temp of the room. Last night I got 58 minutes of deep sleep & feel much better. Hacking your sleep cycles is a great tool. I usually crash hard for my first sleep cycle and don't get into rem until my 2nd or 3rd sleep cycle. I'm still way below normal on REM sleep so I try to make up for it on weekends by adding an extra sleep cycle. That helps. I don't know why my deep sleep dropped so dramatically (probably stress), but knowing about it help me make adjustments. Knowledge is power. Smart watches can help.

In narcolepsy, REM sleep is irregular and often begins within minutes after falling asleep, which is much earlier than normal.

Thanks all. I wasn't sure if delayed REM was an indicator of narcolepsy or not but seems that it is.

Abnormal REM timing is common with narcolepsy. I can enter REM within minutes of falling asleep.