The role of rapid eye movement sleep for amygdala-related memory processing

•REM sleep has been associated with a range of memory processes.•The evidence suggests that general and procedural memory consolidation are rather not associated with REM sleep.•Evidence on a specific role for REM sleep in brain maturation, creativity and consciousness is equivocal.•Behavioral and neurophysiologreical evidence supports a role of REM sleep for amygdala-related memory processing.•REM sleep may be relevant for amygdala–hippocampus–medial prefrontal cortex network interactions related to memory. Over the years, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep has been associated with general memory consolidation, specific consolidation of perceptual, procedural, emotional and fear memories, brain maturation and preparation of waking consciousness. More recently, some of these associations (e.g., general and procedural memory consolidation) have been shown to be unlikely, while others (e.g., brain maturation and consciousness) remain inconclusive. In this review, we argue that both behavioral and neurophysiological evidence supports a role of REM sleep for amygdala-related memory processing: the amygdala–hippocampus–medial prefrontal cortex network involved in emotional processing, fear memory and valence consolidation shows strongest activity during REM sleep, in contrast to the hippocampus–medial prefrontal cortex only network which is more active during non-REM sleep. However, more research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms.