DSIP
Nonapeptide that induces delta sleep (Delta Sleep-Inducing Peptide)
DSIP was isolated in 1977 from the venous blood of the brain, collected during delta-wave sleep (Schoenenberger and Monnier, PNAS).
It is a nonapeptide, nine amino acids, studied for delta-wave sleep and for the hormonal stress response (ACTH, cortisol), with no action on the GABA receptor targeted by sleeping pills.
In a placebo-controlled trial in chronic insomnia, overnight recordings measured better sleep efficiency, fewer awakenings and better daytime alertness (Schneider-Helmert, 1986).
- Half-life
- A few minutes in the blood; the effect on sleep architecture lasts through the night and consolidates with regular use.
- Route
- Subcutaneous injection, later in the day.
Technical sheet
- Family
- Nonapeptide that induces delta sleep (Delta Sleep-Inducing Peptide)
- Half-life
- A few minutes in the blood; the effect on sleep architecture lasts through the night and consolidates with regular use.
- Route
- Subcutaneous injection, later in the day.
- Time to effect
- Deeper nights from the first few doses for some; an underlying effect on stress after one to two weeks.
- Level of evidence
- Documented in humans
Chemical identity
- Chemical name
- Émideltide
- Form
- Synthetic peptide, values for the base form
- CAS No.
- 62568-57-4
Salt form: as stated on the lot's certificate of analysis.
Delta-wave sleep
Deep sleep is recognized by its slow waves, called delta waves. It's the phase during which growth hormone is released, the brain clears its waste, and memory consolidates. DSIP is studied for increasing the share of delta sleep and the continuity of the night.
No action on the GABA receptor
Unlike sleeping pills, DSIP doesn't act on the GABA receptor. It tempers the stress axis (ACTH, cortisol), influences serotonin and the body's own opioids, and may act on NMDA receptors: hence its study for stress, pain, and withdrawal as well.
The link with growth hormone
Because it increases deep sleep, DSIP indirectly promotes the day's largest pulse of growth hormone, the one early in the night. Hence its place in recovery protocols, alongside the peptides that stimulate growth hormone.
Effects and realistic timelines
Sleep continuity: fewer awakenings measured in chronic insomnia
First few nights to two weeks
Daytime alertness: better than placebo in a 1986 trial
One to two weeks
Stress response: it dampens the ACTH-cortisol axis
Two to three weeks
What you may feel
- Mild headaches or brief nausea for some users.
- Drowsiness if taken too early in the day.
- Reaction at the injection site.
Stop and consult if
- Marked daytime drowsiness that persists.
- A depressed mood that sets in.
When to abstain
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding.
- Untreated sleep apnea: the problem is mechanical, not a lack of depth.
- Ongoing psychiatric treatment without your prescriber's input.
- Minors.
The effects to watch for, and how to reduce them
This sheet is educational. It replaces neither a diagnosis nor follow-up: for any medical condition, pregnancy, breastfeeding or current medication, talk to a health professional.
- EpithalonEpithalon is studied for the body clock, DSIP for deep sleep.
- CJC-1295 + IpamorelinDeep sleep and the growth hormone pulse reinforce each other: DSIP sets the stage.
- SelankDSIP is studied for deep sleep, Selank for stress resilience through the GABA system: two separate pathways, brought together at the end of the day.
To avoid
- Sleeping pills, alcohol, or sedatives the same evening: the effects add up.
DSIP has been studied in humans since the 1980s, mainly for chronic insomnia, with improvements in sleep efficiency and awakenings, and also in contexts of stress and withdrawal.
The studies are older and modest in size, given by infusion; they described its tolerability, and its exact mode of action remains poorly understood.
No trial has looked at injection under the skin: waking up more rested is what users report.
1977 · Schoenenberger and Monnier, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Isolation and characterization of the peptide from cerebral venous blood during deep sleep
Identification of the nine-amino-acid sequence and demonstration of its delta-wave-inducing effect: the birth certificate of DSIP.
1986 · Schneider-Helmert, Neuropsychobiology
Patients with chronic insomnia, DSIP versus placebo, sleep recordings
Improved sleep efficiency, fewer awakenings, and better daytime alertness, with good tolerability.
1984 · Yehuda et al., International Journal of Neuroscience
Studies on stress and thermoregulation
DSIP dampens the stress response and stabilizes body temperature, which links the peptide to stress resilience.
Is it a sleeping pill?
No. A sleeping pill forces you to fall asleep by slowing the brain down; DSIP doesn't act on the GABA receptor and is studied for deep sleep.
Its human trials measured on overnight recordings better sleep efficiency, faster sleep onset and fewer awakenings, and one of them better daytime alertness. Waking up more rested is what users report.
No dependence has been described.
When should you take it?
Later in the day, to coincide with early night, when deep sleep is at its most abundant. The protocol provided with the product specifies the timing.
What if my problem is falling asleep?
DSIP mainly acts on depth and continuity. For falling asleep, the circadian rhythm (light, regular hours) and the habits covered in the Peptiva Centre's Sleep module are the first lever to pull.
Glossary (5)
- Delta waves
- Slow brain waves that characterize deep sleep, the most restorative phase.
- Sleep architecture
- The sequence of phases (light, deep, REM) over the course of the night.
- Stress axis (ACTH-cortisol)
- The hormonal chain that governs the stress response, from the brain to the adrenal glands.
- Sleep efficiency
- The share of time spent in bed actually asleep.
- NMDA receptors
- Glutamate receptors involved in neuron excitation and memory.