Cognitive & neuro

DSIP

Delta sleep-inducing peptide, a naturally occurring peptide studied in the 1980s for sleep and stress. Research largely stalled and human evidence is weak.

Anecdotal evidenceNot approvedAdd to compare

What it is

DSIP (delta sleep-inducing peptide) is a nine-amino-acid peptide first isolated from rabbit brain in the 1970s after being found to induce slow-wave sleep in animals. It occurs naturally in human blood and cerebrospinal fluid. It was investigated as a sleep and pain therapy but never approved, and research interest faded after inconsistent results.

How it works

1
Originally named for its ability to increase delta-wave (slow-wave) sleep in animal experiments.
2
Reported to influence the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and reduce stress-hormone release in some studies.
3
May affect opioid and GABA-related signalling, based on animal pharmacology.
4
Its exact receptor and primary mechanism have never been clearly identified, which is a major limitation.

What it's studied for

Insomnia and sleep architecture

Chronic pain, including migraine and fibromyalgia (small trials)

Withdrawal and dependency states (small trials)

Stress-hormone response

Reported and studied effects

Some small trials reported improved sleep quality and increased slow-wave sleep
Results were inconsistent and often not reproduced
Reported analgesic effects in a few small studies
No modern, adequately powered trial has confirmed any of these

Research protocol notes

Research context only

Research context only — no approved protocol exists. Older studies used intravenous or intranasal microgram-to-milligram doses in small groups over days. These figures are historical research details, not guidance.

These figures are described so you can understand what researchers did. They are not a dose, a schedule, or a suggestion — and they are not a substitute for a doctor.

Possible side effects and contraindications

Safety profile

Possible side effects

Reported as generally well tolerated in old trials
Headache, nausea and dizziness reported occasionally
Long-term safety never assessed
Unverified product quality in unregulated supply

Contraindications and cautions

Not established
Pregnancy, breastfeeding and childhood
Driving or operating machinery after use, given its sedative hypothesis
Concurrent sedative medication should be discussed with a doctor

A side-effect list is never complete, and these are not the only situations that warrant caution. Anything unexpected, or anything you are unsure about, should be discussed with a doctor before use.

Evidence assessment

Anecdotal evidenceNo controlled human data

No controlled human data

The literature consists of small, old studies with inconsistent and largely unreplicated results, no clear mechanism, and no modern controlled trials.

References

References link to published literature, regulator pages or literature indexes. Where a link points to a search, it collects the peer-reviewed work on that molecule rather than a single study.

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