DSIP

Category	Other Peptides
Goals	Sleep
Evidence level	Preclinical (old, small, conflicting human studies; mostly animal/early data)
Legal status	Research-only — not approved for human use
FDA status	Not FDA-approved; on PCAC 503A agenda Jul 24, 2026 (as Emideltide/DSIP; uses: opioid withdrawal, insomnia, narcolepsy)
Half-life	Very short (~minutes; rapid enzymatic breakdown)
Routes	Subcutaneous · Intravenous
CAS / MW / Sequence	62568-57-4 · ~848.8 g/mol · WAGGDASGE (9 aa)
Last reviewed	2026-06-07

In one line

A naturally occurring 9-amino-acid peptide first isolated from rabbit brain in 1977 and named for its association with delta-wave (deep) sleep, but with limited and conflicting human evidence.

Evidence at a glance

Despite the evocative name, DSIP’s sleep effects in humans are weak and inconsistent. The few human studies are small and decades old; results on sleep EEG were minor. It is not an approved drug anywhere and is sold only as a research chemical. Treat sleep claims with skepticism. See Evidence Grading Explained and the Disclaimer.

Key Takeaways

• A naturally occurring nonapeptide (sequence WAGGDASGE) first isolated in 1977 from the cerebral venous blood of sleeping rabbits.
• Named for inducing delta-wave sleep in early animal work, but it acts more as a modulator than a sedative.
• Human evidence is limited, old, and conflicting — modest effects on sleep duration in some small studies, minimal EEG change in others.
• Very short half-life (rapidly degraded by peptidases), which complicates dosing and interpretation.
• Not FDA-approved; sold only as a research chemical — among the weaker-evidenced peptides marketed for Sleep.

What Is It

DSIP (“delta sleep-inducing peptide”) is a small 9-amino-acid neuropeptide first isolated in 1977 by Schoenenberger and Monnier from the blood of rabbits induced into sleep by thalamic stimulation. It occurs naturally in the brain and other tissues and has been studied as a putative endogenous sleep-regulating factor. Despite extensive early interest, its precise physiological role, receptor, and even its status as a true “sleep peptide” remain uncertain.

Mechanism of Action

DSIP’s mechanism is not well established; proposals are largely theorized from animal and in-vitro work:

• Sleep modulation (preclinical) — promotes delta-wave (slow-wave) sleep in some animal models; described as a modulator with stronger effects when sleep is disturbed and minimal effect in healthy subjects.
• Stress / neuroendocrine effects (preclinical) — reported influence on stress hormones, ACTH, and possibly thermoregulation.
• Antioxidant / neuroprotective signaling (preclinical) — proposed but not established.
• No defined receptor — no specific DSIP receptor has been conclusively identified, which is a major gap in the mechanism.

Limitations

Much of the foundational work is decades old and was difficult to replicate consistently. Whether circulating DSIP causes sleep, or merely correlates with it, has never been firmly resolved.

Evidence by Outcome

Outcome	Evidence	Notes
Slow-wave (delta) sleep induction	Preclinical	Original animal finding; basis for the name
Improved sleep in insomnia (humans)	Preclinical / mixed	Small 1980s IV studies showed modest benefit; conflicting overall
Sleep EEG changes (humans)	Preclinical / weak	Effects on EEG patterns reported as minor
Stress / pain / withdrawal modulation	Preclinical	Early animal/clinical reports; not established
General “sleep aid” use	Anecdotal	Popular online claims; not supported by robust data

Reported Dosing

Not medical advice

Protocols as reported in community sources and old research literature. There is no established human therapeutic dose and no approved product. See Reconstitution & Dosing Math.

Route	Dose (reported)	Frequency	Cycle
Subcutaneous	~100–500 µg	Once at night	Variable / short-term
Intravenous (historical studies)	~25 nmol/kg	Single infusion	Research setting only

Pharmacokinetics

DSIP has a very short half-life — on the order of minutes — because it is rapidly broken down by aminopeptidase-like enzymes in plasma and tissue. This poor metabolic stability is one reason its effects are hard to reproduce and why early human studies often used intravenous infusion. Human PK is not well characterized. See Half-Life & Pharmacokinetics.

Side Effects & Risks

• Human safety data is sparse and mostly limited to short-term study settings — the central risk is the absence of data, not proven safety.
• Reported in some human studies: transient headache, nausea, and vertigo; otherwise few acute effects noted.
• No long-term safety studies exist.
• Sourcing risk: sold as an unregulated research chemical, so identity and purity vary widely — see Sourcing and Red Flags & Scams.
• See Side Effects & Risk Management.

Cycling

There is no evidence-based cycling protocol. Anecdotal use is intermittent and short-term (e.g., on nights of poor sleep). See Cycling.

Stacks It Appears In

• Sometimes combined anecdotally with other sleep- or recovery-oriented peptides for Sleep goals.
• No standardized, evidence-based stack exists; combining poorly characterized peptides increases uncertainty.

Comparisons

• DSIP is often discussed as a “sleep peptide,” but unlike Thymosin Alpha-1 (a clinically validated, approved immune peptide), DSIP remains a research-tier compound with weak human evidence.

Sourcing & Quality

Sold almost exclusively as a lyophilized “research chemical,” so identity and purity are not guaranteed. Evaluate quality before trusting a product: How to Read a CoA, HPLC vs Mass Spec, Third-Party Testing, Red Flags & Scams. Reconstitution and storage: Reconstitution & Dosing Math, Storage & Handling. No vendors are endorsed here.

Legal & Regulatory Status

(As of 2026-06-07.) DSIP is not approved as a drug by the FDA or, to public knowledge, any major regulator. It is sold and handled as a research-only chemical with no recognized therapeutic status. However, DSIP — under the name Emideltide (free base / acetate) — is on the agenda of the FDA’s Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee (PCAC) meeting on July 24, 2026, being considered for inclusion on the 503A Bulks List; the uses FDA evaluated are opioid withdrawal, chronic insomnia, and narcolepsy (public docket FDA-2025-N-6895). Inclusion would only determine eligibility for traditional (503A) pharmacy compounding — it is not drug approval. It is not a controlled substance in most jurisdictions, but marketing it for human use is not permitted, and status may vary by country and in tested sport. See Regulatory & Legal Status.

FAQ

Is DSIP FDA-approved? No. It is not approved for human use and has no recognized therapeutic status.

Does DSIP actually improve sleep? The evidence is weak and conflicting. A few small, decades-old human studies showed modest benefit (longer sleep time) via IV infusion; effects on sleep EEG were minor and results have not been robustly replicated.

Why is its half-life relevant? DSIP is degraded within minutes by enzymes, so dosing and consistent effects are difficult — a key reason its clinical promise never materialized.

How is it usually taken? Anecdotally by subcutaneous injection at night; historical studies used intravenous infusion.

References

1. Schoenenberger G.A., Monnier M. (1977). Isolation and characterization of the delta-sleep-inducing peptide. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
2. Graf M.V., Kastin A.J. (1984). “Delta-sleep-inducing peptide (DSIP): a review.” Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews (PubMed PMID 6145137).
3. Schneider-Helmert D., Schoenenberger G.A. (1981). “The influence of synthetic DSIP on disturbed human sleep.” Experientia (PubMed PMID 7028502).
4. Delta-sleep-inducing peptide — overview entries, ScienceDirect and Wikipedia (background and chemistry).
5. U.S. FDA (2026). “July 23–24, 2026: Meeting of the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee” — Emideltide/DSIP (free base/acetate), uses evaluated: opioid withdrawal, chronic insomnia, narcolepsy; Docket FDA-2025-N-6895. fda.gov

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