What it is
DSIP (Delta Sleep-Inducing Peptide) is a naturally occurring nonapeptide, a peptide made of nine amino acids. It is studied for promoting delta-wave (deep) sleep, stress modulation and pain-threshold effects.
In the PeptidesAI encyclopedia it is categorized under cognitive.
How it's thought to work
DSIP is described as crossing the blood-brain barrier and influencing the neuroendocrine and neurotransmitter systems associated with sleep architecture and stress adaptation. Its precise receptor targets remain incompletely defined. A 1989 study in perfused guinea pig brain found a saturable uptake mechanism for DSIP at the blood-brain barrier.
What the research says
The older research literature explores sleep and stress effects, and the findings are mixed. A double-blind study in 16 people with chronic insomnia found higher sleep efficiency and shorter sleep latency with DSIP than with placebo, but the authors judged the effects weak and concluded short-term treatment was not likely to be of major therapeutic benefit. Human data is limited, and DSIP is not FDA-approved.
Reported side effects
Occasional grogginess and headache are described, and long-term human safety data is limited.
Reconstitution
DSIP is supplied as a lyophilized (freeze-dried) powder and is typically reconstituted with bacteriostatic (BAC) water before use. It commonly comes in 5 mg vials. The amount of peptide in the vial is fixed; the water added only changes how concentrated the solution is.
Worked example. A 5 mg vial is 5,000 mcg. Reconstituted with 1 mL of BAC water, that works out to 5,000 mcg ÷ 1 mL = 5,000 mcg/mL. On a U-100 insulin syringe, where each unit is 0.01 mL, each unit holds 5,000 × 0.01 = 50 mcg. A 5 mg vial with 2 mL comes out at 2,500 mcg/mL instead, or 25 mcg per unit. Use the peptide reconstitution calculator to work out the concentration and units for any vial size and water volume.
Important notes
DSIP is sold only as a research chemical and is not FDA-approved.
Sources
- Effects of delta sleep-inducing peptide on sleep of chronic insomniac patients. A double-blind study.. Bes F et al. Neuropsychobiology, 1992. Human trial
- Delta-sleep-inducing peptide (DSIP): an update.. Graf MV et al. Peptides, 1986. Review
- Saturable mechanism for delta sleep-inducing peptide (DSIP) at the blood-brain barrier of the vascularly perfused guinea pig brain.. Zlokovic BV et al. Peptides, 1989. Preclinical
Frequently asked questions
These questions cover the same ground as the sections above, in a shorter format.
What is DSIP?
Delta sleep-inducing peptide, a naturally occurring nonapeptide studied for deep sleep, stress modulation and pain-threshold effects.
How is DSIP thought to work?
It is described as crossing the blood-brain barrier and influencing neuroendocrine and neurotransmitter systems tied to sleep and stress, though its receptor targets are not well defined.
What does the research on DSIP say?
Older research findings are mixed and human data is limited; a small double-blind insomnia study found weak effects.
What are the reported side effects of DSIP?
Occasional grogginess and headache; long-term human safety data is limited.
How much is one unit from a 5 mg DSIP vial?
With 1 mL of BAC water, a 5 mg vial is 5,000 mcg/mL, so one unit on a U-100 syringe (0.01 mL) holds 50 mcg.
The full entry, plus the calculator
The PeptidesAI app has the complete encyclopedia entry for DSIP — one of 70 compounds covered — plus the reconstitution calculator, a dose log and reminders. Free to download on iPhone.
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