Overview
Named for an effect it has struggled to reproduce. Fifty years after its discovery, the sleep evidence remains inconsistent and the compound has never progressed toward approval anywhere.
Not approved for human use anywhereNo approval anywhere for human use. Sold under research-use labelling. Not approved for human use.
| Regulatory status | Not approved. Studied sporadically since the 1970s without producing a consistent result. |
|---|---|
| Drug class | Nonapeptide isolated from rabbit cerebral venous blood during induced sleep |
| Route | Subcutaneous or intravenous (research) |
| Half-life | Minutes — very rapidly degraded |
| Evidence rating |
1/5 Minimal
Evidence rating 1 out of 5: Minimal
Animal or laboratory data only. No human efficacy evidence. |
| Studied in | Small human studies in insomnia, chronic pain and opioid withdrawal from the 1970s–1990s, with inconsistent results; sporadic subsequent work. |
How it works
Not well established. Proposed effects on delta-wave sleep, modulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity, and interactions with opioid and GABAergic systems. No settled receptor target has been identified.
Evidence base
Rated 1 of 5 — Minimal. Animal or laboratory data only. No human efficacy evidence.
- A long research history that never converged on a reproducible effect.
Benefits & potential uses
Bars indicate how well each claim is supported: three = strong human evidence, two = moderate, one = preliminary or preclinical.
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Some sleep-onset improvement reported Preliminary
A minority of small studies reported reduced sleep latency and improved subjective sleep quality.
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Possible stress-axis modulation Preliminary
Some studies reported normalisation of cortisol patterns.
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Opioid withdrawal signals Preliminary
Small older studies suggested reduced withdrawal symptoms.
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Low reported toxicity Preliminary
No significant toxicity signals in the limited studies performed.
Risks, cons & cautions
Bars indicate seriousness: three = serious or common, two = moderate, one = minor.
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Inconsistent and largely negative evidence Serious
Fifty years of intermittent research has not established a reproducible sleep effect.
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Extremely short half-life Moderate evidence
Rapid degradation makes sustained effect from peripheral administration implausible.
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No defined mechanism Moderate evidence
Without a known receptor target, dosing and safety cannot be reasoned about.
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Unregulated supply Serious
Research-chemical market.
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Delays proper insomnia treatment Moderate evidence
CBT-I and validated pharmacotherapy have strong evidence; substituting an unvalidated peptide is a real opportunity cost.
Who should avoid it
- Use in place of evidence-based insomnia treatment
- Pregnancy
If used under medical supervision, monitor
- Sleep diary or actigraphy if used
- Screening for treatable sleep disorders such as apnea
Regulatory & legal status
Not approved for human use.
Infographic
Where to read further
We link to live literature searches rather than a frozen citation list, so you always see current results — including anything published after our last review.
- PubMed — all published literature on DSIP
- PubMed — randomized controlled trials only
- ClinicalTrials.gov — registered human trials
Related peptides in Bone, Muscle & Other
Terms used on this page
- Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis
- The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis is the CRH to ACTH to cortisol cascade that sets the daily glucocorticoid rhythm and mounts the endocrine response to physiological stress.
- Reproducibility and Replication
- Reproducibility is obtaining the same result from the same data and analysis, while replication is obtaining a consistent result from new data, and only the second shows the finding is real.
- Cortisol
- Cortisol is the principal human glucocorticoid, secreted by the adrenal cortex under ACTH control on a pronounced daily rhythm and carried in plasma largely bound to corticosteroid-binding globulin.
This page is educational information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your medical history, medications, or risk factors. Do not start, stop or change any treatment based on it. Speak to a qualified healthcare professional who knows your case.