Claimed effect · DSIP (delta sleep-inducing peptide)

Does DSIP (delta sleep-inducing peptide) help with sleep in chronic insomnia?

C
Grade C — weak human evidence1 double-blind RCT (n=16) + small studies · effect size: not measurable
Short answerWeak human evidence. 1 double-blind RCT (n=16) + small studies: enough to be interesting, not enough to count on. Where an effect is seen it is no measurable effect, or none yet shown. Intravenous DSIP improved measured sleep efficiency and latency against placebo, but the authors judged the effects weak and partly attributable to a change in the placebo group, with no improvement in how patients rated their own sleep.

What the studies show

Intravenous DSIP improved measured sleep efficiency and latency against placebo, but the authors judged the effects weak and partly attributable to a change in the placebo group, with no improvement in how patients rated their own sleep.

“Data analysis suggested, however, that the statistically significant effects were weak and in part could be due to an incidental change in the placebo group. As none of the other measures, including subjective sleep quality, showed any change, it was concluded that short-term treatment of chronic insomnia with DSIP is not likely to be of major therapeutic benefit.”

Verbatim, from the abstractBes F, et al. Effects of delta sleep-inducing peptide on sleep of chronic insomniac patients: a double-blind study. Neuropsychobiology, 1992;26:193–197

A few small or poorly-controlled human studies. Enough to be interesting; not enough to count on. Most of what gets called “clinically proven” online lives here.

  1. 1

In context

DSIP is a nine-amino-acid peptide isolated from rabbit brain in the 1970s and named for the sleep pattern it appeared to induce. Unusually for a grey-market sleep peptide, it was tested in people: several small studies in chronic insomnia through the 1980s and 90s. The best-controlled of them found effects that were weak, possibly artefactual, and concluded it was unlikely to be of major therapeutic benefit. Development stopped.

DSIP (delta sleep-inducing peptide) is not approved. Legal status differs by country — see the regulation section or the jurisdiction pages.

Questions

Is DSIP (delta sleep-inducing peptide) proven to help with sleep in chronic insomnia?
No. The human evidence is weak (1 double-blind RCT (n=16) + small studies); LYO grades it C.
What studies are behind the grade?
Intravenous DSIP improved measured sleep efficiency and latency against placebo, but the authors judged the effects weak and partly attributable to a change in the placebo group, with no improvement in how patients rated their own sleep.
Is DSIP (delta sleep-inducing peptide) approved for this?
No. DSIP (delta sleep-inducing peptide) is not approved; it is not an approved medicine for any indication in the jurisdictions LYO covers.

Other outcomes for DSIP (delta sleep-inducing peptide)

Written and maintained by LYO Research — how pages are written and checked. Reviewed 3 September 2026. Grades count human evidence only; see how LYO grades. Not medical advice. Correct this page →