Peptides & growth hormone

DSIP (Delta Sleep-Inducing Peptide)

Updated · 22 sources · Editorial policy

Delta sleep-inducing peptide (DSIP) is a nine-amino-acid peptide that Swiss researchers isolated from rabbits in 1977. They named it for its ability to increase slow-wave (“delta”) activity on the EEG (electroencephalogram, a recording of the brain’s electrical activity) when infused into the brain of rabbits. Its international nonproprietary name is emideltide.

In the late 1970s and 1980s, synthetic DSIP was tested intravenously in small human studies of insomnia, drug and alcohol withdrawal, and chronic pain. The most important fact is that the evidence never matured: the positive studies were small and mostly uncontrolled or run by the discovering group, independent double-blind trials found little or no benefit, and no regulator has approved DSIP as a medicine. Its natural role is still unresolved, because no gene, precursor protein or receptor for it has been identified.

This page summarizes what the published studies and regulators report. It is for education only and is not medical advice.

Property Detail
Class Synthetic nonapeptide (9 amino acids); proposed neuropeptide
Other names Emideltide (INN); DSIP
Sequence Trp-Ala-Gly-Gly-Asp-Ala-Ser-Gly-Glu
Formula / molecular weight C₃₅H₄₈N₁₀O₁₅; 848.8 g/mol
Route in human studies Slow intravenous injection or infusion
Doses in human studies 25–30 nmol/kg IV per dose; 3–4 mg total IV infusion in an endocrine study
Half-life About 2–4 minutes in plasma of dogs, a monkey and rats; no human pharmacokinetic study found
Mechanism Unknown; no receptor or gene identified
US status Not FDA-approved; no approved product
WADA Not named; non-approved substances fall under S0 (prohibited at all times)

What it is

DSIP was isolated by Guido Schoenenberger and Marcel Monnier’s group. They collected blood from rabbits kept asleep by electrical stimulation of the thalamus, and from 1970 to 1977 isolated, sequenced and synthesized the factor responsible for transferring sleep to recipient animals (Schoenenberger, Eur Neurol 1984). In the key 1977 experiment, the synthetic peptide and eight related fragments or analogs were infused into the brain ventricles of 58 rabbits under double-blind conditions. Only full-length DSIP produced a significant, specific increase in delta and spindle EEG patterns (Schoenenberger & Monnier, PNAS 1977).

Later animal work complicated the picture (Schoenenberger, Eur Neurol 1984):

  • the sleep effect was species-specific; in cats DSIP mainly increased REM sleep rather than slow-wave sleep;
  • the dose-response curve was bell-shaped, so higher doses could work less well than intermediate ones;
  • a phosphorylated version (serine 7) was reported to be more potent than DSIP itself.

DSIP-like immunoreactivity (material that reacts with anti-DSIP antibodies) has been measured in human plasma, urine, cerebrospinal fluid and milk. However, a 2006 review noted that the DSIP gene, its precursor protein and any receptor have never been isolated. The authors described the case for DSIP as a natural sleep factor as “extremely poorly documented.” In their own studies in rabbits and rats, some synthetic analogs promoted slow-wave sleep, but DSIP itself did not (Kovalzon & Strekalova, J Neurochem 2006). A 1997 review of neuropeptides and human sleep likewise concluded that the role of DSIP in human sleep regulation was “not yet clear” (Steiger & Holsboer, Sleep 1997).

How it behaves in the body

DSIP is broken down very quickly. No pharmacokinetic study in humans was found, so the available numbers come from animals and lab experiments:

Setting Finding Source
IV injection, anesthetized dogs (n = 4) Plasma half-life 4.0 ± 0.7 min Kato et al. 1984
IV injection, monkey (n = 1) Plasma half-life 2.9 min Kato et al. 1984
IV injection, rats (n = 3) Plasma half-life 2.0 ± 0.54 min Kato et al. 1984
Brain slices and homogenates (animal) Half-life for cleavage of tryptophan about 15 min Schoenenberger 1984
Human and rat blood, in the test tube Breakdown releasing tryptophan; rate depended on temperature, time and species Graf et al. 1987

The 1987 blood study concluded that injected DSIP disappears rapidly because it is degraded, while two modified analogs lasted longer (Graf et al., Peptides 1987). The discovering group also reported, from animal work, that DSIP crosses the blood-brain barrier (Schoenenberger, Eur Neurol 1984).

Regulatory status

  • Not an approved drug. No DSIP or emideltide product appears in FDA’s drug approval or labeling databases (openFDA).
  • FDA compounding review. DSIP was nominated for use in compounding and placed by FDA in category 2, the group of bulk substances that “may present significant safety risks.” The nomination was later withdrawn. FDA’s listed concerns were possible immunogenicity (an immune reaction against the peptide) by some routes, peptide-related impurities and difficulty characterizing the active ingredient. FDA also stated it had not identified safety information for the proposed route and lacked enough information to know whether the drug would cause harm in humans (FDA).
  • Sport. DSIP is not named on the WADA list. WADA’s S0 class prohibits at all times any pharmacological substance not covered elsewhere on the list “and with no current approval by any governmental regulatory health authority for human therapeutic use” (WADA 2026 Prohibited List).

What the research shows

All human studies used intravenous DSIP, were small, and date mostly from 1981 to 1992. No modern randomized trial was found.

Sleep in healthy volunteers

The first human study gave six healthy volunteers 25 nmol/kg DSIP by slow IV infusion in the morning, in a double-blind crossover design. Total sleep in the 130 minutes after infusion rose by a median of 59% compared with placebo. The subjects felt “sleep pressure,” but EEG and behavioral tests showed no classic sedation, and no side effects were observed (Schneider-Helmert et al., Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther Toxicol 1981).

Chronic insomnia

The insomnia studies split along a clear line. The positive reports came largely from Schneider-Helmert and colleagues working with Schoenenberger, whose group isolated the peptide. The two independent double-blind trials found little benefit.

Study Design and n DSIP dose Main finding
Schneider-Helmert & Schoenenberger 1981 6 middle-aged chronic insomniacs 25 nmol/kg IV, single dose Longer, less interrupted sleep; effect began in the second hour
Schneider-Helmert 1986 18 chronic insomniacs (aged 29–83); no placebo group described 6 × 30 nmol/kg IV over one week Sleep reported as normalized by the end of follow-up
Schneider-Helmert 1987 14 chronic insomniacs; double-blind, placebo-controlled Dose not stated in abstract; 7 successive nights Improved night sleep and daytime alertness
Monti et al. 1987 Chronic insomniacs; double-blind crossover 25 nmol/kg IV, 4 nights Some measures improved, but differences vs placebo were nonsignificant or already present at baseline; “of little clinical significance”
Bes et al. 1992 16 chronic insomniacs; double-blind, parallel groups 25 nmol/kg IV, 3 afternoons Weak effects on sleep efficiency and latency, possibly due to a chance change in the placebo group; no change in subjective sleep quality

The Amsterdam trial concluded that short-term DSIP treatment of chronic insomnia “is not likely to be of major therapeutic benefit” (Bes et al., Neuropsychobiology 1992). No DSIP sleep medicine has been approved in the US.

Alcohol and opiate withdrawal

One research group gave 25 nmol/kg DSIP IV as the sole treatment to 67 inpatients in withdrawal (28 from alcohol, 39 from opiates). 27% were lost or unsuitable for evaluation. Of the 49 evaluable patients, 48 were judged to have benefited (Dick et al., Neuropsychobiology 1983). An expanded report of 107 inpatients described marked improvement in 97% of opiate and 87% of alcohol patients, based on clinical judgment by physicians and nurses (Dick et al., Eur Neurol 1984).

Neither abstract describes a placebo or comparison group, and outcomes were rated by unblinded clinical staff. Withdrawal symptoms also improve on their own over time, so these results cannot show that DSIP was responsible.

Pain and other uses

  • Chronic pain. A pilot study of 7 patients with migraine, vasomotor headache, tinnitus or psychogenic pain reported lower pain in 6 of 7 after a series of IV injections, compared with their own baseline. There was no control group (Larbig et al., Eur Neurol 1984).
  • Narcolepsy. A single-patient report described fewer sleep attacks and better daytime alertness during repeated injections (Schneider-Helmert, Eur Neurol 1984).

Stress hormones

DSIP was proposed to dampen the stress-hormone (HPA) axis, but human results conflict:

Study Design Result
Bjartell et al. 1989 11 healthy men; randomized, double-blind crossover; 25 nmol/kg IV vs saline ACTH-like immunoreactivity fell for at least 3 h; cortisol unchanged
Späth-Schwalbe et al. 1995 Healthy young men (5 per CRH condition; 10 in a meal study); 3–4 mg IV infusion vs placebo No effect on CRH-stimulated or meal-related ACTH and cortisol

About “recovery,” growth hormone and anti-stress claims. DSIP is often marketed for muscle recovery, growth hormone release, fat loss or stress resilience. We found no controlled human study showing any of these effects. The only human data are the small 1980s–1990s sleep, withdrawal, pain and hormone studies summarized above.

Side effects and risks

What the studies reported

Safety data come only from short courses of IV DSIP in small studies that together included a few hundred people at most:

  • the first healthy-volunteer study observed no psychological, physiological or biochemical side effects in 6 subjects (Schneider-Helmert et al. 1981);
  • in the 107-patient withdrawal series, tolerance was described as good apart from headaches in a few patients (Dick et al. 1984).

These studies were not designed or large enough to detect uncommon or long-term harms. The human studies cited here used intravenous dosing over days to about a week; no published data were found on use over months or in pregnancy.

Product quality and immunogenicity

Because there is no approved product, DSIP sold outside clinical research is not checked for identity, purity, dose or sterility. FDA’s compounding review specifically flagged risks of immune reactions, peptide-related impurities and poor characterization of the active ingredient (FDA).

Who should be cautious

Given the absence of safety data, there is no evidence base for use by anyone outside a research setting, and particularly not in pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, or people taking sedatives or other drugs that act on sleep.

Key takeaways

  • A 1977 rabbit discovery. DSIP is a nine-amino-acid peptide isolated by a Swiss group, named for increasing delta EEG activity in rabbits.
  • Its natural role is unproven. No gene, precursor or receptor has been found, and a 2006 review called its link to sleep poorly documented.
  • Very short-lived. Plasma half-life was 2–4 minutes in dogs, a monkey and rats; no human pharmacokinetic data were found.
  • Mixed, dated human evidence. Small studies from the discovering group were positive, but independent double-blind insomnia trials in 1987 and 1992 found little or no benefit.
  • Not an approved drug. No regulator-approved product exists in the US, FDA flagged quality and immunogenicity concerns, and athletes are covered by WADA’s S0 ban on non-approved substances.

Sources

  1. Schoenenberger GA, Monnier M. Characterization of a delta-electroencephalogram (-sleep)-inducing peptide. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1977;74(3):1282–1286. PubMed.
  2. Schoenenberger GA. Characterization, properties and multivariate functions of delta-sleep-inducing peptide (DSIP). Eur Neurol. 1984;23(5):321–345. PubMed.
  3. Kovalzon VM, Strekalova TV. Delta sleep-inducing peptide (DSIP): a still unresolved riddle. J Neurochem. 2006;97(2):303–309. PubMed.
  4. Steiger A, Holsboer F. Neuropeptides and human sleep. Sleep. 1997;20(11):1038–1052. PubMed.
  5. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Delta sleep-inducing peptide (emideltide), PubChem CID 68816. PubChem.
  6. Kato N, Honda Y, Ebihara S, Naruse H, Takahashi Y. Development of an enzyme immunoassay for delta sleep-inducing peptide (DSIP) and its use in the determination of the metabolic clearance rate of DSIP administered to dogs. Neuroendocrinology. 1984;39(1):39–44. PubMed.
  7. Graf MV, Saegesser B, Schoenenberger GA. Degradation and aggregation of delta sleep-inducing peptide (DSIP) and two analogs in plasma and serum. Peptides. 1987;8(4):599–603. PubMed.
  8. Schneider-Helmert D, Gnirss F, Monnier M, Schenker J, Schoenenberger GA. Acute and delayed effects of DSIP (delta sleep-inducing peptide) on human sleep behavior. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther Toxicol. 1981;19(8):341–345. PubMed.
  9. Schneider-Helmert D, Schoenenberger GA. The influence of synthetic DSIP (delta-sleep-inducing-peptide) on disturbed human sleep. Experientia. 1981;37(9):913–917. PubMed.
  10. Schneider-Helmert D. Efficacy of DSIP to normalize sleep in middle-aged and elderly chronic insomniacs. Eur Neurol. 1986;25(6):448–453. PubMed.
  11. Schneider-Helmert D. Effects of delta-sleep-inducing peptide on 24-hour sleep-wake behaviour in severe chronic insomnia. Eur Neurol. 1987;27(2):120–129. PubMed.
  12. Monti JM, Debellis J, Alterwain P, Pellejero T, Monti D. Study of delta sleep-inducing peptide efficacy in improving sleep on short-term administration to chronic insomniacs. Int J Clin Pharmacol Res. 1987;7(2):105–110. PubMed.
  13. Bes F, Hofman W, Schuur J, Van Boxtel C. Effects of delta sleep-inducing peptide on sleep of chronic insomniac patients. A double-blind study. Neuropsychobiology. 1992;26(4):193–197. PubMed.
  14. Dick P, Grandjean ME, Tissot R. Successful treatment of withdrawal symptoms with delta sleep-inducing peptide, a neuropeptide with potential agonistic activity on opiate receptors. Neuropsychobiology. 1983;10(4):205–208. PubMed.
  15. Dick P, Costa C, Fayolle K, et al. DSIP in the treatment of withdrawal syndromes from alcohol and opiates. Eur Neurol. 1984;23(5):364–371. PubMed.
  16. Larbig W, Gerber WD, Kluck M, Schoenenberger GA. Therapeutic effects of delta-sleep-inducing peptide (DSIP) in patients with chronic, pronounced pain episodes. A clinical pilot study. Eur Neurol. 1984;23(5):372–385. PubMed.
  17. Schneider-Helmert D. Effects of DSIP on narcolepsy. Eur Neurol. 1984;23(5):353–357. PubMed.
  18. Bjartell A, Ekman R, Bergquist S, Widerlöv E. Reduction of immunoreactive ACTH in plasma following intravenous injection of delta sleep-inducing peptide in man. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 1989;14(5):347–355. PubMed.
  19. Späth-Schwalbe E, Schäfer A, Uthgenannt D, Born J, Fehm HL. Delta-sleep-inducing peptide does not affect CRH and meal-induced ACTH and cortisol secretion. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 1995;20(3):231–237. PubMed.
  20. Food and Drug Administration. Certain bulk drug substances for use in compounding that may present significant safety risks (content current as of April 22, 2026). FDA.
  21. World Anti-Doping Agency. World Anti-Doping Code International Standard: Prohibited List 2026. WADA 2026 Prohibited List.
  22. Food and Drug Administration. openFDA Drugs@FDA and drug labeling databases (searched for emideltide; no matches). openFDA.