About a year and a half ago I did a deep dive on DSIP and mostly talked about it as a “sleep peptide.” Since then, I’ve spent a lot more time digging into the literature and experimenting with different dosing protocols myself – and what I’ve found is that DSIP is actually much more of a circadian rhythm peptide than a simple knock-you-out sleep aid.

I walk you through the origin story of DSIP, how Swiss researchers first isolated this nine–amino acid peptide from rabbits in deep delta sleep back in the 1970s, and why it’s so fascinating that it shows up in human brain, plasma, and even breast milk. We talk about the wild fact that DSIP can cross the blood–brain barrier, and why that makes nasal spray formulations surprisingly effective in real-world use.

From there, we get into mechanisms: DSIP’s ability to lower ACTH and cortisol, act as a “stress-limiting” factor, nudge growth hormone a bit, modulate pain pathways, and influence neurotransmitters like Substance P. I break down why I see it as a multi-system modulator that gently rebalances the body’s own sleep circuitry instead of sedating you like Ambien.

We cover the human data from the 1980s – the insomnia trials where DSIP normalized sleep architecture, the European study using DSIP in alcohol and opiate withdrawal with surprisingly high success rates, and a small pilot in chronic pain and tinnitus where most patients had meaningful relief.

Then I share how I actually use it: my preferred subcutaneous dosing range of 100–500 mcg, why I think 2–3 hours before bed on an empty-ish stomach works best, and how I’m planning to use DSIP more aggressively for jet lag and circadian realignment when I travel. I also talk about my wife’s experience (she loves DSIP) versus mine (I don’t struggle with sleep, but I still see it as a staple tool).

Finally, I touch on safety, the immunogenicity caveat, and why DSIP probably isn’t a top-5 peptide—but is absolutely one I’ll always keep in the house.

If you want more conversations like this and direct Q&A access, make sure you’re on my email list and check out The Axion Collective, my private community for peptide researchers and optimization nerds.

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