Sleep
DSIP + Epitalon
DSIP for sleep depth, Epitalon in short pulse courses for circadian timing. Our own sources disagree with each other about when to take the DSIP, and both positions are shown below rather than resolved.
At a glance
- Sold as
- Separate vials
- The evidence
- DSIP has three small human trials from the 1980s–90s, one double-blind. FDA's 2026 briefing records that all documented human exposure is intravenous, 25 to 150 nmol/kg IV across 209 subjects for 1 to 15 days, and that no clinical studies were identified for the subcutaneous route people actually use. Epitalon's only identified human study was sublingual: three sprays twice daily for 20 days, n=20, ages 40–50. Neither compound has been studied by the route in this stack, and the combination has never been studied at all.Combination-specific research is limited. Treat each compound’s evidence as separate unless a study of the combination itself is named here, and review the complete plan with a qualified clinician.
Running this stack, with the schedule, the vials it takes and a log of what you took, happens in the app: Claritide for iPhone.
Why people explore it
Common reasons for exploring it
- People whose sleep problem is depth and timing together rather than one or the other
- Anyone who has run DSIP solo and wants to understand what adding Epitalon actually adds
Where clinician input matters
- Anyone on benzodiazepines, CNS depressants, ACE inhibitors or blood pressure medication
- Anyone with a substance use history
- Pregnant or nursing, under 25
- Anyone who wants a compound with a settled regulatory position
The science
Read the compound mechanisms
DSIP works on sleep architecture rather than sleep timing. It increases delta-wave (0.5–4 Hz) brain activity, which defines Stage 3 NREM sleep, the phase where growth hormone secretion peaks, cellular repair happens and the brain clears waste. It does not simply add sleep hours; it reorganises the proportion of the night spent in deep sleep. It also modulates the HPA axis, the hormonal chain that produces cortisol and ACTH, which helps normalise the elevated evening cortisol that drives both sleep-onset insomnia and early waking. Its effect on GABA, the brain's main calming neurotransmitter, is indirect: it appears to make GABA-A receptors more sensitive rather than binding them directly the way a benzodiazepine does, which is the standard explanation for why no tolerance or dependency has been observed. A recurring finding is that DSIP is context-sensitive: strong effects when sleep is already broken, minimal effect in healthy sleepers.
Every time a cell divides, the protective telomere caps on the ends of its chromosomes get slightly shorter. When they become critically short the cell stops dividing and enters senescence, which contributes to tissue ageing. Telomerase is the enzyme that can rebuild telomere length, and its activity declines with age. Khavinson's group demonstrated that Epitalon activates telomerase in human somatic cells, producing telomere elongation. In a fibroblast study, treated cells showed increased telomerase activity and divided beyond the normal Hayflick limit. The second mechanism is pineal: Epitalon stimulates the pineal gland to maintain healthy melatonin production, which declines with age and affects sleep quality, circadian rhythm and antioxidant defence.
Commonly researched ranges
| Compound | Amount | Frequency | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| DSIP | 100–300 mcg | Daily, or 5 days on / 2 days off | 30 minutes before bed in this pairing; 4–6 PM in our own DSIP-solo guidance |
| Epitalon | 5–10 mg | Daily, in 10–20 day pulse courses | Subcutaneous |
- DSIP: The disagreement is real and we are not resolving it. Community stack sources place DSIP 30 minutes pre-bed; our own sleep guide places DSIP solo at 4–6 PM. Above 300 mcg can paradoxically worsen sleep.
- Epitalon: Courses rather than continuous use, 2–3 per year. The only human study we can identify used the sublingual route, not this one.
- Duration
- Epitalon in 10–20 day courses, 2–3 times a year. DSIP cycles 2–4 weeks. Neither figure comes from a trial of the combination.
Mixing each compound
- 10 units = 100 mcg
- 20 units = 200 mcg
- 30 units = 300 mcg
Not established in available literature. Use the figures printed on your own vial.
Week by week
DSIP
- Nights 1–3
Subtle or nothing. Some notice slightly easier sleep onset or better morning alertness; many notice nothing. Do not increase the dose yet.
- Days 4–7
Deeper sleep, fewer middle-of-the-night awakenings, more vivid dreaming, described in our sources as a positive sign of normalising sleep architecture. Morning energy improves.
- Week 2–3
Full benefits. Noticeably more restorative sleep, better daytime energy and mood, improved stress resilience. Some report reduced caffeine dependence.
- Week 4+
Benefits plateau. Consider cycling off. Many find improvements persist for days to weeks after stopping.
- After stopping
No rebound insomnia and no withdrawal reported, the key difference from pharmaceutical sleep aids. Sleep may gradually return to baseline in people with chronic underlying issues.
Epitalon
- First course
Our sleep guide describes Epitalon as working gradually over its 10–20 day course rather than acutely, restoring sleep-wake cycling rather than inducing sleep.
- After 1–2 courses
The point at which our sleep guide describes circadian effects becoming apparent.
What it costs
- DSIP: $30–50 per 2–4 week cycle (one 2 mg vial)
- Epitalon: Not established in available literature
The combined figure excludes Epitalon, for which our sources publish no price.
Cautions
- DSIP was voted DOWN by FDA's Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee 6–7–1 on 24 July 2026, the only rejection of the seven peptides reviewed. Epitalon passed 7–5–1, for insomnia.
- A specific percentage increase in slow-wave sleep duration, attributed to Moscow State University, circulates widely for DSIP. It has a single vendor source, no PMID and no corroboration, and we will not reproduce the figure, not even to argue with it.
- The DSIP human safety record includes hypotension as a serious adverse effect, including progressive hypotension on re-injection. Blood pressure medication and ACE inhibitors both matter here.
- FDA raises a theoretical abuse and dependence angle for DSIP via endorphin release in reward regions, with no abuse-potential studies done.
- Our sources publish no side effect profile or contraindication list for Epitalon. That is absence of research.
- FDA's briefings record zero FAERS reports for both compounds: DSIP searched through 3 March 2024, Epitalon through 8 December 2025. Zero reports is not "safe".
Absence from this list does NOT mean safety. It means lack of research.
Every stack here is free to read, and it stays free. Your own schedule, vials and log live in the app: Claritide for iPhone.