Can sleeping pills increase Deep sleep?
Q: I’d like to sharply increase my deep sleep or delta waves, and have heard that Lyrica and Delta Sleep Inducing Peptide might be helpful. Can you advise on either one or give some better suggestions if they exist?
A: While both Lyrica and Delta Sleep Inducing Peptide (DSIP) have shown increased deep sleep in lab animals, the best way to increase Deep sleep in humans is to practice good sleep hygiene and habits.
Lyrica (pregalin) has some evidence for increasing Deep sleep in rats, and some preliminary research suggests it may treat Restless Leg Syndrome as well as reduce sleep problems for severe epilepsy. However, it is not currently prescribed for the purpose of increasing Deep Sleep or for general insomnia.
Likewise, animal research certainly shows that Delta Sleep Inducing Peptide (DSIP) increases Delta Waves in rabbits and rats, but the long-term effects of this peptide are unknown for adult human consumption. DSIP originally had some early evidence for helping improve sleep for severe insomniacs, but these studies are considered controversial by some sleep researchers. As such, it has been passed over by other, newer pharmaceuticals that have better results for improving sleep, such as melatonin agonists and antidepressants.
All that said, the most effective, long term, and safest way to increase Deep sleep is to get more sleep in general, and practice good sleep hygiene. Try reducing caffeine and alcohol intake, and exercise regularly but not too close to bed time; otherwise, you might notice a drop in Deep sleep instead of an increase!
Related Questions:
- Any tips for someone who’s overworked, sleep deprived, and feeling anxious?
- How can I increase my time in Deep sleep?
- What can one do to promote good sleep?
- Could white noise and/or meditation help me get Deep sleep?
Academic References:
Corrigan B, et al., Effect of renal impairment on the pharmacokinetics of PD 0200390, a novel ligand for the voltage-gated calcium channel alpha-2-delta subunit
British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 2009 August; 68(2): 174–180. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2767279/
Garcia-Borreguero D, et al. Treatment of restless legs syndrome with pregabalin: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Neurology. 2010 Jun 8;74(23):1897-904. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20427750
de Haas, S et al., Exploratory Polysomnographic Evaluation of Pregabalin on Sleep Disturbance in Patients with Epilepsy. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. 2007 August 15; 3(5): 473–478. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1978334/
Schneider-Helmert D, and Schoenenberger, G. A.
The influence of synthetic DSIP (delta-sleep-inducing-peptide) on disturbed human sleep
Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 1987, Volume 37, Number 9, 913-917, http://www.springerlink.com/content/w007r581204j1189/
Nobuhiro Fujiki and Seiji Nishino. Neuropeptides as Possible Targets in Sleep Disorders: Special Emphasis on Hypocretin-Deficient Narcolepsy CNS & Neurological Disorders – Drug Targets, 2007, 6, 45-62
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