Study Shows Microdosing LSD Leads to Longer Sleep: Findings from a Controlled Study

Study Shows Microdosing LSD Leads to Longer Sleep: Findings from a Controlled Study

In a study recently published in the journalTranslational Psychiatry,Researchers from New Zealand conducted a Phase I study to examine the effect of microdosing lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) on the sleep and activity patterns of 80 healthy male adults.

They found that participants who took a microdose of LSD slept longer the next night compared to controls, with no reduction in sleep observed on the days of ingestion.

background

Microdosing, the practice of self-administering psychedelic drugs below the hallucinogenic threshold, is said to improve mood, creativity and productivity. While its effects on neurophysiological function have been documented, its influence on sleep behavior remains unexplored.

Previous studies of macrodoses of psychedelics such as ayahuasca and psilocybin suggest changes in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep but have no effect on total sleep time. Animal studies similarly show increased alertness and shortened REM and non-REM durations with serotonergic psychedelics.

A 1966 study objectively measured sleep in conjunction with microdosing and showed that low doses of LSD significantly increased REM duration and interrupted deep sleep. Nevertheless, the timing of drug administration differed from modern microdosing practices.

Subjective reports of sleep quality from microdosing studies suggest mixed effects, with some reporting improvements and others reporting difficulties such as insomnia. While some individuals cite improved sleep quality as a motivation for microdosing, others report challenges that suggest a bidirectional effect on sleep.

Given the current lack of evidence in this area, in the present Phase I study, researchers examined the effect of LSD microdosing on sleep duration using commercially available clocks.

About the study

The present study used a double-blind, parallel-group design in which healthy male volunteers were randomized into LSD (n = 40) and placebo groups (n = 40). Participants self-administered ten µg of LSD base or placebo every three days for six weeks.

Five participants did not complete the study protocol and three received an additional dose due to scheduling issues.

Key inclusion criteria were men aged 25–60 years. Exclusion criteria, however, included specific illnesses, psychiatric disorders, substance use and previous psychedelic microdosing.

Four visits were performed: screening, baseline, first dosing (Day 1), and follow-up (Day 42). Screening included urine drug and alcohol tests. Participants were given Fitbit Charge 3/4 devices to wear throughout the test, which synced sleep and activity data via the Fitbit app.

Dosing occurred before 11 a.m. on dosing days. Compliance was ensured by video recording dose administration.

The analysis included data from 3231 nights, with an average of 40.39 nights per participant. The study processed Fitbit sleep data with a focus on sleep states: “REM,” “deep,” “light,” and “awake.”

Statistical analysis included the use of linear mixed-effects modeling without imputation of missing data and a Bonferroni correction.

Results and discussion

Analysis revealed a significant increase in REM sleep (p = 0.0037), sleep duration (p = 0.0026), and total sleep (p = 0.0027) at night following microdosing with LSD compared to placebo.

These differences amounted to an additional 8.13 minutes of REM sleep, 21.1 minutes of sleep, and 24.3 minutes of total sleep. While deep sleep approached significance (p = 0.043), no changes in sleep stage proportions reached significance.

Participants in the LSD group went to bed significantly earlier the night after microdosing (approximately 25.17 minutes, p = 0.005), but no significant change in wake-up time was observed. Additionally, there were no effects over time in terms of change in sleep time at night following microdosing.

No significant changes in physical activity patterns were observed between the LSD and placebo groups. Furthermore, no noticeable interaction effects were observed for measures such as calories, distance, steps, or activity states (sedentary activity, light activity, moderate activity, very active).

Participants in the LSD group reported slightly increased fatigue the day after dosing, with ten sleep-related adverse events reported compared to four in the placebo group.

In qualitative interviews, participants noted varying effects of microdosing on energy levels, but did not specifically mention needing extra sleep or earlier bedtimes.

Overall, the study is strengthened by the use of wearable devices that enabled the collection of a large amount of naturalistic sleep data while requiring minimal intervention compared to traditional sleep laboratory environments.

However, study limitations include its exclusive focus on healthy male participants, potential lack of transferability to women and those with mental illness, and reliance on wearable devices that may not have access to key clinical sleep metrics.

Diploma

In summary, the results of the study highlight the significant increase in overall sleep observed with LSD microdosing. The results support the integration of wearable sleep monitoring devices into ongoing Phase II studies of LSD microdosing in major depressive disorder.

Additionally, they emphasize the need for rest days between microdosing sessions to allow for adequate recovery and provide valuable insights for future research and clinical practice in psychedelic-assisted therapy.

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