A new study has found that microdosing with LSD can lead to earlier bedtimes and longer sleep durations. Participants in the study, published in Translational Psychiatry, slept an average of 24 minutes longer on the night following a microdose. They also went to bed 25 minutes earlier than usual while waking up at their typical time.
Lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly known as LSD, is a potent hallucinogenic drug that alters perception, mood, and various cognitive processes. It belongs to the class of drugs known as psychedelics. LSD was first synthesized in 1938 by Albert Hofmann and became widely known in the 1960s for its mind-altering effects. It primarily interacts with serotonin receptors in the brain, leading to altered sensory experiences and sometimes profound changes in consciousness.
LSD and most other psychedelics are illegal in many countries due to their potent psychoactive effects and potential for misuse. However, recent years have seen growing interest in the potential therapeutic benefits of psychedelics. Microdosing, the practice of taking sub-hallucinogenic doses of psychedelics, is claimed by some to enhance creativity, focus, and overall well-being without inducing intense hallucinations.
Individuals microdose on psychedelics hoping that it will enhance their creativity, focus, and overall well-being without experiencing the intense hallucinations associated with higher doses. Also, multiple recent studies reported beneficial effects of different psychedelics on symptoms of mental health disorders such as depression and posttraumatic stress disorder.
Study author Nathan Allen and his colleagues wanted to explore the effects of microdosing with LSD on sleep characteristics. They noted that previous studies mainly measured subjective changes in sleep quality. The effects these studies reported were mixed. To improve on this, they conducted an experimental study using objective measures of sleep.
The study included 80 healthy male volunteers aged 25 to 60, randomly assigned to either microdose with LSD for six weeks or receive a placebo. Participants took their assigned treatments using oral syringes.
Participants microdosing on LSD took 10 micrograms of LSD dissolved in 1 ml of water every third day for six weeks. During the study period, participants wore Fitbit Charge 3/4 devices on their wrists. This allowed the researchers to objectively monitor participants’ sleep and activity patterns. On microdosing days, participants took their dose at 11 am to avoid any potential disruption of their nighttime sleep.
Results showed that, on the night after microdosing with LSD, participants slept longer compared to the placebo group (the group that was taking doses containing only water). The duration of their REM sleep was also longer. The increase in total sleep was 24 minutes, in the time spent asleep it was 21 minutes. REM sleep phase on those nights was 8 minutes longer on average. On those nights, participants who took LSD went to bed some 25 minutes earlier. The time they woke up did not change.
“Given the significant modification in total sleep observed here with LSD microdosing and the potential clinical implications, this result provides a strong justification to incorporate wearable devices for sleep monitoring in our Phase 2 trials of LSD microdosing in patients with major depressive disorder which are currently underway. More generally, the observation that participants who microdose may require extra sleep the following night suggests that taking “off” days between microdosing days is important to allow the brain and body to recover between microdoses,” the study authors concluded.
The study sheds light on the effects microdoses of LSD have on sleep patterns. However, it should be noted that the study did not collect subjective data, so it remains unknown how the observed objective changes in sleep patterns translate into psychological effects. Additionally, all participants were healthy males, so results may differ for females or individuals with health conditions.
The study, “LSD increases sleep duration the night after microdosing”, was authored by Nathan Allen, Aron Jeremiah, Robin Murphy, Rachael Sumner, Anna Forsyth, Nicholas Hoeh, David B. Menkes, William Evans, Suresh Muthukumaraswamy, Frederick Sundram, and Partha Roop.