Huberman’s Sleep Peptide: How Pinealon Doubled His REM Sleep

Of all the peptides discussed on the Huberman Lab Podcast, pinealon produced the most dramatic personal result Andrew Huberman has reported. Over four to six months of use, pinealon doubled his REM sleep – from roughly 1-1.5 hours to nearly 3 hours per night, tracked objectively with a sleep tracker.

“Never before have I found something that can improve the amount of rapid eye movement sleep that I get,” Huberman said during his conversation with Dr. Craig Koniver, a physician who has prescribed pinealon to patients for years with consistently positive results.

What Is Pinealon?

Pinealon is a bioregulator peptide – one of the smallest peptides used therapeutically. It comes from a line of peptides developed by the Russian scientist Khavinson, who researched bioregulator peptides for decades and published extensively on them.

It’s probably worth noting that Khavinson was particularly enthusiastic about peptide use for extending lifespan. However, he unfortunately died in 2024 at the age of 78, which isn’t particularly old on a global level, although it’s higher than the Russian male average of 65.

Pinealon is theorized to support the pineal gland, potentially influencing the pinealocytes – the cells responsible for producing melatonin and other pineal hormones.

However, no published research has demonstrated pinealon specifically regenerating pineal tissue. The related peptide epithalon has published evidence of stimulating melatonin synthesis in pinealocyte culture (Khavinson’s group, 2012), but this has not been replicated for pinealon.

Huberman’s Personal Results

In the audio clip below, Huberman describes to Koniver his experience with Pinealon:

Huberman tracked his sleep objectively using the Eight Sleep mattress cover’s built-in sleep tracker. His findings:

• REM sleep roughly doubled – from ~1-1.5 hours to ~2-3 hours per night
• He posted a screenshot of one sleep score that caught attention in the biohacking community, with Bryan Johnson (known for his aggressively optimized sleep protocol) commenting on the impressive numbers
• The effect was consistent across multiple nights of tracking

The Regeneration Hypothesis

Perhaps the most interesting observation: Huberman found that his sleep improved even on nights he did not take pinealon. He and Koniver theorize this could indicate regeneration of pinealocyte function, though this remains unproven.

Published research from Khavinson’s group has shown that the related peptide epithalon can stimulate melatonin synthesis in pinealocyte culture, but no equivalent study exists for pinealon. The carry-over effect Huberman observed is intriguing but currently lacks a confirmed mechanism.

Koniver confirmed this aligns with what he has seen clinically: “Your response has been uniform… people don’t always get there as quickly, but people get there with their sleep.”

The Protocol

• Form: Injectable pinealon combined with glycine
• Frequency: Pulsed, not taken every night
• Glycine dose: 3,000-5,000 mg orally (or included in the injectable formulation)

Why Glycine?

Koniver pairs pinealon with glycine for several reasons:

• Inhibitory neurotransmitter: Glycine calms the nervous system, helping with the transition from wakefulness to sleep
• Phase 2 liver detoxification: Glycine supports amino acid conjugation in the liver, helping the body process toxins during sleep
• Well-tolerated at high doses: Koniver starts patients at 3-5 grams at bedtime and sometimes goes to 10 grams. “Most people at ten grams of glycine will notice it,” he says.
• Available orally: Unlike most peptides, glycine is well absorbed orally and has a sweet taste

For people without access to injectable pinealon, oral glycine alone (3-10 grams at bedtime) may provide some sleep benefits, though the REM-specific effects Huberman observed were with the injectable pinealon combination.

Examples of Glycine brands include:

• Life Extension – Glycine – 1,000 mg capsules (see 20% off iHerb coupon)
• NOW – Glycine – 1,000 mg capsules (see 20% off iHerb coupon)

Safety Profile

The safety profile of many bioregulator peptides, including pinealon, has never been formally tested in large scale randomized controlled trials. Therefore, it’s impossible to precisely say what the side-effect profile is like.

Koniver’s assessment: “I never ever have seen a side effect or negative side effect from pinealon.” This spans years of clinical use across many patients. Huberman’s own experience over 4-6 months was entirely positive with no adverse effects reported.

Comparison to Pharmaceutical Sleep Drugs

Huberman shared an illuminating comparison. He tried a DORA (dual orexin receptor antagonist) – a newer class of FDA-approved sleep drug that suppresses the wakefulness system rather than pushing the sleepiness system. The drug (possibly Quviviq/daridorexant based on the description) was “a complete disaster” for him – he fell asleep, woke up three hours later, and couldn’t fall back asleep. It was also extremely expensive.

Pinealon, by contrast, improved his sleep consistently, had no side effects, and appeared to have lasting benefits beyond the nights of use.

Sourcing Concerns

Both Huberman and Koniver raised a red flag about gray market pinealon. Because the peptide is relatively obscure and injectable, it would be easy for unscrupulous sellers to put melatonin in a vial, label it pinealon, and sell it online. The buyer would experience some sleep effect (from the melatonin) and might not realize they were getting a substitute.

The recommendation is consistent with all peptides: work with a physician and trusted source to reduce risks.

Oral Bioregulator Peptides

Koniver mentioned that Khavinson’s bioregulator peptide line includes oral forms. Pinealon is one of the peptides reported to survive stomach acid and absorb through the gut, though injectable forms are Koniver’s preference for bioavailability. Oral bioregulator peptides may be harder to source than the injectable form.

The Broader Significance

Huberman framed the REM sleep implications in strong terms. Lack of REM sleep is associated with:

• Reduced neuroplasticity
• Impaired processing of emotional memories (failure to remove emotional labels from prior-day experiences)
• Higher rates of depression and other mental health conditions
• Broadly worsened cognitive and emotional function

A peptide that can reliably double REM sleep – with no observed side effects – represents a significant development in the sleep optimization space, even if the clinical evidence base is still limited to observational data rather than randomized controlled trials. Whether pinealon truly regenerates pineal tissue or works through another mechanism entirely remains an open question.

Main source: Huberman Lab Podcast – Dr. Craig Koniver: Peptide & Hormone Therapies for Health, Performance & Longevity