Field notes · Drinking less
What happens when you stop drinking for 30 days
A month off is the cheapest experiment you will ever run on yourself. Most men learn more from it than from any blood test.
Dai Manuel · Coach Moose · Vancouver
What people commonly notice
Better sleep is usually first, often within the first week. Then more energy in the mornings, fewer cravings for late food, and for many a drop on the scale and the tape. Research on people who took part in a dry month also found many were still drinking less six months later.
What makes it harder
The first two weekends. The habit of a drink to mark the end of the day. Plan a replacement: a walk after dinner, a sparkling water in the same glass, a hot shower. Remove the cue as well as the drink.
What to do after
Do not just go back to where you were. Use what you learned to set new rules, like drinking days and a weekly number. The month is not the point. The next eleven months are.
A safety note
If you drink heavily every day, stopping suddenly can be dangerous. Talk to your doctor before you stop.
Common questions
- How long after stopping drinking does sleep improve?
- Many people notice better sleep within the first week or two without alcohol, as the second half of the night becomes less disrupted.
- Will I lose weight in a month without alcohol?
- Many people do, particularly if they drank regularly and do not replace those calories with extra food.
This is coaching, not medical advice. If something here sounds like you, talk to your doctor.
Sources
- Dry January participation and subsequent alcohol use. de Visser, Robinson and Bond, Health Psychology, 2016.
- Alcohol and the sleeping brain. Colrain, Nicholas and Baker, Handbook of Clinical Neurology, 2014.