Dry January, High Spirits
It should be said – I don’t have an alcohol problem. But I did drink too much. While Monday to Thursday were usually dry, Friday and Saturday were a different story. A few glasses of wine would turn into cocktails, haphazardly mixed from whatever was in the cabinet and however my husband decided to shake them up. Almost every Saturday and Sunday morning, I’d wake up with that all-too-familiar dry mouth and fuzzy head. And with kids up before 7 a.m., it wasn’t exactly ideal.
Then came Christmas—an entire season dedicated to excess. Drinks with family, drinks with friends, drinks with family friends. December felt like a never-ending loop of “just one more.” And that was before the actual Christmas period, where all rules disappeared in a haze of prosecco, cheese, and chocolate. By the 29th, I was struggling.
I’ve always liked the idea of a fresh start in January, so cutting out alcohol seemed like an obvious choice. Plus, I wanted to challenge myself. I wasn’t addicted, but I hadn’t gone a sustained period without alcohol since I was last pregnant three years ago. And before that? Only those two nine-month stints of pregnancy had kept me off alcohol since my teenage years. Alcohol Change UK says you can break a habit in three weeks. So how hard could it be?
Turns out, the biggest change has been my sleep—it’s improved dramatically. By the end of last year, I was waking multiple times a night (sometimes thanks to a crying child), then struggling to fall back asleep. I started having nightmares, waking up anxious, unable to settle. Unsurprisingly, this is classic "rebound insomnia," where alcohol messes with deep sleep and, in the long run, can even accelerate aging.1 But since ditching my usual Friday-night cocktails, my sleep has changed completely. I’m waking up feeling refreshed, in a good mood, ready to take on the day, in line with over 50% of Dry January participants who report better sleep, more energy, and improved health.2
Then there are the unseen benefits. A month off booze has been linked to lower blood pressure, reduced diabetes risk, lower cholesterol, and even a drop in cancer-related proteins.3 I can’t say for sure what’s happening inside my body, but my skin looks clearer, my energy levels are higher, and—most importantly—I wake up without a headache. I can actually enjoy my weekends instead of just surviving them.
The biggest surprise? I haven’t missed drinking. I thought I would (which is slightly alarming in itself), but I haven’t. What’s become crystal clear is how deeply alcohol is ingrained in our culture. A glass of wine to relax. A drink to feel more social, more confident. But this month, I’ve been out with friends, gone to a work event, even had a date night—and I didn’t drink. Not only did I not miss it, but nobody cared. Not one person questioned why I wasn’t drinking. It’s also given me back time—time to read, to do a jigsaw, to actually sit and watch TV instead of half-watching with a glass of wine in hand.
That said, I have missed good non-alcoholic options. Where are the non-fizzy, non-sugary, actually enjoyable drinks? A glass of cordial doesn’t cut it, no matter how fancy the glass or ice cubes. Either my local Tesco is behind the times, or there’s a serious gap in the market.
So, what’s next? I’m staying ‘dry’ for at least another month—mostly for the sake of my glorious new sleep schedule. Long term, I know I’ll drink again, but I’ll definitely be more mindful about it. I won’t say no to a good glass of red, but I’m happy to leave the hangovers behind.
Should you do dry January? 2024. https://www.mdanderson.org/cancerwise/should-you-do-dry-january-experts-weigh-in.h00-159703068.html
de Visser and Nicholls. Psychology & Health, 2022: 35; 1293-1305
Mehta et al. BMJ Open 2018;8:e020673.