Alcohol-free months are designed as a challenge or to help people re-evaluate their social drinking habits. Please note that you should not attempt to stop drinking suddenly if you think you might be dependent on alcohol, as this can be very dangerous. Not only does it help participants form a community while they go sober, but it raises vital funds for the UK’s largest cancer care charity.Ĭould you sign up to Sober October this month? What about your friend group or your workplace? It’s a great opportunity for people to take the plunge and reap the benefits of going sober, with a little extra motivation. Sober October is run by Macmillan Cancer Support and encourages individuals or groups to raise money for the charity while they quit alcohol. According to the University of Sussex, 70% of people who sign up to Dry January are still drinking more healthily 6 months later. 13,14Īnyone can sign up: you can do so “officially” (for example on the Dry January app) or just join in. Movements like Sober October and Dry January bring thousands of people together as they quit alcohol for the month. If you’re just trying to quit casual drinking, it can help to have a purpose or a like-minded community behind you. This can be a lot to deal with - not least because you’re facing things without your usual “liquid courage”.
One or two might help the conversation flow, and it’s so ingrained into many of our cultures that you might feel under pressure when you choose not to drink. Handpicked content: The importance of sleepĪ lot of people miss the ease of drinking. It’s known to help relaxation, focus, and sleep – so you’ll get all the calm of a nice cuppa without the caffeine buzz. Try natural remedies containing L-theanine, an amino acid that’s commonly found in tea leaves. You might also find a supplement helps you wind down after a long day. Try settling down to a bath or a book and minimise distractions if you can. Many people find that a sleep-friendly bedtime routine helps their brain unwind. If you’re struggling to fall asleep without alcohol, practising good sleep hygiene can help you lay down healthy habits for a proper night’s rest. Whether it’s because of disturbed REM, sleep apnoea, needing the toilet, or something else, it’s also likely you’ll wake up more during the night. Luckily, you’ll see improvements quickly when you cut down the drinks. 5 Over time, sleep apnoea can contribute to depression, raise your blood pressure, and dangerously affect your breathing. It’s believed that alcohol increases sleep apnoea episodes by about 25%.
If you drink more than 14 units per week (that’s about 6 pints of beer, 6 medium glasses of wine, or 14 shots of spirits), you’ll likely wake up feeling like you’ve had no rest at all. So, without proper REM sleep, you might struggle to focus, take new information in, or you might be more forgetful than usual. This is the type of sleep in which you process all of your learning and memories.
But then comes the “rebound”.Īfter a few hours asleep, you’ll start to become unsettled and you might have vivid, stressful dreams. Alcohol (at any level) significantly delays and reduces the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) stage of sleep. 1 Alcohol is a depressant: it relaxes you, and you may initially fall asleep quickly. While a nightcap might help some of us nod off, alcohol actually disrupts your sleep cycle and quality of sleep. Short term benefits of quitting alcohol 1.
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