There’s a good chance you or someone you know is trying to give up alcohol for this entire month — for so-called Sober October — or maybe talking about how they plan to do so for Dry January.
Some people take the challenge on a whim, not really knowing what to expect. Others are hoping for health improvements such as lower blood pressure or less anxiety or to overhaul their relationship with alcohol in general; and some are simply curious to see how they might feel without their daily wine or beer.
But what can a month-long break from alcohol really do for your health? Doctors say the changes can be significant, and some (like better sleep) might show up quickly. Here’s what the science says about what you can expect to happen when you stop drinking alcohol for a few weeks.
What changes you can expect
Quick note: If you’re a very heavy drinker or are physically dependent on alcohol, it’s important to check with a doctor before stopping abruptly to avoid dangerous withdrawal side effects. A medical professional can also help you come up with a plan to tackle your dependence and get more help to quit drinking if you need it.
Better sleep
Alcohol may help you fall asleep faster, but you’ll end up waking up more later in the night, said Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse, an associate professor of neurology at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. When alcohol interrupts sleep, you may feel it the next day affecting your focus, reaction time and mood, she said.
When you take a break from drinking, it’s like you’ll experience fewer sleep disruptions and wake up feeling more well-rested. “Any time you’re going to sleep without alcohol in your system tends to be a better night’s rest,” said Alexis LaPietra, a physician and medical director of the RWJBarnabas Health Institute for Prevention and Recovery.
These effects can start within days, said Michael Siegel, professor in the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine.
Sleep supports many important processes in the body, from muscle repair to hormone regulation, memory, metabolism and heart health, so getting a solid night of shut-eye is key for overall health.
Improved liver function
“The liver is responsible for breaking down alcohol, and during that process the alcohol produces a toxic by-product called acetaldehyde, which damages liver cells and causes fat to build up, prompting inflammation, followed later by scarring, known as cirrhosis,” LaPietra said.
“For most people, occasional or light drinking with days off doesn’t measurably hurt the liver,” LaPietra said. But people who drink more frequently, or those with certain additional risk factors — including women and people with obesity, diabetes or preexisting fatty liver disease — are more likely to experience liver damage from smaller amounts of alcohol.
“The classic danger line is at about 30 grams a day, or roughly two standard drinks,” LaPietra said. “When you start to go over that towards four to five drinks per day, the cirrhosis risk rises exponentially.” How frequently you drink also plays a role, with daily drinking elevating the risk of cirrhosis compared to drinking just a couple of days per week, she said.
Stepping away from alcohol gives your liver a break and may improve its health in multiple ways. For instance, fatty liver disease (when fat builds in the liver) can often reverse completely when you stop drinking, LaPietra said.
In a small study published earlier this year, 15 healthy adults attended a three-day music festival where they drank about 13 standard drinks per day on average. Their liver fat increased 150 percent and six of them developed fatty liver, among other liver changes. But after 10 days without alcohol, all liver changes returned to baseline.
Additionally, liver enzymes that are elevated from heavy drinking may drop, suggesting an improvement in liver functioning.
Elevated mood
Alcohol prompts the release of endorphins and activates the reward system in the brain. But it’s ultimately a depressant, which means that it also slows activity in your central nervous system. Both effects influence the way you feel, think and behave.
“While it is true that drinking alcohol may result in a short-term feeling of improved mood, the problem is that the effects do not last long and when the alcohol wears off it typically results in a level of mood that is actually below the baseline where a person started out,” Siegel said. That’s why when you drink — especially the next day, after the immediate effects have worn off — you may feel sad, depressed or anxious, Siegel said.
Abstaining from alcohol prevents this repeated cycle of elevated and deflated mood and can help you get back to a more regulated and consistent place, Siegel said.
That said, some people might initially feel worse in the short term without the hit of dopamine that drinking provides (especially if you’re a heavy drinker and your brain has adapted to need more alcohol to feel the same level of pleasure). And abstaining can bring up all kinds of feelings, including boredom or difficulty getting excited about things while now sober — especially if you’re using alcohol to mask feelings of loneliness, get through social situations or reward yourself after a long day.
To help with this, Siegel suggested finding something that brings you joy to take the place of drinking. This will look different depending on your interests, but some ideas include exercise, listening to or playing music, writing, reading, spending time outdoors, meditating, making art or crafting. (If you’re having a difficult time with this, that’s another indication you might benefit from help from a professional.)
Healthier blood pressure
In the short term, alcohol can decrease blood pressure since it depresses the central nervous system. But over time, drinking alcohol regularly can actually increase blood pressure. In fact, even just one drink a day can increase blood pressure, according to findings from a recent study published in the journal Hypertension. With heavier drinking, blood pressure increased even more.
You may notice your blood pressure improves after a temporary break from alcohol, especially if you drink often, consume large amounts of alcohol or have a history of hypertension.
”Especially for people who already have high blood pressure, quitting alcohol for a month can help keep their blood pressure under control,” Siegel said.
Motivation to give up alcohol for longer
An alcohol-free month can be a helpful reset for people who are looking to permanently lower or stop their alcohol consumption, Siegel said. Because chances are, after experiencing better sleep and other health benefits of one month booze-free, there’s a chance you may feel motivated to steer clear of alcohol for longer or at least reduce your intake moving forward.
Beyond the noticeable physical health impacts, Sober October or Dry January challenges help some people see that they can still have a fun social life even without alcohol.
“Once people learn that, it makes it easier for them to get out of that habit of alcohol being the center of their socialization,” Siegel said.
Some changes can’t happen in just a month
A longer period of abstinence from alcohol may be necessary for certain health benefits — especially if you’re a heavier drinker.
“For someone with mildly elevated liver enzymes, those levels may improve or even return to normal within a few weeks,” LaPietra said. “But for someone who has been drinking heavily for a long time, scar tissue may take several months or longer to improve, and some damage may not be fully reversible.”
It also generally takes longer to meaningfully reduce cancer risk. Alcohol is a carcinogen and puts you at higher risk for many different types of cancer, including colorectal and breast cancer. If you stop drinking for just a month, this won’t significantly reduce your cancer risk, Siegel said. But the longer you abstain, the more you lower your exposure and risk over time, he added.
“We used to think that if you drink in moderation, it doesn’t have health effects,” Siegel said. “But the recent research shows that that’s just not true, that cancer risk starts to go up even in small amounts of alcohol.”
What happens if you resume drinking
If you start drinking again after your month away from it, you’ll likely undo many of the benefits outlined above, LaPietra said. For example, you may start to have trouble sleeping again or notice an increase in anxiety if you pick the habit back up once November hits.
But this doesn’t necessarily mean an alcohol-free month is pointless. You can still use your time away from alcohol as a chance to reflect on your relationship with it. LaPietra suggested taking time to consider the changes you experienced and how you felt during your month not drinking.
“I don’t know that there’ll be any life-altering transformation for folks who drink very infrequently,” LaPietra said. “But I do think for folks who have alcohol integrated in their day-to-day personal culture, taking a month can be really eye-opening as to the role that alcohol plays in your mood and your sleep and just your overall health.”
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