Does Dry January Work? You May Be Surprised.

Health Benefits of Cutting Back on Alcohol

With New Year’s resolutions right around the corner, you might be thinking, “Perfect time for a detox.”

Enter Dry January, a month-long period of sobriety some undertake at the start of the New Year.

If you’re giving Dry January a try this year, you’re not alone. Fifteen percent of Americans said “no thanks” to alcohol for the entire first month of 2023, according to one report.

But what health benefits can you expect from extended time without alcohol? Let’s take a look.

What Does the Science Say?

Researchers are still trying to understand what exactly alcohol does to our bodies; there’s much we know, but still some we don’t.

What we can say is that regularly consuming heavy amounts of alcohol – generally defined as more than two drinks a day for men and more than a drink a day for women – can cause long-term harm to the organs involved in metabolizing alcohol, including the liver, brain and cardiovascular system.

The jury’s still out on light and moderate amounts of alcohol. If you’re staying below that one-to-two-per-day threshold, it’s not yet known if that will have a significant effect on your health.

The Benefits of Dry January

For those who stand to gain from a few weeks without alcohol, here are some of the health benefits you may experience:

1. Improved Sleep Quality

Abstaining from alcohol can improve your sleep quality. Not only does it likely mean fewer late nights, but it can reverse the negative effects alcohol can have on rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep. This is one of the most important phases of your sleep cycle, during which your body restores and regulates itself.

By reducing your intake of alcohol, you can increase the likelihood that you’re getting enough REM and thereby improve the quality of your sleep, helping you feel refreshed and ready to go in the morning.

2. Weight Loss

A light beer can have anywhere between 90 and 150 calories. A glass of red wine might come in at well over 150. With those numbers, some of us could be notching 600 calories or more on a night out – and that doesn’t even count the late-night pizza or fast food that sometimes follow.

Remove those excess calories over the course of a month, and it’s easy to see why so many people report experiencing weight loss when they give Dry January a try.

3. Better Diet and Exercise

If you struggle to stay true to a diet and exercise routine, one night out can really derail things. The subpar sleep and dehydrating effects of alcohol can make it difficult to hit the gym in the morning, and that caloric intake can make it seem like all your progress has gone up in smoke.

Without alcohol, you’re a lot more likely to stick to your health routine, and that means you’re a lot more likely to experience the surge of motivation that can come with seeing real progress.

4. More Energy

The cumulative effect of improved sleep, weight loss and greater commitment to your health goals can contribute to higher levels of energy during the day.

And think of the quality-of-life improvements that could come from an energy-filled day – higher productivity at work, more energy to play with your kids and more time for your hobbies.

Of course, everyone’s experience will be different, but even if you don’t see any of the above benefits, abstinent periods like Dry January can be a good time to reassess your relationship with alcohol. If you’re concerned about your alcohol intake (or you’re having a particularly hard time sticking to your Dry January commitment), consider talking to your doctor.