From better skin to reduced anxiety, the benefits of giving up alcohol are well-documented. Whether you enjoy a few too many martinis with friends at the weekend or have a glass or two of wine every night after work, consuming alcohol regularly can take its toll on your body and mind – which is why so many people decide to take a break come January.

But the benefits of giving up alcohol don’t magically appear as soon as you take your last sip. It’s a gradual process, and you might notice some good (and bad) changes as your body adapts to being sober. At the end of the adaptation period, you can expect to reap the benefits you’ve heard about – you just need to give your body time and space to do its job.

So, whether you’re tackling Dry January or are interested in giving up alcohol later this year, here are some of the things you can expect when you first take the plunge.  

While giving up alcohol can lead to an increase in sleep quality, you might have to face a few bumps in the road on your way to a good night’s rest. New research from mattress brand Simba, who surveyed 1,000 UK adults who had taken part in Dry January over the past two years, found that nearly a quarter (23%) dealt with nocturnal anxiety at the start.

“Stopping drinking can throw off the usual balance of chemicals in your brain – specifically levels of norepinephrine – messing with how signals are transmitted,” explains Lisa Artis, a sleep advisor and CEO of The Sleep Charity. 

“This disruption is like a domino effect, and one of the outcomes can be that you end up feeling more anxious than usual,” she says. “It’s essentially your brain adjusting to the absence of alcohol and figuring out how to find its balance again.”

To counteract this, it’s a great time to start thinking about calming activities you can incorporate into your bedtime routine. Doing some gentle stretches, having a cup of herbal tea or using some relaxing essential oils (either with a diffuser or in the form of a pillow spray) can all help to make the hours before bed feel a little calmer. 

Did you know that giving up alcohol could offer extra benefits for gym goers? While it’s possible to work out with a hangover, alcohol could be standing in the way of your progress – and giving it up for a month or longer could make a real difference to your performance.

Not only can giving up alcohol leave you with more energy (your sleep will become more restful after a couple of days, and you’re less likely to have late nights out drinking), but it can also make a difference to your muscle-building ability.

As GP and personal trainer Dr Folusha Oluwajan previously told Strong Women: “Alcohol directly impacts muscle protein synthesis – the creation of new protein molecules in your muscle – which is going to affect your ability to become stronger or more powerful.”

However, that doesn’t mean you should be pushing for new PBs as soon as you finish your last drink. Stick to your regular routine and see whether you notice an increase in the pace of your progress – when things pick up, you can begin to challenge yourself further. 

Alcohol has the power to suppress our REM sleep, so if you drink regularly, it’s possible you haven’t been getting as much of it as you should. So, when you stop drinking for a while, your body takes the opportunity to catch up – often leading to a ‘rebound’ in this stage of the sleep cycle. As a result, you might find yourself dreaming more.

“The heightened brain activity during REM sleep, coupled with the absence of alcohol’s dulling influence, can make dreams feel more lifelike and potentially intense, leading to an increased likelihood of nightmares,” Artis explains.

While there’s not much you can do to control when and how you dream, Artis suggests using scent as a tool to guide your headspace. “Studies have shown that what you smell may influence your dreams,” she says. Bergamot, she points out, is said to induce calm, while some suggest rose softens negative emotions and sandalwood can help with grounding. 

We know that giving up alcohol can offer mental health benefits in the long run, particularly when it comes to a reduction of feelings such as anxiety and depression. But in the short term it can be a bit of a bumpy ride, thanks to the impact alcohol has on the brain.

To understand this impact, we need to talk about two of the brain’s core neurotransmitters – GABA and glutamate. While glutamate is an excitatory transmitter – meaning it gives us energy and keeps us going – GABA has the opposite effect and balances out glutamate’s buzz. GABA is the neurotransmitter that is increased when we drink alcohol, which is why we get that relaxed feeling after a few glasses of wine. But when we drink regularly for an extended period, our body gets used to this daily increase in GABA and turns down the amount that the body produces naturally. This can lead to the two neurotransmitters falling out of balance, triggering an increase in feelings of anxiety.

Being able to think more clearly without alcohol in your system can also leave you with longstanding issues to acknowledge, adds Dr Jamie Winn, a consultant pharmacist at Universal Drugstore. “Drinking can sometimes mask underlying emotional issues, so taking a break leaves you to address these emotions more directly with a clearer head,” he says.

While you might need to ride the wave for a little while, reaching out to friends and family, or seeking professional help, is a great way to work through any emotions that are bothering you. Journaling and practising mindfulness can also give you space to come to terms with any of the feelings that are cropping up and allow you to reflect and think things through. 

If you’re concerned about your alcohol use, it’s important to seek help and support. For advice and information, visit Alcohol Change UK. Alternatively, speak to your GP or other healthcare professional. 

Images: Getty