6 ways your brain and body benefit when you stop drinking alcohol

Many who try the 31-day challenge find it becomes easier with time to adopt a low or no-alcohol lifestyle as a result. Whether you’re looking to cut back on the booze to avoid hangovers, save money, or improve your health overall, there are likely some added benefits you haven’t considered that might just make you consider giving it up for good. 

Here are some of the major benefits of cutting out alcohol, according to experts. 

1. Your sleep may improve

It might come as a shock to those who look forward to a night cap as a way to drift to sleep, but alcohol acts more like a tranquilizer, knocking you out but not giving you true sleep. 

In fact, studies show that even a low amount of alcohol—less than one drink for women and less than two for men—can negatively impact sleep quality. 

“There are four stages of sleep and stages 3 and 4 are most important,” says Louisa Nicola, a neurophysiologist and advisor with Momentous where she uses science-backed strategies to help athletes and investors reach peak performance. 

Nicola says it’s during the third stage of sleep, known as deep sleep, that you release growth hormones and testosterone and activate the glymphatic system which is the brain’s waste clearance system. 

“When you drink alcohol, you are sedating yourself. So you are blocking these stages of sleep,” Nicola says. 

2. You’ll perform better mentally

With improved sleep, comes improved mood, focus and energy. When you block REM sleep, stage four sleep, your emotions can be disrupted. 

“You’re going to have a short fuse, you’re going to be more angry, you’re going to be more sad and the way you respond to people is going to be less emotionally…