Dry January, the benefits and how to make it easier

Plenty of us reach the first week of January with a few too many mince pies and late nights behind us, and a quiet wish for a calmer month. That's one reason so many people sign up for Dry January.

Dry January means going without alcohol for the whole of January. In studies of people who took part, completing the month was linked with better sleep and more energy, and many were still drinking less six months later [1][2]. A small study also found lower blood pressure and weight after one month [3]. Most of this research relies on what people report themselves, and the people who sign up tend to be motivated, so the results may not apply to everyone.

What is Dry January?

It's a month off alcohol, from 1 to 31 January. The charity Alcohol Change UK runs the official campaign, with free daily coaching emails and an app to help people stick with it [1].

It has grown fast. About 4,000 people registered on the campaign website in 2013, and more than 175,000 did in 2023. In a 2024 survey by the charity, 16% of UK adults said they planned to stop drinking for January [1].

Some people choose a "dryish" January instead, sometimes called Damp January, cutting down rather than stopping [1]. A small trial in 25 women found that both a fully dry month and a month with at least four drink-free days a week were possible to stick to. It wasn't designed to measure health effects [4].

What happens after a month without alcohol?

One London study measured the body before and after. It followed 94 people who stopped drinking for a month and 47 who carried on as usual. Before the month, the group who stopped drank about 32 units a week on average. People chose their own group, so it wasn't a randomised trial Early [3].

After the month, the group who stopped had lower insulin resistance, a measure linked to the risk of type 2 diabetes. It fell by about a quarter. Their systolic blood pressure (the top number) fell by 6.6% and their weight by 1.5%. The group who kept drinking saw no such changes [3].

Surveys of people taking part point the same way. Completing the month was linked with better well-being in five areas, which were energy, sleep, health, weight and money [1][5]. The NHS lists similar early effects of cutting down, such as feeling better in the mornings, being less tired during the day and feeling more energetic [6].

Will I sleep better without alcohol?

Many people say they do. The NHS explains that alcohol can help some people fall asleep quickly, but it can disrupt your sleep patterns and stop you sleeping deeply. So cutting down should help you feel more rested when you wake up [6].

A 2025 review of 27 studies in healthy adults found that alcohol delayed and reduced REM sleep, the stage linked with dreaming. This started at lower amounts and grew with higher ones [7]. In a French study of 2,123 people doing Dry January, sleep quality improved, most of all in those who completed the month [8].

Darker evenings make January a good month to try an earlier night too. Our sleep hygiene guide has small changes that help.

Will I lose weight during Dry January?

Some people do, but it isn't guaranteed. Alcohol has calories, and they add up. The NHS says a standard 175 ml glass of 12% wine can contain up to 158 calories, and a pint of 5% beer up to 222 [9].

In the one-month study above, weight fell by 1.5% in the group who stopped [3]. What replaces those drinks matters too. A nightly pudding in the same spot can quietly fill the gap.

Do the benefits of Dry January last?

For many people, partly Early. In a study of 857 UK adults, people were drinking less six months later whether or not they had completed the month, and more so if they had. Very few drank more than before [2].

When 1,192 people who took part were compared with 1,549 drinkers who didn't, the improvements in February and August showed up only in those who took part [10]. A French study found drinking was still below its starting level nine months later, although it crept up after January [11].

These studies follow volunteers and rely on their own reports. Across England, the rise in people taking part between 2015 and 2018 wasn't linked with a large fall in drinking in the population as a whole [12].

How to make Dry January easier

The good news is that small, practical steps help. The NHS suggests these for cutting down, and most suit a dry month too [6].

• Tell friends and family. If they know it matters to you, they can support you.
• Take it a day at a time. As the NHS puts it, every day you do is a success.
• Have something else to drink. Keep water or a non-alcoholic drink you like ready for the moments you'd usually pour a glass.
• Make a plan. Decide before a night out what you'll drink instead.
• Sign up for support. In surveys, people who used the campaign's support emails were more likely to complete the month [5][8].

If you slip, carry on with the rest of the month. Studies found benefits even in people who didn't manage every day [1][2]. You don't need all five tips at once either. Pick the one that fits your week and start there.

Is Dry January safe for everyone?

If you drink heavily every day, get advice before you stop. The NHS says that if you are physically dependent on alcohol, stopping overnight could be harmful, and you should get advice about how to stop safely and any medicine you may need [13].

Signs that you may need medicine to stop include anxiety after waking, sweating and mild shaking, and feeling sick or retching in the morning. Call 999 for severe withdrawal symptoms, such as hallucinations, severe shaking or seizures [13].

If you're worried about your drinking, talk to a GP or call Drinkline, the free national alcohol helpline, on 0300 123 1110 [13].

Frequently asked questions

What does Dry January mean?

Dry January means not drinking any alcohol for the whole of January. The official campaign is run by the charity Alcohol Change UK, and more than 175,000 people registered for it in 2023 [1].

Is Dry January good for you?

Studies of people who took part link it with better sleep, more energy and drinking less afterwards, and one small study found lower blood pressure and weight after a month. These studies are observational, so they can't prove the month caused the changes [1][3].

When will I start to feel better?

We found no study that pins down a day. The NHS lists feeling better in the mornings and being less tired during the day among the early effects of cutting down, and in one study blood pressure and weight had fallen by the end of the month [3][6].

Do alcohol-free drinks count?

That's your call, but check the label. In UK guidance, "alcohol free" means no more than 0.05% alcohol, "de-alcoholised" means up to 0.5% and "low alcohol" means 1.2% or less [14].

What if I have a drink during Dry January?

Carry on with the rest of the month. In one study, people who didn't complete Dry January were still drinking less six months later, though the drop was bigger in those who did [2].

What should I do after Dry January?

If you go back to drinking, the NHS advises no more than 14 units a week, spread over three or more days, with several drink-free days each week. 14 units is about 6 pints of average-strength beer or 10 small glasses of lower-strength wine [15].

Is Dry January safe for heavy drinkers?

If you're physically dependent on alcohol, stopping suddenly could be harmful. Talk to a GP or call Drinkline on 0300 123 1110 before you stop [13].

Read more about making a new habit stick in our healthy habits guide.

References

Every source here is listed so you can read it yourself. This guide is for general information and doesn't replace advice from your GP. We check it again at least every six months.

1. Strowger M, Meisel MK, Uriarte S, Colby SM (2025). A scoping review of Dry January: evidence and future directions. Alcohol and Alcoholism 60(5): agaf057. PMID 40919890
2. de Visser RO, Robinson E, Bond R (2016). Voluntary temporary abstinence from alcohol during "Dry January" and subsequent alcohol use. Health Psychology 35(3): 281-9. PMID 26690637
3. Mehta G, Macdonald S, Cronberg A, Rosselli M, Khera-Butler T, Sumpter C et al. (2018). Short-term abstinence from alcohol and changes in cardiovascular risk factors, liver function tests and cancer-related growth factors: a prospective observational study. BMJ Open 8(5): e020673. PMID 29730627
4. Field M, Puddephatt JA, Goodwin L, Owens L, Reaves D, Holmes J (2020). Benefits of temporary alcohol restriction: a feasibility randomized trial. Pilot and Feasibility Studies 6: 9. PMID 32021698
5. de Visser RO, Nicholls J (2020). Temporary abstinence during Dry January: predictors of success; impact on well-being and self-efficacy. Psychology & Health 35(11): 1293-1305. PMID 32216557
6. NHS. Tips on cutting down on alcohol. Page last reviewed 9 April 2026. Accessed 31 October 2026. nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-advice
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8. Lespine LF, François D, Haesebaert J, Delile JM, Savy M, Naassila M et al. (2026). Determinants of successful completion and short-term benefits associated with temporary alcohol abstinence during Dry January in France: A prospective cohort study. Preventive Medicine 202: 108428. PMID 41110619
9. NHS. Calories in alcohol. Page last reviewed 12 June 2023. Accessed 31 October 2026. nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-advice
10. de Visser RO, Piper R (2020). Short- and longer-term benefits of temporary alcohol abstinence during 'Dry January' are not also observed among adult drinkers in the general population: prospective cohort study. Alcohol and Alcoholism 55(4): 433-438. PMID 32391879
11. Rolland B, François D, Haesebaert J, Delile JM, Savy M, Tubiana-Rey B et al. (2026). Change in alcohol consumption among French adults participating in Dry January: A 9-month prospective cohort study. International Journal on Drug Policy 156: 105436. PMID 42492218
12. Case P, Angus C, De Vocht F, Holmes J, Michie S, Brown J (2021). Has the increased participation in the national campaign 'Dry January' been associated with cutting down alcohol consumption in England? Drug and Alcohol Dependence 227: 108938. PMID 34392050
13. NHS. Alcohol support. Page last reviewed 17 August 2026. Accessed 31 October 2026. nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-advice
14. Department of Health and Social Care. Low alcohol descriptors guidance. Published 13 December 2018. Accessed 31 October 2026. gov.uk
15. NHS. Alcohol units. Page last reviewed 27 August 2024. Accessed 31 October 2026. nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-advice