Deciding to take a break from alcohol can be one of the most beneficial choices you make for your health. The negative effects of alcohol are wide-ranging, from short-term issues like headaches and anxiety to serious long-term consequences such as cancer. Based on scientific research, here is a timeline of what you can expect to feel in the days, weeks, months, and years after you stop drinking.
The Immediate Benefits: The First 24 Hours
After just one day, your body begins its recovery. Alcohol takes approximately 24 hours to completely leave your system, and improvements can start almost immediately. One of the first changes you might notice is rehydration. Alcohol acts as a diuretic, making you urinate more frequently and leading to dehydration. Once alcohol is out of your system, your body can properly absorb water, which improves digestion, brain function, and energy levels.
Your liver also gets a quick reprieve. Alcohol impairs the liver's ability to regulate blood sugar. Once you stop drinking, your blood sugar levels begin to normalise. It's important to note that if you are a daily drinker, you may initially feel worse as your body adjusts. You could experience disrupted sleep, mood swings, sweating, or tremors. However, these withdrawal symptoms typically resolve within about a week.
The First Week and Month: Sleep, Liver, and Mood Improvements
After one week without alcohol, you will likely notice a significant improvement in your sleep quality. While alcohol might make you feel sleepy initially, it severely disrupts your sleep cycle. By the end of an alcohol-free week, you should wake up feeling more energetic and refreshed.
Your liver, the body's primary filter for toxins, begins to heal remarkably fast. Even seven days may be enough to reduce liver fat and start repairing mild scarring and tissue damage if the damage is not severe. Brain health also sees a rapid improvement. Since even small amounts of alcohol can impair brain function, quitting can lead to better cognitive performance within a few days for light drinkers and within a month for heavy drinkers.
After one month of abstinence, the benefits become even more pronounced. Many people report a marked improvement in their mood. Alcohol can make it harder to manage emotions and can worsen symptoms of anxiety and depression. After a few weeks, most individuals start to feel better, with even very heavy drinkers reporting better mood after one to two months.
With better sleep and a more stable mood comes increased energy and an overall sense of wellbeing. You may also find yourself feeling more confident about your decision to change your drinking habits. Physically, you might lose weight as alcohol is high in calories and can trigger overeating. Your skin may also look better because alcohol causes dehydration and inflammation, which can make you look older.
Gut health improves significantly as well. Alcohol irritates the digestive system, leading to bloating, indigestion, heartburn, and diarrhoea. These symptoms usually start to resolve within four weeks. Furthermore, insulin resistance can reduce by 25 per cent after one month, which helps normalise blood sugar. Blood pressure also drops by around 6 per cent, and cancer-related growth factors decline, lowering your overall cancer risk.
Long-Term Gains: Six Months to a Year and Beyond
After six months of not drinking, your liver continues its impressive repair process. For moderate drinkers, liver damage could be fully reversed by this point. Heavy drinkers will also notice benefits, such as a stronger immune system and a general feeling of better health.
After one year or more, the long-term risks of chronic diseases begin to fall substantially. Alcohol contributes to heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and seven different types of cancer, as well as mental health issues. Sustained abstinence reduces all these risks.
One of the most significant impacts is on blood pressure. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a leading risk factor for death worldwide. A small increase of 2mmHg above the normal range can raise the risk of death from stroke by 10 per cent and from coronary artery disease by 7 per cent. Cutting back on alcohol to less than two drinks a day can significantly reduce blood pressure, thereby lowering the risk of stroke, heart disease, kidney problems, and even erectile dysfunction.
Your cancer risk also drops with sustained abstinence. A major study that followed over four million adults found that the risk of alcohol-related cancer fell by 4 per cent for light drinkers who quit. For those who reduced their drinking from heavy to moderate, the risk dropped by 9 per cent.
Making a Change and Getting Support
Any reduction in alcohol consumption will bring noticeable and immediate benefits to your brain and general health. The less you drink and the longer the periods between drinks, the healthier you will be. If you are considering a change, here are some steps that can help you succeed:
- Set clear goals and break them down into smaller, manageable steps.
- Pay attention to the positive benefits you notice from drinking less.
- Monitor your progress with a drink tracker.
- Seek support from others through resources like Hello Sunday Morning's anonymous Daybreak app, SMART Recovery, CounsellingOnline, or Sober in the Country.
If you are unsure about making a change, you can check your drinking risk online. If you have tried to cut back and found it difficult, professional help is available. You can call the National Alcohol and other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015 or speak to your GP.
This article is based on research identified with the assistance of Dr Hannah MacRae and was originally written by Nicole Lee, Adjunct Professor at the National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, and Katinka van de Ven, an Alcohol and other drug specialist at UNSW Sydney.
