Dry january can benefit you in many ways, says study

Washington: Planning to sign up for Dry January a month without alcohol?

The findings of a University of Sussex study suggest Dry January is the secret to better sleep and losing weight.

The research, led by Sussex psychologist Dr Richard de Visser, was conducted with over 800 people who took part in Dry January in 2018. The results show that Dry January participants are still drinking less in August.

They reported that:

-drinking days fell on average from 4.3 to 3.3 per week,

-units consumed per drinking day dropped on average from 8.6 to 7.1,

-frequency of being drunk dropped from 3.4 per month to 2.1 per month on average.

Dr Richard de Visser, Reader in Psychology at the University of Sussex, said: "The simple act of taking a month off alcohol helps people drink less in the long term, by August people are reporting one extra dry day per week. There are also considerable immediate benefits: nine in ten people save money, seven in ten sleeps better and three in five loose weights."

"Interestingly, these changes in alcohol consumption have also been seen in the participants who didn't manage to stay alcohol-free for the whole month although they are a bit smaller. This shows that there are real benefits to just trying to complete Dry January."

The University of Sussex research showed that:

-93 per cent of participants had a sense of achievement,

-88 per cent saved money,

-82 per cent think more deeply about their relationship with drink,

-80 per cent feel more in control of their drinking,

-76 per cent learned more about when and why they drink,

-71 per cent realised they don't need a drink to enjoy themselves,

-70 per cent had generally improved health,

-71 per cent slept better,

-67 per cent had more energy,

-58 per cent lost weight,

-57 per cent had better concentration,

-54 per cent had better skin.

Dr Richard de Visser's findings come from three self-completed online surveys 2,821 on registering for Dry January, 1,715 in the first week of February, and 816 participants in August.

Dr Richard Piper, CEO of Alcohol Change UK, said, "Put simply, Dry January can change lives. We hear every day from people who took charge of their drinking using Dry January, and who feel healthier and happier as a result."

"The brilliant thing about Dry January is that it's not really about January. Being alcohol-free for 31 days shows us that we don't need alcohol to have fun, to relax, to socialise. That means that for the rest of the year we are better able to make decisions about our drinking, and to avoid slipping into drinking more than we really want to."

"Many of us know about the health risks of alcohol seven forms of cancer, liver disease, mental health problems but we are often unaware that drinking less has more immediate benefits too. Sleeping better, feeling more energetic, saving money, better skin, losing weight... The list goes on.

Dry January helps millions to experience those benefits and to make a longer-lasting change to drink more healthily."