According to a recent report by Nielson [Australia], more and more of us are cutting down on our weekly alcohol consumption with the rise of “mindful drinking”. In fact, according to non-profit Drinkwise, 20 per cent of us abstained from alcohol of any kind in 2017 (an 11 per cent increase compared to ten years previous). But what exactly are the benefits of going tee-total?
In the short term, according to UK charity DrinkAware, the most immediate difference you should feel will be in your energy levels. Alcohol may help you drift off to sleep quicker but it actually reduces the overall quality of your sleep cycle, with drinkers spending less time in deep restorative phases of sleep, and more time in wakeful states such as REM. Cutting down on your intake will see your sleep cycle return to a more normal pattern, leaving you feeling refreshed and well rested throughout the remainder of the day. Cutting out or quitting booze will also have a noticeable impact on your appearance. Notwithstanding what we already know about the high calorie counts of our favourite tipples, alcohol can very quickly dehydrate us, which has a huge impact on the appearance of our skin and eyes.