Thirty Days Sober / Sleep

Why people sleep better without alcohol

Seven in ten Dry January participants say they slept better. Here is what the surveys found, and what to drink in the evening instead.

Updated 8 November 2026Researched by the Thirty Days Sober team

Sleep is the benefit people mention most. In the University of Sussex survey of Dry January 2018 participants, 71% said they slept better. A follow-up study of the 2019 challenge found 72%. Alcohol Change UK, which runs Dry January, reports 70% sleeping better in its own summary of the research.

A January 2026 review by researchers at Brown University looked at 16 studies covering more than 150,000 people and linked taking part in Dry January with better sleep, mood and general health.

The evening problem

For most people the hard part is the habit, not the alcohol. A drink marks the end of the working day. Swapping it for something that still feels like a ritual, a cold can or a proper glass, keeps the habit and drops the alcohol.

Research by Trip and Censuswide in January 2026 found 58% of Millennials say alcohol is no longer their favourite way to unwind.

Our pick

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Sources

• University of Sussex: Dry January, better sleep, saving money and losing weight
• University of Sussex: participants still drinking less six months later
• Alcohol Change UK: the evidence behind the Dry January challenge
• Brown University: what the research says about Dry January
• Grocery Gazette: one in three adults drinking less during a record Dry January

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