Many people who drink low alcohol and alcohol-free, choose them as a practical choice – for example when they need to drive in the morning, or simply because they have a lot on the next day. 6 So the first 3 or 4 days without drinking might be pretty uncomfortable. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms vary, but symptoms will typically appear about six to twelve hours after your last drink. And they will tend to be worst after day 2 or 3. Milder withdrawal symptoms include sweating, shakes, headaches, and nausea, and you might have problems eating or sleeping. You may also feel anxious, irritable or agitated. Many people find that their sleep improves after 7 days without alcohol. Alcohol can send you to sleep, but it wakes you up early. So after a week without booze, you may find yourself sleeping more deeply and dreaming more. But if sleep is a struggle, don’t worry. Keep a regular bedtime, and practise good sleep hygiene. Here are some simple tips for improving your sleep. But do mark this moment in some way. You’ve done a good thing for yourself, and you deserve to celebrate your week without alcohol. You will have saved some money too, so maybe treat yourself to a bunch of flowers or a nice meal. Pinpointing problems with your drinking habits

But if you’re ready to dive in, here’s what to expect if you have an alcohol-free week. Physical changes in 7 days without alcohol For example, if you regularly have a couple of bottles of beer after work, switching to a 1.2% ABV low alcohol one instead of the usual 5% ABV would cut the number of units you drink in an evening making a huge difference over a week and reducing your risk of longer-term harm. Getting into the habit of drinking fewer standard alcoholic drinks and replacing them with alcohol-free or low alcohol alternatives can form part of a sustainable approach to cutting down on alcohol in the longer-term. 1 After a week without alcohol, you may find that you have a lot more energy. After the sluggishness and discomfort at the beginning of the week, suddenly, you wake up full of beans. You may notice your face is less puffy too, and your eyes might seem brighter. You may find your eating patterns change as well. Sugar cravings are common in the early days, and you are likely to notice that you feel hungry at different times of the day. Alcohol comes with a lot of empty calories, and your body will notice the difference. You’re unlikely to lose weight in just a week, but you are going to feel good about yourself.

You’ll be reducing your risk of fatal diseases

Low alcohol’ drinks contain 1.2% alcohol (ABV) or less. ‘ Alcohol-free’ drinks are 0.5% ABV or less, with many following government guidance in England to contain 0.05% ABV or less. 2 Drinkaware research has found people who haven’t tried low alcohol or alcohol-free drinks are more likely to have negative perceptions of their taste than people who do drink them. 5

Most people can grin and bear it through 7 days without alcohol. So it can be tempting to get through your week by simply hitting the pause button on life.If you’ve been a regular drinker for some time, you may experience some withdrawal symptoms when you stop. That’s because you’ve got used to having a certain level of alcohol in your system, and your body takes some time to catch up when you stop. Swapping a standard strength alcoholic drink for a low alcohol or alcohol-free one will mean you consume fewer units of alcohol and are more likely to stay within the guidelines - but only if you aren’t adding them on top of any alcohol you usually drink. These days, there are more, better tasting, low alcohol drinks to choose from than ever before. Drinkaware research has found regular drinkers of low alcohol products thought the taste had improved over recent years. Negative perceptions of taste were more common amongst people who hadn’t tried them, with many people pleasantly surprised with the taste when they did. 4 While these symptoms are bothersome and even unpleasant, you’ll be able to manage most of them by yourself. Basic self-care will go a long way to support your wellbeing in the early days. Stay hydrated, eat well, take painkillers, and get some sleep. But if you are worried, your symptoms don’t improve, or you experience seizures, fits, hallucinations, confusion or poor coordination, you must talk to your doctor. More severe withdrawal symptoms are relatively rare, but they can be serious.