What Dry January Really Reveals About Our Health

Dry January has become more than a one-month challenge. For many people, it’s a pause button. A chance to step back, take stock and ask a simple but important question: What role is alcohol really playing in my life?

To explore that question, I sat down with Michael Siegel, M.D., M.P.H., a public health expert and professor at Tufts University School of Medicine, for the first episode of The Educated Patient Podcast in 2026. He researches the effects of alcohol and associated policy. The eye-opening perspective he brought to our conversation challenges a lot of misconceptions about drinking, plenty of which I hear from patients.

One of the first things Siegel emphasized is that the benefits of reducing or stopping alcohol often show up faster than people expect.

What Changes First When Alcohol Is Removed

Digestive symptoms are often among the earliest improvements. Alcohol irritates the stomach lining and can worsen ulcers or gastrointestinal bleeding. When that irritation is removed, the body can begin to recover almost immediately. That relief alone is eye-opening for many people.

Mental health changes can also surface quickly. Siegel explained that alcohol affects mood regulation and emotional processing. When people stop drinking, they often notice improved emotional balance and a greater sense of presence in their day-to-day interactions. It’s not uncommon for people to say they feel more connected to themselves and to others.

Why Sleep Feels So Different Without Alcohol

Sleep came up again and again in our conversation, and for good reason. Alcohol may help people fall asleep faster, but Siegel explained that it disrupts sleep later in the night. As blood alcohol levels drop, the brain can experience withdrawal-like effects that cause frequent awakenings and lighter, less restorative sleep.

Even small amounts of alcohol can interfere with the brain chemicals responsible for healthy sleep cycles. This helps explain why people often wake up feeling foggy or unfocused after drinking, even when they believe they slept through the night. Many people doing Dry January report that deeper, more consistent sleep is one of the biggest benefits they notice.

The Lingering Effects on Thinking and Focus

Siegel also highlighted research showing that alcohol affects cognitive function even at levels below legal intoxication. Reaction time, attention and decision-making can all be impaired, and those effects can linger after alcohol has left the bloodstream.

That lingering impact may explain why people often feel mentally off for several days after a weekend of drinking. Dry January creates space to notice how clarity, focus and mental energy change when alcohol is fully removed.

The Social Side Is Often the Hardest Part

For many people, the biggest challenge of Dry January is not physical. It is social. Alcohol shapes how we connect, how we communicate and how we navigate conflict. Siegel reminded me that alcohol does not just affect individuals. It affects relationships.

Taking a break can reveal how much social interaction revolves around drinking and how alcohol influences emotional closeness and communication. He encourages people to treat Dry January as an experiment rather than a lifelong commitment, and to seek support by doing it alongside friends or family when possible.

Rethinking What We Have Been Told About Alcohol

One of the most important parts of our conversation was about how alcohol is framed culturally. Siegel pointed out that many people are unaware that alcohol is a known carcinogen. Growing evidence shows that cancer risk increases even at low or so-called moderate levels of drinking.

For him, Dry January is not about shame, judgment or restriction. It is about information. When people understand how alcohol affects their bodies, brains and relationships, they are better equipped to make decisions that align with their values and long-term health.

Dry January does not have to end with February. It can serve as a data-gathering exercise. A chance to learn, reflect and decide intentionally what role, if any, alcohol plays in your life going forward. It also doesn’t have to focus on alcohol — you can use the format of Dry January to explore other factors: cutting out caffeine, adding exercise or doing 30 days of mindfulness practice, just to name a few.

Reflections for Dry January — and Beyond

Here’s how to navigate 30 days of anything, whether you’re adding or subtracting something.

1. How does your body feel?
 Pay attention to what your body tells you when you remove something (alcohol, caffeine, sugar, coffee, etc.), or if you’ve added a mental or physical practice (stretching, journaling, meditating, walking, etc.). Notice changes in digestion, sleep, energy and mood without labeling them as good or bad.

2. How does your brain feel?
 Observe how your thinking and emotional responses shift. Is your focus sharper? Do your emotions feel steadier? It can be a good idea to jot down these observations throughout the process. Sometimes the smallest shifts are the loudest.

3. How do your days feel?
 Take note of how your days feel without the item you’re consuming, or with the addition of the practice you’re focused on. Look at mornings, weekends and how present you feel in them.

4. How do you feel in social settings?
Notice how conversations and connections change. Ask yourself which interactions feel more genuine and which feel harder.

5. How do you feel about yourself?
 At the end of the month, ask what you learned rather than whether you succeeded. Let that insight guide intentional choices about how the changes fit into your life moving forward.