What happens to your body when you give up alcohol for a month.

The article outlines common short-term effects after stopping alcohol—early sleep disruption and cravings—followed over weeks by improved hydration, gut balance, mood and lower blood pressure.

Many people are re-examining alcohol use through events such as Sober October, and the article describes what typically happens when someone stops drinking for a month. It presents a day-by-day and week-by-week account drawn from clinicians and people who have given up alcohol. Early effects include irritability and disrupted sleep as the brain adjusts to the loss of alcohol’s sedative effects. Over the following weeks, various physical and metabolic markers commonly reported in the piece appear to shift as the body rebalances. Key observations: - Day 1: Irritability and anxiety are common as the brain responds to the loss of alcohol's sedative influence and transient stimulants emerge. - Days 2–4: Sleep can be reduced and less restorative while the brain readjusts; REM sleep typically increases after a few days. - Day 5: Increased sugar cravings are often reported as alcohol-related sugar intake falls away. - Around day 7: Vivid or intense dreams can occur due to REM rebound while sleep architecture normalises. - Days 10–14: Many people report mood stabilisation and improved skin hydration as chemical balances shift and fluid regulation returns to baseline. - Weeks 2–3 and beyond: Gut microbiome balance and bloating often improve, blood pressure commonly falls by around week three in some studies, and liver-related enzymes such as GGT can take more than a month to return toward normal levels. Summary: Reported effects begin with short-term sleep disruption, irritability and cravings, then progress over two to three weeks to improved hydration, gut symptoms and lower blood pressure. Some liver markers and longer-term risks, such as cancer risk and pancreatic recovery, are reported to continue changing with extended abstinence and may require months to alter. Timelines vary between individuals and the degree of prior alcohol use.