I’m a firm believer in moderation and I’ve always been mindful of how things like alcohol impact my health, so I’ve never been a huge drinker. Still I do enjoy the occasional glass of wine, cocktail, or beer. Depending on what my social schedule looked like, I’d probably drink 0 to 4 alcoholic beverages per week, on average.
Even before planning this break from drinking, I was (sometimes painfully) aware of the fact that I never felt my best the morning after alcohol. My sleep was never restful, and I’d wake up with a heavy head, tired body, and extra puffiness and redness in my face.
Once I started tracking my sleep and health metrics with an Oura ring (about nine months ago), I had the data to show it. My heart rate would spike even after one alcoholic drink, my sleep scores would dip, and my body temperature would go up—and I’d sometimes see the impact last for multiple days.
Research also backs these unfortunate side effects of drinking. Alcohol has been shown to negatively impact your body’s natural production of melatonin1 and can lead to an imbalance in blood sugar, which may cause you to wake up earlier even after a long night.
Lack of sleep already puts me in a bad mood, but alcohol plays a role in this, too. It affects hormone function2 and can throw all sorts of bodily functions3 out of whack—including mood regulation, memory, and other cognitive abilities.
As someone who’s constantly testing beauty and skin care products, I couldn’t ignore the unfortunate effects alcohol has on the skin either. Not only is it incredibly dehydrating, but drinking can cause water retention throughout the body and exacerbate certain skin conditions, such as rosacea (as I’ve seen firsthand).
Of course, alcohol triggers inflammation4, too, and it can even worsen those pesky dark circles that I work so hard to avoid.
The most glaring hindrance, though, was on my physical performance. On the mornings after drinking, my body felt weaker and my muscles were more fatigued. Of course, the mental effects of alcohol likely also played a role in my not wanting to get out for a run those mornings.
While, yes, I do cut down my social schedule when training for a marathon, I don’t want to miss every happy hour or event. I also don’t want to be confined to only water. So I set out on a mission to find other drinks to sip on through my sober stint—ones that wouldn’t impact my ability to log high-quality sleep and get out for my daily training runs.
