Your weekly drinking results
You're reducing your risk of long-term health problems
You drink MORE than 0% of 16-24 year olds
Drinking less gives you more energy.
Drinking too much can make you feel tired, sluggish and generally a bit under the weather. Drink less and it shouldn't take too long before you notice that you have more energy.
Drinking less can help you sleep.
Regular drinking can affect the quality of your sleep, making you feel tired and sluggish. When you drink alcohol before bed you may fall into a deep sleep quicker, but as the night goes on you spend more time in the less restful Rapid Eye Movement (REM) stage of sleep. This can leave you feeling tired the next day, not matter how long you stay in bed. To help you sleep better, stop drinking earlier before bedtime. This will give your body time to process the alcohol you've drunk. On average it takes two hours to process a glass of wine or pint of beer. For more advice to help you sleep visit www.nhs.uk/livewell/sleep/pages/sleep-home.aspx
Drinking less can lift your mood.
Some people drink when they're feeling down, but this usually only makes them feel worse. Initially alcohol may make you feel more energetic or cheerful, but then - because alcohol is a depressant - you could end up feeling worse. For other ways to lift your mood visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/
Now we know more about how you drink, we'd like to suggest some simple tips that you could try using to drink less. You don't need to do them all. Pick what works best for you and your life.
Find other ways to relax and ease stress.
Drinking regularly can make you feel down or even lead to feelings of anxiety or depression, which make stress harder to deal with. This is because regular drinking interferes with neurotransmitters in our brains that are needed for good mental health. It's better to find out what's making you feel stressed and look for ways to deal with it. If stress can't be avoided, look for other ways to manage it better. Exercise can help. So can talking things through with someone and making sure you spend time doing things that you enjoy. For more ideas visit the other ways to relax section of our website.
Steer clear of rounds.
Think of a good reason for avoiding rounds, and let your friends know before you start drinking. For example - you're losing weight, you're saving up, or you have something important to do in the morning. Another popular idea is only taking a limited amount of money (and no bank cards) out with you. If you don't want to drink at all, you could offer to be the designated driver. This will help you stay in control of how much you're drinking.
Don't spoil your night before it begins.
Merseyside Police are making sure that bars don't serve anyone that is drunk. Make sure your night doesn't get cut short by drinking less before you go out or waiting until you go out to have a drink. Find out more at www.drinklessenjoymore.co.uk
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