Myth Busting Wine O’Clock: Three Things You Need to Know

So, it’s Friday evening; it has been a long week and – oh my goodness – are you ready for that glass of wine? You bet!

But, has Wine O’Clock become a treat or something you rely on?

If you are considering making changes to what you drink, or how much you dring, perhaps changing what you may currently believe about Wine O’Clock will help

1. I Need My Friday Night Reward After a Hard Week to De-Stress

It won’t help, honest, if I could fast forward you to a full weekend without Wine O’Clock you would see how true relaxation feels.

There is a gift in this not just for Friday night but Saturday morning, having had an alcohol-free Friday night you will awake refreshed, relaxed and ready to enjoy your weekend to the full.

Let’s look at the alternative, one glass leads to two (let’s face it, it’s never one glass), maybe three and sure might as well finish the bottle. Saturday morning arrives, perhaps missed the gym glass I had promised I would go as my weight loss campaign had started the previous Monday, perhaps the children burst in at if we are lucky 9 o’clock full of energy for the day, the dry mouth and disturbed sleep leaving us wishing for a day in bed missing valuable time with them.

2. It Helps Me Sleep

Speaking of sleep there is a myth that wine will help you to nod off, it might but is it nodding off or crashing out.

Wine stops you from having the deep, restorative sleep you need in order to feel truly rested. That is why you often wake in the middle of the night exhausted but unable to sleep.

Some people struggle with their sleep when they first stop drinking, I know. But please be patient – the solution isn’t to go back to drinking!

Alcohol really screws up your sleep cycle and your body is just taking a bit longer to adjust. Hang on in there – in the long term, an alcohol-free lifestyle is one of the best things you can do to improve the quality of your sleep.

3. A Glass of Red Wine is Good for You

Sorry, no it seems not.

A landmark report by Chief Medical Officer Dame Sally Davies published in January 2016 destroys the long-held belief that red wine can cut the risk of cancer, heart disease and memory loss when drunk in moderation.

Instead, the first alcohol guideline shake-up since 1995 says that even a glass of red wine a day could increase the risk of breast cancer by 13 per cent.

The new guidelines say that the negatives of drinking outweigh any positives and that similar results that come from drinking can be achieved simply by eating less and exercise more.

If you need to talk to someone about managing your Wine O’Clock, let’s talk.