If you follow me on Instagram (@amandahesser<\/a>), you know that I have a feature called \u201cBeer du Jour\u201d where I highlight great craft brews. You may also have noticed that I like an Americano<\/a> (the Campari cocktail, not the coffee).<\/p>\n Like anyone who gets New York Times emails, in addition to learning what stretches I should do but don\u2019t, and what sunscreen I ought to have been applying for the last 30 years, I’ve been told enough about how alcohol disrupts sleep and energy levels. So I decided to do an experiment and stop drinking alcohol completely\u2014not forever, but at least until I could assess the results. I was curious if I\u2019d sleep more soundly and have more zest. It\u2019s been about six weeks, and I\u2019ve been surprised by the results.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve never been a big drinker, but having a beer or a cocktail at the end of a long work day was part of my evening ritual. And it was challenging to give up! During the first week it took a lot of self talk not to revert to my usual habits. My mind wanted the ritual; my body wanted the alcohol. By the second week, this urge had diminished. My sleep was fine, not amazing. I felt the same in the morning as I always do. What changed, to my surprise, was a sense of calm that came over me. I\u2019m intense (my husband likes to call it \u201chigh-revving\u201d), so I appreciate the calming effects of alcohol. But without it in my system for a few weeks, I felt that calmness throughout the day and into the evening. I\u2019m unlikely to cut beer, Americanos\u2014or great Champagne when it\u2019s offered!\u2014from my life forever, but I see it all differently now.<\/p>\n