Ben Schmitt: Here's what I found during my Dry January experience

The concept of Dry January left me a bit wary.

I generally savor the post-work beer or cocktail after a long day of juggling breaking news, meetings and headlines.

But, like a lot of people, I did my fair share of imbibing over the holiday season.

So, after waking Dec. 26 dehydrated and headache-stricken, I decided to give up drinking for January. My wife, Donna, agreed to take the challenge with me.

Dry January is gaining momentum nationally as an annual trend. Those who do it abstain from alcohol for the first month of the year.

I felt like it was time to alter my habits and determine whether I could actually attain the goal. For the most part, it’s been fairly easy. I’ve only got a few more days to go.

First, what was difficult?

• Game, dinner time: I’m a sports fan, and January brings football playoffs. I usually enjoy a couple of brews while watching the AFC and NFC championship games. Couldn’t do that this year. Donna and I both remarked that the after-work evening period posed the biggest challenge. We usually unwind on weekdays with a glass of wine or alcoholic drink as we cook dinner and review the day. I noticed that urge during the first week, but it waned.

• Peer pressure: A few friends and co-workers didn’t understand our efforts. One night we stepped out for dinner and ran into a group of friends at the bar. They called us over for a drink. We explained why we would be ordering club soda. We got the side eye from a few folks.

How did I benefit?

• Sleep: By far, the biggest difference I noticed was how soundly I slept. I was getting seven or eight hours a night without waking. Donna had the same experience. We marveled over how rested and energetic we felt. Science says alcohol consumption disrupts our sleep. I never bought into that concept. Now I’m convinced.

“Alcohol is a double-edged sword if you think of it as a sleep aid,” Dr. Patton V. Nickell, chairman of psychiatry at Allegheny Health Network, told me. “It helps you fall asleep, short term. But it can also work against you. When your blood alcohol level falls as you’re sleeping, your body tends to become more activated.”

This explained why I often wake up in the middle of the night after having a few drinks.

• Money savings: We found an app called Try Dry to crunch our numbers and track our progress. Combined, we saved a few hundred dollars, according to the app.

• Health: There probably aren’t any long-term effects of taking a month off, Nickell told me. However, I dropped a few pounds without those empty calories, and a few people mentioned that my skin looked better. I felt less bloated.

• Sense of accomplishment: I set a goal for myself and stuck to it, despite a few moments of temptation. Having Donna partner with me in the journey definitely helped a great deal.

“Any trends that promote healthier habits are good things,” Nickell said. “If you received any negative reaction, you have to wonder what is going on inside their heads? Why does it make them uncomfortable that you stopped drinking for a month?”

As I near the end of this experiment, I feel rested and less agitated. Will I drink a glass of wine with dinner? Sure. An occasional drink after work? Absolutely. The best part of Dry January is it made me rethink a habit I took for granted. I plan on learning from this.