Vol.32 3 mindset shifts to get through your first nightcap-free week
I remember lying awake for hours, watching the soft glow of my night clock shift from 1 a.m. to 2 a.m., miserably hoping that sleep would return if I just counted enough lambs.
That was the week I tried to skip my nightcaps.
Four nights later, I concluded: “I just can’t sleep without alcohol’s help.”
So I poured myself “just one glass of wine” to guarantee “one good night’s sleep.”
If you’ve ever struggled to fall asleep in your first few alcohol-free nights, you’re not alone.
But here’s the problem: going back for “just one” is far more counterproductive than you think.
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Physically, it sends your circadian rhythm recovery back to square one.
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Psychologically, it reinforces the false belief: “I just can’t sleep without alcohol’s help.”
That’s why mindset is such a powerful tool in your first nightcap-free weeks.
3 Mindset Shifts to Try
#1. Expect a few rough nights at first
Think of it like your “sleep factory” dusting off the old circadian rhythm machine. It takes time, but it will get back up and running.
#2. Add “yet”
Instead of saying, “I can’t fall asleep without alcohol,” try, “I can’t fall asleep without alcohol…yet.”
That tiny word flips the story from a dead end into a work in progress.
#3. Treat each night as new
When we assume, “Last night was awful, so tonight will be too,” we create a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy. But each night really is its own. In fact, the longer you stay awake, the more adenosine builds up in your brain—making it easier to drift off the next time.
