How to stop drinking every night: a plan that starts tonight

By the PromptLeadz editorial team. Last reviewed 20 September 2026. General information, not medical advice.

A glass at 6pm turns into the bottle by 10. You're not falling over, you're getting to work, but you'd like to stop drinking every night and it keeps not happening. This is a practical plan for that, starting tonight, with one safety check first.

Safety check before you stop

For most people who drink every evening, stopping or cutting down is safe. But if you drink heavily every day, stopping suddenly can be dangerous. See a doctor before you stop if any of these are true:

• You feel shaky, sweaty, sick or panicky when you haven't had a drink.
• You sometimes drink in the morning to feel steady.
• You've ever had a fit, or seen or heard things, when you stopped drinking.

A doctor can help you stop safely. Everything else in this plan still applies; it just starts with that appointment.

Step 1: Get an honest number (10 minutes)

Count last week. One UK unit is 10ml of pure alcohol. To work it out: volume in ml times ABV % divided by 1,000.

Drink	Units
Bottle of wine (750ml, 13%)	9.75
Large glass of wine (250ml, 13%)	3.25
Pint of 5% beer	2.8
Can of 5% beer (330ml)	1.7
Single spirit (25ml, 40%)	1

The UK low-risk guideline is no more than 14 units a week, spread over three days or more. A bottle of wine a night is about 68 units a week.

Then answer three quick questions, known as AUDIT-C. Score each 0 to 4:

1. How often do you have a drink? Never 0, monthly or less 1, 2 to 4 times a month 2, 2 to 3 times a week 3, 4 or more times a week 4.
2. How many drinks on a typical drinking day? 1 or 2 is 0, 3 or 4 is 1, 5 or 6 is 2, 7 to 9 is 3, 10 or more is 4.
3. How often do you have 6 or more on one occasion? Never 0, less than monthly 1, monthly 2, weekly 3, daily or almost daily 4.

0 to 4 is lower risk. 5 to 7, increasing risk: this plan fits well. 8 or more: use the plan and talk to your doctor or an alcohol service too.

Step 2: Pick a goal you'll actually keep

Two good options. Choose one:

• Stop for 30 days, then decide what you want. Clean and simple, and you'll learn what the evenings feel like without it.
• Cut down with drink-free days: start with 3 named days a week (say Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday), and a set number on the other days.

Write it in one sentence: "No drinking Sunday to Thursday. Two glasses maximum on Friday and Saturday."

Step 3: Fix the 6pm moment

Evening drinking is usually a ritual more than a craving: the end of work, cooking, the kids in bed. Replace the ritual, not just the drink.

• Pick a specific replacement drink and buy it in advance: alcohol-free beer, a tonic with lime, a sparkling water in the same glass.
• Eat earlier. An empty stomach at 6pm is half the craving.
• Move the moment: a shower, a walk around the block or a call right when you'd normally pour.
• No alcohol in the house on drink-free days. Not "I won't open it". Not in the house.

Step 4: Plan for the hard nights

Name your three hardest situations: Friday after a bad week, dinners with friends, a row at home. For each, write "When [this], I will [that]". For dinners out: decide your number before you go, order a soft drink first, have a line ready ("I'm on a health kick this month") and leave at a set time.

When the urge hits, give it 15 minutes. Cravings rise and fall. Get up, go to another room, drink something cold, text someone.

Step 5: Track it, lightly

One line a day: "Day 6. On plan: yes. Hardest moment: 7pm." Once a week, count days on plan out of seven and money saved. Look at the four-week trend, not one bad night.

What to expect

Many people notice their sleep changing within the first couple of weeks, sometimes worse for a few nights before it gets better. Mornings feel different. The money is easy to count: a bottle a night at EUR 10 is about EUR 300 a month.

If you slip

You had a drink on a drink-free day. Ask three questions: what happened in the hour before, what did the drink give you, and what one change would have stopped it. Make that change. Carry on tomorrow. A slip is information.

When to get more help

If you've tried this a few times and can't stay on plan, that's common, and it's a sign to add support, not a failure. Your doctor, an alcohol service, AA or SMART Recovery all work, and helplines exist in most countries: Alcool Info Service 0 980 980 930 in France, Drinkline 0300 123 1110 in the UK, SAMHSA 1-800-662-4357 in the US.

Sources and further reading

• NHS Better Health: drink less
• Drinkaware: units and low-risk guidelines
• Alcool Info Service (France)
• SAMHSA National Helpline (US)