I notice a moderate effect on my cognitive ability due to weekly or monthly alcohol consumption (longer term than the hangover cycle). There have been a few times in my life (such as when studying for my PhD comprehensive exams) that I quit drinking completely for over a month and I was quite surprised at how much more clarity of thought and memory I had. Not enough to make me abstain from drinking altogether, but enough that it's helped me drink substantially less.
People reeeeally overestimate just how many drinks and with what frequency it takes to cross into that "it's negatively affecting my health" threshold.
The mayo clinic recommends these standards
Up to one drink a day for women of all ages.
Up to one drink a day for men older than age 65.
Up to two drinks a day for men age 65 and younger.
The limit for men is higher because men generally weigh more and have more of an enzyme that metabolizes alcohol than women do.
A drink is defined as:
12 ounces (355 milliliters, or mL) of beer
5 ounces (148 mL) of wine
1.5 ounces (44 mL) of 80-proof distilled spirits
Most people from my experience:
- Pour a glass of wine way over 5 ounces
- Drink pints of beer at the bar, which are 16 oz, not 12, and drink at least 2 or 3.
The moderate part is the key, both in frequency, and amount. Not drinking all week, then binge drinking is worse than simply drinking one drink every day of the week.
Indeed...furthermore, people severely overestimate the amount of calories they burn through exercise and vastly underestimate the amount of calories they consume.
- Alcohol reduces the quality of your sleep, so you'll likely be playing catch-up regularly if you drink regularly before bed.
- Removing alcohol often removes the social situations surrounding alcohol, such as going out drinking till late. This means less alcohol will help stabilize your sleep cycle and keep you from spending too many nights out late.
I found that (during a difficult undergraduate course) sticking to a strict sleep schedule (and getting sufficient sunlight in the mornings) had a very positive effect on my cognitive ability.
