Dry February

DRY January was introduced to compensate for the alcoholic excesses of the Christmas season.

Now that it has ended, health experts suggest that the one in seven Brits who stayed on the wagon last month would benefit from dry February, or even longer. They would sleep better, as alcohol ini­ tially acts as a sedative but actually raises adrenaline levels which act as a stimulant.

The liver has to work overtime to break down alcohol, which also disturbs sleep patterns, and, because alcohol is a diuretic and produces more urine, drinkers have to make extra trips to the bathroom during the night.