Sober curious: what it means, what the research found, and how to try it

What "sober curious" means

NIAAA, the alcohol research institute of the US National Institutes of Health, says being sober curious focuses on a more mindful approach to alcohol consumption, and that the movement encourages people to examine how much, when and why they drink. By putting the focus on health and well-being, it says, sober-curious approaches may give people opportunities to make informed decisions about their drinking.

A 2024 study by researchers at RAND defines sober curiosity as exploratory or experimental abstinence or moderation. The authors note that the movement is also sometimes called "sober sometimes" or "mindful drinking". Among the sources they cite for the term is Ruby Warrington's 2018 book Sober Curious.

The same authors describe two partly overlapping ways the idea is talked about. In the first, being sober curious is a way of stopping or cutting down for people who may be concerned about their drinking and its consequences. In the second, it is a more general wellness trend and a rethink of drinking norms, in step with growing evidence that low or moderate drinking may lack benefits or may be harmful.

A question about your drinking, not a label

Nothing in the term asks you to stop for good. Because researchers define it as exploratory or experimental abstinence or moderation, a planned break, fewer drinking days and smaller drinks all fit. NIAAA director George F. Koob has said that the sober curious phenomenon and temporary abstinence challenges give people opportunities to evaluate their relationship with alcohol, and have helped create a cultural space for exploring and changing drinking behaviour.

It is also not a medical term. The RAND authors note that social science research on it is limited, and that most of what is known comes from media coverage and from personal growth and memoir books. Doctors use a different tool to diagnose a drinking problem: the 11 criteria for alcohol use disorder, where any 2 in the same 12 months lead to a diagnosis.

If you want a quick, standard way to look at your own drinking, our AUDIT-C check takes about a minute and stays on your device. Counting what you actually drink with the standard drink calculator is another honest starting point.

What a US study of sober curiosity found

The RAND authors say they knew of no earlier US behavioural health research on how common sober curiosity and temporary alcohol abstinence challenges are, or on who takes part. In 2021–2022 they surveyed 1,659 people aged 18 to 29 (average age about 25) who had drunk alcohol in the previous survey wave; 91% lived in California. Participants were asked whether they had heard of the "sober curious" or "sober sometimes" movement.

Awareness was low. People who had heard of it were more likely than others to report heavy drinking in the past month, had higher AUDIT scores, reported more alcohol-related consequences in the past year and were more likely to have had substance use treatment in the past year. They were also readier to quit drinking. NIAAA's summary of the study adds that these young adults reported greater readiness to reduce or stop drinking.

The authors are careful about what this shows. The analysis is cross-sectional and compares groups at one point in time, so it cannot show that the movement changed anyone's drinking. They also point out that the low awareness may reflect unfamiliar wording rather than unfamiliar ideas, because some people may practise mindful drinking without calling it that.

Sober curious, Dry January and other breaks from alcohol

Researchers treat a fixed break such as Dry January or Sober October as a related but separate practice, which they call a temporary alcohol abstinence challenge. In the same survey, 7% had done one in the past year, and only 2% of the whole sample had both heard of the sober curious movement and done a challenge.

Of those who took part in a challenge, 85% did not drink at all during it. Their most common reasons were to start or improve healthy habits (48%) and to lose weight or quickly change something about their health or body (47%). About one in five (19%) felt they had been drinking too much or too often, and 14% wanted to lower their tolerance. Our page on alcohol tolerance explains what that means.

Afterwards, 52% said they drank less, 15% had not started drinking again, 32% drank the same as before and under 1% drank more. The survey question gave no time frame, so the authors cannot say how long those changes lasted. If a set break suits you, our Dry January tips and the free dry month tracker cover the practical side.

How to try being sober curious this month

Being curious starts with information about your own drinking. NIAAA's Rethinking Drinking suggests keeping track of every drink in whatever way suits you, and says that noting each drink before you have it may help you slow down. It also suggests deciding how many days a week you want to drink and how many drinks you will have on those days, with some days when you do not drink. Our guide to drink-free days helps you choose them.

The NHS tips for cutting down work just as well for a curious month as for a firm goal:

• Before you start drinking, set a limit on how much you are going to drink.
• Go for smaller sizes, such as bottled beer instead of pints or a small glass of wine instead of a large one.
• Swap strong beers or wines for ones with a lower strength (ABV); see our guide to alcohol-free drinks for the options.
• Eat and have a glass of water before alcohol, then alternate drinks containing alcohol with water or other non-alcoholic drinks.
• Tell friends and family that you are cutting down and that it matters to you, so they can support you; our page on saying no to a drink has lines ready.
• Have several drink-free days each week.

When curiosity shows a bigger change is needed

Sometimes looking closely shows that drinking less is harder than expected. Rethinking Drinking suggests that if you have not made progress in cutting down after two to three months, you consider quitting altogether, seeking professional help, or both. It strongly advises quitting if you have tried cutting down but cannot stay within your limits, have had alcohol use disorder or now have any symptoms, have a health condition caused or made worse by drinking, take a medicine that interacts with alcohol, or are or might be pregnant.

If your body has become dependent on alcohol, drinking less can bring on withdrawal symptoms. The NHS lists symptoms including anxiety, difficulty sleeping, nausea and vomiting, a racing heartbeat, sweating and shaking. It says it can be very dangerous to stop drinking suddenly if you are dependent, and that if you get withdrawal symptoms you should get medical help before you try to stop drinking. Our guide on how to quit drinking safely explains where to start.

Common questions

When to get help

This site offers self-help tools and information, not medical advice. Talk to a doctor, or call one of the lines below, if:

• you feel shaky, sweaty, sick or anxious when you haven't had a drink;
• you find it hard to stop once you start, or you want to cut down and can't;
• drinking is causing problems with your health, work or the people close to you.

Before you stop: It can be very dangerous to stop drinking suddenly if you are dependent on alcohol. If you get withdrawal symptoms, get medical help before you try to stop drinking.

Sources

1. Sober-Curious Young Americans May Be Changing the Conversation Around Alcohol (Research Update, 12 September 2024). National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). niaaa.nih.gov
2. Siconolfi D, Tucker JS, Pedersen ER, Perez LG, Dunbar MS, Davis JP, Rodriguez A, Seelam R, D'Amico EJ (2024). Sober Curiosity and Participation in Temporary Alcohol Abstinence Challenges in a Cohort of U.S. Emerging Adults. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 85(2), 201–209. PMC10941816
3. Alcohol Use Disorder: A Comparison Between DSM–IV and DSM–5. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). niaaa.nih.gov
4. Tips to Try (Rethinking Drinking). National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov
5. Tips on cutting down on alcohol. NHS. nhs.uk
6. To Cut Down or to Quit (Rethinking Drinking). National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov
7. Alcohol-use disorder. NHS. nhs.uk