Most people trying to drink less already know what alcohol does. You don’t need another explanation about sleep or next-day energy. You’ve lived it. That’s usually not the sticking point. The harder part is what happens at a very specific time of day—often the same one. You finish work, or sit down for the evening, or hit that window where your brain won’t settle. And then the thought shows up.
It’s a strange thing, really, how quickly your mind can shift when it comes to your relationship with drinking. One moment you’re fairly clear about it—like, no, I’m trying to cut back, that’s the direction. And then later, sometimes not even much later, there’s this other version of you that starts negotiating.
You make a plan, maybe even feel good about it, and then a few days later, you’re right back in the same pattern. That’s the part New York Times-bestselling author Nir Eyal is interested in. Not the “what,” but the why not.
Let’s say you’re out somewhere. Drinks are around, people are talking, and for a while you’re just… in it. Then your attention sort of slides sideways. You start noticing things you weren’t paying attention to a second ago. Someone’s drink is still half full. Someone else hasn’t gone back for another. And then your brain does that thing. Wait… why does this look so easy for them?
Many of us have a working theory about our drinking patterns. But when you zoom out and look at the research, the story doesn’t always line up as neatly as you’d expect. Here are seven findings that might shift your thinking.
For a long time, the conversation around alcohol has been pretty binary. You either drink… or you don’t. You either have control… or you don’t. But that framing doesn’t work for everyone. Honestly, it probably never did. And now there’s more space opening up in the middle.
EXPLORE
About Sunnyside
Sunnyside is a system for creating a more mindful approach to drinking to help you reach your goals. Our members are seeing major benefits, including a 30% average reduction in weekly drinks, improved sleep, a healthier diet, money saved, and an overall improved sense of well-being.
Sunnyside is not designed to treat alcohol use disorder (AUD). For resources related to AUD, including how to get support, please visit the NIH website. We’ve also partnered with Moderation Management, a non-profit dedicated to reducing the harm caused by the misuse of alcohol.
Alcohol Moderation guides
Sunnyside is a system for creating a more mindful approach to drinking to help you reach your goals. Our members are seeing major benefits, including a 30% average reduction in weekly drinks, improved sleep, a healthier diet, money saved, and an overall improved sense of well-being.
Sunnyside is not designed to treat alcohol use disorder (AUD). For resources related to AUD, including how to get support, please visit the NIH website. We’ve also partnered with Moderation Management, a non-profit dedicated to reducing the harm caused by the misuse of alcohol.