Cutting out alcohol
Drinking nothing, or close to it: the most common upgrade in these stacks
Removing alcohol entirely, or cutting it to rare and small amounts. The near-universal report is dramatically better sleep, particularly REM sleep, plus steadier mood and easier training. Public health messaging has shifted markedly here: there is no established amount that improves health outcomes, and it is a group 1 carcinogen. The single most agreed-upon subtraction in this directory.
People on record
Sorted by strength of stance
Does it: documented as part of their own routine. Recommends: explicitly advises other people to do it. Discusses: covered it substantively without clear personal adoption; this can include criticism or disagreement.
- Bryan JohnsonDoes it
Founder · Blueprint longevity protocol
Alcohol is out entirely, incompatible with the sleep and biomarker targets he is optimizing for.
Source: Blueprint protocol site - Chris WilliamsonDoes it
Host · Modern Wisdom
Left a career in club promotion and stopped drinking, and describes it as the single change that improved his sleep and mood most.
Source: chriswillx.com: 3 Minute Monday, Monk Mode, Sleep & Bravery“I’ve cut out alcohol for over 2000 days in the last 8 years. Gone 500 days without caffeine. 1500+ sessions of meditation. 5+ years of daily journals filled, 300+ sessions of yin yoga, probably 500+ hours of Stu McGill’s Big 3.”
chriswillx.com: 3 Minute Monday – Monk Mode, Sleep & Bravery (opens in a new tab) · 2 Feb 2026 - Cristiano RonaldoDoes it
Footballer · Portugal captain and five-time Ballon d'Or winner
Alcohol comes first on his list of things he avoids because they are bad for him, ahead of sugary sodas and processed food. He frames it as part of watching his diet rather than as a separate rule.
Source: FourFourTwo: Cristiano Ronaldo's training tips - Jocko WillinkDoes it
Retired Navy SEAL officer · Jocko Podcast
Asked directly whether he drinks alcohol, he says no. He does not drink, and orders water at a bar.
Source: The Tim Ferriss Show #107 transcript - Rich RollDoes it
Ultra-endurance athlete · The Rich Roll Podcast
Sober since 1998, after rehab at 31, and he describes sobriety rather than diet as the foundation everything else was rebuilt on.
Source: The Tim Ferriss Show #561 transcript“I mean, I was sober for almost 10 years before I made these lifestyle shifts. … sobriety and addiction stand outside of those things, and those other things have a role in my life, but addiction and recovery are a very separate thing.”
The Tim Ferriss Show #561 transcript (opens in a new tab) · 7 Jan 2022 - Daniel AmenRecommends
Psychiatrist · Change Your Brain, Change Your Life
Caffeine, alcohol and marijuana all land on his not-a-fan list, because he says they pollute sleep. When the American Cancer Society came round to saying people should not drink at all, alcohol being a risk factor for seven cancers, he headlined his blog post about it I Told You So.
Source: Thirty Minute Mentors: Dr. Daniel Amen - Matthew WalkerRecommends
Sleep scientist · author of Why We Sleep
Rejects the idea that a nightcap helps you sleep, and describes alcohol as one of the most powerful suppressors of REM sleep.
Source: The Tim Ferriss Show #654 transcript - Hugh JackmanDiscusses
Actor · Wolverine and The Greatest Showman
He is not teetotal. But on Broadway and on tour he never drinks before a show, and really limits it after. Waking up in catch-up mode before a performance means drawing on reserves that do not come back.
Source: The Tim Ferriss Show #444 transcript - Naval RavikantDiscusses
Angel investor · AngelList and the Naval podcast
Drinking holds together friendships and evenings that would not survive without it, he argues, so quitting means replacing your friends and finding new things to do. He is candid that this is the hard part, and calls breaking an addiction socially unacceptable for that reason.
Source: nav.al: Breaking Addiction Is Socially Unacceptable - Rhonda PatrickDiscusses
Biomedical scientist · FoundMyFitness
Alcohol's effects on sleep, cancer risk and brain volume have all had airtime, and she is notably unenthusiastic about the old cardiovascular claims.
Source: FoundMyFitness: alcohol topic page - Steven BartlettDiscusses
Entrepreneur · The Diary of a CEO
The case against alcohol has been explored at length with health guests, and he talks about drinking very little himself.
Source: Sustain Health Magazine: Steven Bartlett interview (PA Media)“I’m not into partying or that kind of thing anymore, I don’t even like drinking, if I’m honest – it never seems like a great idea.”
Sustain Health Magazine: Steven Bartlett interview (PA Media) (opens in a new tab) · 28 Jul 2022 - Tim FerrissDiscusses
Author · The Tim Ferriss Show
30-day breaks from alcohol, taken deliberately rather than presented as sobriety, and he talks openly about the sleep and mood difference.
Source: tim.blog: the NOBNOM November challenge - Tom BradyDiscusses
Former NFL quarterback · The TB12 Method
Speaking to the AP in 2024, he said retirement has brought later nights and a few more tequilas than in his playing days, when a strict routine was part of how he lasted so long. He will not stray far from that discipline, he said.
Source: NBC Boston (AP): Tom Brady on his full plate and what's bringing him joy
Aimed at the same thing
Other entries filed under sleep, longevity or energy.
- ProtocolFREE, no cost
Front-loaded eating
Most of the day's food eaten earlier, with the smallest meal last
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - HabitFREE, no cost
Afternoon caffeine cutoff
A cutoff in early afternoon; caffeine's half-life runs longer than most expect
On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 2 recommend it, 1 has discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost
Hot water with lemon
A mug of hot water with a slice of lemon, to start the day or wind it down
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - HabitFREE, no cost
Nasal breathing
Breathe through the nose by default, including during easy exercise
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 has discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost
No alarm clock
Waking without an alarm, kept only for early flights
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - HabitFREE, no cost
No sugary soft drinks
Water as the default drink, with sugar-sweetened sodas cut out entirely
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it
Habit entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.