I come from a long line of terrible sleepers. But in my adulthood, I found my solution: a glass of red wine. I’d start at dinner or do a 9pm wine with cheese and chocolate nightcap, but either way, I’d be out like a light at a normal hour.
Then when I hit 35, I kept waking up in the middle of the night, sometimes with a headache. I figured my mattress needed an update, but when I bought a new one and finally managed to limit my screen time, I still COULD NOT get a restful night’s sleep.
My friend knew I was exhausted all the time, so she sent me an article from The New York Times – “Why Does Alcohol Mess With My Sleep?”1 Uh oh. I did a quick skim and sure enough, alcohol can lead to disruptive sleep. Even with my decade-long routine, the body becomes more awake when alcohol metabolizes during sleep. So even though it was initially making me sleepy, I was still tossing and turning or waking up in the middle of the night.
It was time to cut back. My friend at first sent me an ad for the non-alcoholic Surely Wine, I figured it would taste horrible. I wouldn’t need a wine, right?
The next night, I instinctively went to get myself a glass and had to pause to remember my new wine hiatus. Then of course when I turned on the TV, the main character in the show I was watching was swirling Merlot in a huge wine glass! So not fair.
I went to bed, staring at my phone to make myself sleepy. And I have to say, it took me a while to fall asleep, but when I did, I was out the whole night. I was so upset this actually worked! I still missed the taste of wine.
My Sauvignon Blanc was staring at me on the bar cart, so I ordered a bottle of Surely’s Non-Alcoholic Sauvignon Blanc. It still contains grapes from Sonoma County, but it’s de-alcoholized using a spinning cone technique to retain the flavor.
Surely is also low sugar, low calorie, gluten-free, and vegan, so it’s great for satisfying specific dietary needs! When it arrived, I loved the luxe-looking bottle, and dove right in. Not only did it taste bold and tannic, but it was delicious! It was powerful and a bit jammy, just the way I like it.
That night, I tried reading before bed instead of doomscrolling and it got me to sleep about an hour earlier. When I woke up, there was no headache! I’d had a healthy night’s sleep, despite savoring a delicious glass of red.
I feel silly about how long I was drinking red wine and letting it negatively affect my sleep – I’m finally dreaming again! Now that there’s a tasty wine alternative, I don’t even have to change my routine. Surely also offers white wine, Rosé, and sparkling wine along with bundle and subscription options for some pretty sweet savings.
My bottle cost $29.99, but for 4 nights of super tasty, no-headache wine, and a good night’s sleep it’s an amazing value.
There are so many benefits to cutting back, too. My skin is glowing, I’m more hydrated, and I’ve got 20’s energy in my 30’s. If you’re sleeping poorly, alcohol’s a likely culprit, so order your Surely Non-Alcoholic wine today!