Taylor Swift Temporarily Quit Drinking In 2023 For A Reason We Can All Understand

Before embarking on the Eras Tour, Taylor Swift decided to get more intentional about her health. Speaking to Time in December 2023, the "Cruel Summer" hitmaker revealed that she had quit drinking alcohol ahead of her first show in March 2023. "Doing that show with a hangover," Swift said of her reasons for temporarily practicing sobriety. "I don't want to know that world." Since the three-and-a-half-hour show that Swift put on every night featured bright lights, dancing, and loud cheers from fans, it's completely understandable that she wanted to avoid a hangover as much as possible. 

However, there are plenty of other unexpected benefits to not drinking that could have helped Swift perform her best. In a chat with Cleveland Clinic, Nancy Foldvary-Schaefer, D.O., explained that alcohol interferes with sleep quality by altering the sleep cycle. "Alcohol in your system leads to your sleep being fragmented, meaning your brain briefly wakes up and interrupts your sleep cycle over and over," she said. "Every 'awakening' can send you back to the light sleep stage, and cuts down on your REM sleep." In an episode of the 2025 Disney+ documentary "Taylor Swift: The End of an Era," the Grammy winner admitted she couldn't immediately sleep after returning to her hotel room following a show because she was on such an emotional high. 

Needless to say, adding alcohol to the mix would have likely only affected her sleep quality even further. Moreover, drinking alcohol could have impacted Swift's energy levels. It's not uncommon to feel fatigued after drinking because our bodies use our energy to counteract the damage that alcohol triggers. For her physically demanding show, Swift needed all the energy she could get.

One of the many things that happen to your body when you have a hangover is temporary cognitive issues. With a hangover, simple tasks like decision-making, paying attention, recollection, and coordination may all prove more difficult. During the Eras Tour, Taylor Swift likely needed to pay attention to loads of things on stage and also required good coordination and memory for choreography. Needless to say, the physical symptoms of a hangover like nausea and dizziness likely wouldn't have helped her on stage either. 

While there may have been several purported benefits to not drinking during the Eras Tour, it's unclear how strictly Swift followed her rule. During her interview with Time, the "cardigan" singer admitted she allowed herself to drink the 2023 Grammys, which took place a month before her tour began. Additionally, after her relationship with Travis Kelce became public in September 2023, she was spotted with a drink at numerous Kansas City Chiefs games. So, she may have altered her rule along the way. 

Plenty of good things happen to your body when you stop drinking alcohol, even as a temporary measure. A 2018 study in BMJ Open showed that regular drinkers who practiced alcohol cessation for a month lost weight and had better insulin resistance, improved blood pressure, and better liver functioning. Ultimately, it's important to remember that consuming alcohol in moderation or cutting it out of your life altogether is a habit that could help you live decades longer, according to science.