Why Alcohol Hits Differently in Midlife — and What the New Guidelines Don't Tell You

Does one glass of wine now mean hot flashes and a 3 a.m. wake-up? You're not imagining it. In perimenopause and menopause, alcohol hits differently: it can worsen hot flashes, disrupt REM sleep and raise lifetime breast cancer risk with every daily drink. Here's what the latest research shows, what the new 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines left out, and a simple 14-day experiment to find out how alcohol affects you.