8 of the Best Tried & Tested Hangover Cures
The idea of going out for a long night of drinking with friends is sometimes too good to be true, especially when you wake up the next morning. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a regular party animal or if you simply had one too many the night before, hangovers affect us for similar reasons. With that being said, just because nearly everyone deals with them, it doesn’t make them any easier.
Instead of lying in bed for the rest of the day feeling like you were just ran over with a truck, consider these 10 phenomenal tried and tested hangover cures.
1. Drink More Water
We know it’s seemingly one of the most commonly talked about beverages in the world. With seemingly millions of health professionals constantly telling you to get more H2O to become healthier, it’s also something that can eradicate a hangover entirely. In fact, hangovers are because of dehydration and there are ways you can use it to mend a hangover and to prevent one.
Your best bet to avoid the pain of a hangover entirely is to drink at least 20 ounces of water before you head to bed after a long night of drinking. Alternatively, you can drink a glass of water with every alcoholic beverage you consume. Sure, you’ll be making trips that are even more frequent to the bathroom that night but it will be well worth it in the morning.
2. Enjoy a Sports Drink
Although drinking Gatorade or Powerade on a regular basis isn’t particularly healthy (unless you’re an athlete), sports drinks can be a great way to nurse a hangover with the help of water. Since alcohol is a diuretic (entices you to go to the bathroom often), there’s a high probability your body is going to lose a lot of electrolytes. A lack of electrolytes could lead to your feelings of nausea, dehydration, and body soreness after a night of drinking.
3. A Dose of Caffeine
This is a hangover cure that works for some, but not all people. The most important thing to note is that coffee does not reduce the effects alcohol has on your system. If you’ve ever heard of the term, “Wide awake drunk”, that is where it comes from.
When dealing with a hangover, however, caffeine could be your best friend. Due to the fact that this substance helps to increase blood flow to the brain, caffeine is recommended for individuals suffering from headaches or migraines. The more blood your brain has, the less the vessels will be able to swell and the less likely you are to experience headaches.
With that being said, coffee and caffeinated beverages also cause dehydration so ensure you pair every cup with a refreshing glass of water.
4. Eating a Lot of Carbs
This is particularly important for those who may have spent one two many hours in the bathroom hugging the toilet the night before. There’s truth behind the reason as to why your parents used to give you toast or crackers when you couldn’t keep anything down.
Carbs are not only delicious, but they’re also great at normalizing the levels of blood sugar in your body. Typically, when you have a dip in blood sugar, your liver will produce higher levels of glucose from the carbs you have stored in your system. Unfortunately, as your liver is busy working through all of the alcohol you consumed, it’s not going to appreciate handling the extra work, which can lead you to feel tired and irritable.
5. Eat Before You Drink
As another great preventative measure, there’s nothing more important than making sure you eat a sufficient meal before deciding to go out for drinks. If you’ve ever drunk on an empty stomach, it’s certainly something you’d never want to do again, and for good reason.
The more food you have in your body, the harder it will be for alcohol to be absorbed into your body which can give you the opportunity to pace yourself and drink only what is necessary. On the other hand, not eating before you drink can lead you to taking one too many shots far too quickly and ending up on the floor.
In addition, the more nourished you are before a night of drinking, it’ll be less likely for you to experience a hangover the next day.
6. Pace Yourself
Sure, you’re an adult who is able to make adult decisions but it’s important that you make responsible choices that won’t lead to you staying in bed for several hours the next day. There’s no better way to cure a hangover than to prevent one entirely by pacing yourself. As something that is incredibly easy to do and a better way to save money at the bar, you can still have a great time without slamming Jagerbombs every two minutes.
Enjoy one drink every hour, which gives your body about 60 to 75 minutes to properly metabolize the alcohol. The faster you drink, the less time your body has to work through the alcohol and the more likely you’ll be to experience a hangover.
7. Drink Certain Alcohols
There are plenty of different types of drinks that you can order from the bar, but try to stay away from ones that contain things known as congeners. Congeners are a by-product produced when alcohol is made and they are not only toxic to your body but also increase your chances of experiencing a hangover ten-fold.
Your best bet is to choose drinks containing alcohol with low congeners such as vodka, rum, and gin. Whereas other heftier drinks that contain bourbon, tequila, cognac, and whiskey are only going to make your hangover worse.
8. Get Enough Sleep
There have been plenty of studies that suggest drinking heavily can lead to a disruption in sleep patterns, but it is important for you to get at least 7 to 8 hours of rest after a night of drinking. There’s no need for you to get straight out of bed at 5 AM after hitting the sack at 3 AM, especially as your body needs as much time as possible to heal. The more sleep you get, the easier it’s going to be to nurse your hangover away.
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