We have all been there. Waking up nauseous with a headache, wishing you had thought about the Gatorade or the leftover cold pizza in your fridge before you hit the sack the previous night. Considering that your clothes are still on, shoes and all, and your mouth tastes like straight garbage, it seems not much of your usual night routine took place. Yes my friends I am talking about the dreaded hangover. You don’t get one every time you go out but after a particularly crazy night it is not uncommon to wish for the sweet release of death the next morning. Even though I have never touched a drop of alcohol in my life and always stay in on weekend nights saving orphaned puppies (did I mention they are blind?), I do have a couple tricks up my sleeve for letting yourself go a little wild and facing less consequences the next day. Now I could tell you that the best way to not get a hangover is to not drink too much and that is definitely true but it’s not what you clicked on this article for. I am not promoting alcoholism or drunk driving or texting someone “you up?” at 2am. Avoid all of the above.I do understand, however, that college kids binge drink. It’s just what we do. As long as you have your priorities straight and are taking relatively good care of your body, you can afford a night of over indulgence. With all that said, here are 15 tips to prevent a hangover.
1.) Eat a Good Meal Pre-Party
I call this “adding some padding”. Think of the food as a blanket for all the alcohol you are about to drink to lay it’s toxic little head on. Go for carbs and things that make you full. There are people out there who go out on an empty stomach so they can get “drunk for cheaper” and while you may save money on a couple drinks, you won’t save money when you are bedridden tomorrow DoorDashing Wendy’s for 3x it’s actual price. Be smart about it
2.) Pregame with Pedialyte
Pedialyte comes in handy when you know it’s going to be a long night. For example, I drank this before my 21st and before Halloween this year. It doesn’t taste amazing but getting at least half of one down before you go out will make a big difference for you the next day. I often save the second half for the next morning. You can get Pedialyte at most grocery stores.
3.) Keep a Water By Your Side
If I’m at my go-to bar I take my water bottle with me. It may look weird but then I have ice cold water for the whole night. If I feel thirsty I grab for the water and not my drink. This helps me slow down (save money by drinking less) while also hydrating me. At the moment you may feel hydrated by alcohol but it’s no secret that much of a hangover is just dehydration. If you are like me you pee 100x while out drinking and that water loss is felt the next day. If I’m going somewhere else I just order a glass of water with every drink I get. Don’t worry about annoying the bartender, I mean you are going to, but sometimes you just have to put yourself first. It will take them 3 seconds, just make sure to tip. I also don’t order another drink until I have drunk my water AND eaten all the ice cubes.
4.) Pack a Snack
I bring a snack with me in my purse. I know, I know, I am incredibly intelligent. This saves you money on bar food and is probably healthier. It also adds to the stomach padding I talked about earlier that has probably been digested at that point. My go-tos are goldfish, cheese crackers, and granola bars. Tip: bring an extra because one of your friends is going to want some and who wants to share a snack? Not me.
5.) Give it a Minute
When you are drinking you are hitting dopamine receptors in your brain. You are also impaired. So it’s no surprise that you find yourself heading to the bar after drinking the last sip of your drink to try to keep the good time going. This is why people throw up. It isn’t always easy but listen to your body. You will never regret drinking less. After I have a nice buzz I’ll wait a good 20 minutes between drinks just so I have time for the alcohol to hit my system and to see how I am feeling after that. I almost never get sick and if I do it’s because I was not following my rule.
6.) Don’t Get Pressured into Shots
Shots are literally an entire drink that you ingest in a matter of seconds. They are fun, don’t get me wrong, but when your friends are slamming them down they are all on a fast train to barf town. You may feel pressured to board that train but you know deep down it is not a good idea. Drinking in college is a social activity and it can be fun to *clink* with your pals. You can do this. Just only do it once or twice. If you feel left out after that just cheer with your mixed drink. Nobody needs to take 5+ shots in a night. If your friends are pressuring you just tell them you don’t feel like a shot. If they press it more, quit hanging out with them because they are not good friends.
7.) Avoid the Sugar
There is contradicting evidence about whether or not sugar really makes a hangover worse but if you are like me and had a“fishbowl” phase you definitely believe it does. Oh those fruity little devils. Delicious, barely tastes like alcohol,while simultaneously getting you drunk for the low price of $10. It’s all fun and games until you wake up the next morning feeling like you got run over by my train and then rolled from the tracks off a mountain into a ravine full of rocks and also you smell bad and there is something you have never seen before stuck in your hair. According to My Gut Health, an explanation for this may be that “[T]hey both cause dehydration and they are both processed through the liver. These commonalities mean that, when combined, sugary, alcoholic drinks produce a much more severe hangover than alcohol alone.” My suggestion would be to drink seltzers. They are refreshing, not too high in alcohol content, and have little to no sugar.
8.) Eat When You Get Home
The final cushion for all that booze before you call it a night. This is an easy one to do because food tastes really good after drinking. Another tip that has nothing to do with hangovers but will save you some money; don’t get take out food. I know it sounds amazing but honestly I have eaten saltine crackers that tasted like they were blessed by Jesus himself after a night out.
9.) Water by Your Bedside
You are going to wake up thirsty, even if you drank water during the previous evening. If you have to get up and make yourself water you’ll probably just ignore it and fall back asleep. Have the water close to your bed and anytime you wake up get a couple chugs in.
10.) Sleep in If Possible
Best way to not be hungover? Be unconscious! Getting extra sleep also helps with symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, and irritability. If you have to wake up early for work I don’t know what to tell you, you are a wild card for going out in the first place.
11.) Eat a Good Breakfast
Hopefully by the morning you are feeling A-OK because you have followed the list thus far. Let’s say you didn’t though and are starting on number 11 of the 13 steps to prevent a hangover. The last thing you may want to do is eat but it will make a big difference. Better recommends “maintaining a balance of carbs, protein and fat to prevent further blood sugar drops and spikes, and replenishing lost nutrients, electrolytes and B-vitamins.” Some options for this are whole wheat toast, eggs, avocado, or a smoothie. Sometimes after you eat on a queasy stomach you’ll feel sick for a minute after but remember it’s always better to have food in your stomach than to not.
12.) Hair of The Dog is Stupid
The “hair of the dog” is something people do to help with hangover symptoms. According to Cosmopolitan, “[T]he theory goes, because hangover symptoms are a result of your body breaking down alcohol to get rid of it, raising alcohol in the body again by drinking might remove those symptoms.” Even if this works it is a very temporary measure because your BAC levels will deplete again and leave you with the same hangover, one drink worse.
13.) Don’t Lay in Bed All Day
This one is psychological but the times I have not had anything the day after a particularly rowdy night I felt much worse than when I had to work or do something later on. I would feel gross until I had to be and at em and then I would be too distracted to think about it.
So there you have it. My best advice to prevent a hangover. Going out in college is fun but the last thing you want to do is waste a day recovering. Now to get a little serious;if you feel you have a problem with alcohol, get help as soon as you can. College party culture can mask issues with alcohol pretty easily and while not everyone who likes to party has a drinking problem, if you feel unable to control your drinking, you are not alone, and you are not without hope.