If you wake up in the morning feeling like Ke$ha does, I suggest you DON’T brush your teeth with a bottle of Jack. And you probably won’t want to jam out to this either. Check out these tips, some more serious than others, on how to get rid of that brain-tearing headache after a night out of one-too-many drinks.
1. Primal instincts are the way to go.
Every person who went a little hard the night before wakes up with a sudden need to go back to basic necessities: water, energy, oxygen. I encourage you to listen to those instincts, but it might be hard getting out of bed to fetch these things. Here’s my tip: always keep a cup of water by your bed that you can chug when you wake up. Once you’re awake, crack the window open for air. And eventually lug yourself to your snack shelf and grab something like bread or crackers. Then snuggle up and turn on the TV. Eventually, get yourself a proper meal, more water or juice, and go outside. Nature can feel good during the struggling morning-after, but just remember to wear sunglasses! Your eyes just aren’t ready to be absorbing the outside brightness!
2. Eat Kraft Mac’n’Cheese
I’ve come to notice this is common practice for the average BC student when trying to recover from a night out. Noodles contain forms of sugar that take your body longer to digest and actually use. This is helpful in that you want be using too much energy to digest, since its slow digestion and it gives you the energy to last for a longer period of time. Don’t be fooled, though, you’ll probably need to eat more later that day. The key is to re-energize and not exert yourself too much. It’ll give you enough energy to sit at a desk and finish that 5-pager though.
3. Bathroom, aspirin, bed.
So when you first wake up, about three hours too early for your poor head, and you realize it’s because you need to pee (you didn’t empty yourself of the copious amounts of beer you drank before passing out), go do that. And while you’re at it, get a glass of water and take an aspirin. Take yourself back to bed for another five hours of sleep.
And if the aspirin doesn’t work…Take Excedrin. It’s a miracle, seriously. Pop two of these yellow and green babies into your mouth and within the next hour, you’ll feel like the night before didn’t even happen. How could you have possibly had four beers, two tequila shots, and a glass of wine… and feel this good? Of course, be careful- if you wake up still drunk it might not be the best idea to be taking medicine.
5. Keep drinking (up to you, but I suggest you skip this tip.)
Once in a while there are those nights when you just don’t realize how time flies. You end up being the last person to leave the party at 5:30 am. Hell, it’s practically light out. What to do? You know a hangover is bound to hit you mid-afternoon, prime working time. Well some say to keep drinking in decreasing amounts and you’ll eventually sober up little by little, avoiding the dreadful headache. I don’t buy it and don’t suggest you try it either, but I’m just throwing it out there for y’all.
It’s also a common misconception that throwing up will sober you up and make you feel better; this is false, for the most part. While throwing up for some people may make them feel better (I don’t know how they possibly could, I always feel like I’ve ripped up my insides), it does not sober you up. It’s just like how you aren’t peeing out the beer you’ve been drinking when you go to the bathroom for the zillionth time. So there’s no point in forcing yourself to throw up if your body isn’t giving you those urges to.
6. Switch up your drinking style
Try out a “healthier” way of drinking. The main reason hangovers occur is because alcohol dehydrates your body. Whether you’re having a shot of hard liquor, beer, or a mixed drink, attempt having a glass of water after every alcoholic drink.
Another idea would be to spread your drinks out over long periods of time. Instead of taking four shots in three minutes or chugging three beers in an hour, swish to one drink per hour.
7. The Glory of Food
Eat before you drink. It’ll give your body something to digest along with the alcohol. Alcohol also tends to wash out nutrients, so eating extra could help you out. Also, try eating throughout the night, too. Fruits and vegetables contain the many vitamins your body will need that night to deal with the alcohol.
8. Know yourself
Know your limits and just how many drinks you need to get the right kind of tipsy, and how many more will result in a hangover. Or if you don’t know your limits, determine a drinking limit and stick to it. For example, start off with one or two drinks a night. If you feel fine and think you can cope with more, add a few more drinks. But you really shouldn’t be going over four or five standard drinks a night (this number really depends on the individual, though).
Avoid shots and drinking games that limit your ability to keep track of your drinking. I know they’re fun, but just a hint, Europeans don’t play games and they’re doing just fine with the party scene. Just remember that playing 10 rounds of beer pong isn’t a necessity for having a fun night out.
9. Use the “buddy system”
Have a conversation about your drinking habits with a friend you trust. Agree to be a resource and reminder for each other. This could be anything from watching each other’s drinks, counting each other’s drinks, or telling the other person when you think they’ve had too much. You could also discuss sticking together throughout the night and not leaving a party without the other. Make sure you won’t take what this trusted buddy says in a negative way and that you’ll actually listen to them when they tell you it’s time to stop.
Just a reminder: if your buddy seems like he or she might be having bigger issues than a hangover the next morning, be aware of BC’s Help Seeking Policy. Your friend will thank you later for getting them the help they needed.
10. Experiment with drinking less or consider not drinking.
Alcohol is not a prerequisite to a fun night. Ever. It’s a prerequisite to a night spent in the hospital. Always. Moderation is the key. Check out the different services offered by the Office of Health Promotion to help you figure out what the best drinking style is for you.
Photo Source:
http://judgementblog.wordpress.com/2010/10/25/hangovers/
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