About all

What to do if you have a hangover: The science behind hangovers — and what to do when you get one |

The science behind hangovers — and what to do when you get one |

Science

Dec 23, 2020
/
David Nutt MD

Stocksy

Most of us love to joke about hangovers.

For example:
What’s the best thing for a hangover?
Drinking heavily the night before.

But what is happening in our bodies is more serious than that — it’s alcohol withdrawal. Yes, the symptoms are less extensive, unpleasant and life-threatening than those an alcoholic will go through. But however you dress it up, your brain and body are withdrawing from alcohol.

Hangovers are the experience of various unpleasant physiological and psychological effects that follow a medium-to-high consumption of alcohol. Typically, it comes on around 10 hours after your blood alcohol peaks — but this varies according to sex, weight and genetic disposition.

However, some people don’t get hangovers at all: Between 3 percent and 23 percent of the population is reported to be hangover-resistant. Not surprisingly, these people may be more likely to become heavy drinkers, as they don’t experience the deterrent effect of hangovers.

Hangovers can last from a few hours to over a day. As alcohol affects so many systems in our bodies and brains, a hangover is equally complex so there are myriad possible ways to suffer.

Hangovers: What’s happening in our bodies and brains? 

There are gaps in the research about what is going on in our bodies during a hangover. But researchers know the hangover state is a multifactorial event caused by a variety of biochemical and neurochemical changes, as well as your personal make-up.

You’ve poisoned yourself

One of the ways that alcohol is metabolized in our bodies is by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). As ADH breaks down ethanol, it forms acetaldehyde, which is a poison and a carcinogen. This is relatively quickly turned into acetate, then finally into carbon dioxide and water.

Some people have genetic variants of the enzymes that make this breakdown faster or slower. What’s known from studying those slow to break down acetaldehyde is how unpleasant it makes people feel — flushed, nauseated, rapid heartbeat — and hangover symptoms may come from the acetaldehyde hanging around in their bodies.

Consuming high quantities of congeners — chemical byproducts produced during fermentation and distillation processes — is also thought to make hangovers worse. There are high concentrations of congeners in red wine and distilled spirits, for example, and low ones in clear spirits such as vodka.

Congeners include acetaldehyde, acetones, histamines and methanol. Methanol, a product of sugar fermentation, is thought to be a major contributor to the symptoms of hangover. ADH metabolizes methanol at a slower rate than ethanol to form formaldehyde and formic acid  — which are both highly toxic.

Your neurotransmitters have gone haywire

Two important neurotransmitters are glutamate and GABA. Glutamate turns on the brain, while GABA turns it off. Our brains have evolved so every time glutamate is released, GABA is released too. It’s a beautifully balanced system.

When you drink alcohol, it stimulates GABA. Initially, this makes you feel relaxed but as you consume more alcohol, it can switch off important parts of the brain, such as those affecting  judgment and consciousness. At the same time, alcohol blocks your glutamate receptors, and as your alcohol level rises, you start to lose the capacity to lay down memories.

When we drink, the imbalance between GABA and glutamate — that is, too much GABA and too little glutamate — has been shown in rodents to correlate with the intensity of withdrawal.

You are inflamed 

The inflammatory response happens when your body is damaged, and although it’s part of the immune system’s natural response, it can be destructive. Chronic inflammation is believed to be a significant factor in many long-term health conditions, from diabetes to cancer and liver cirrhosis.

By harming the blood vessels and your gut, alcohol causes the body to turn on itself. The inflammatory response is unpleasant — symptoms include nausea, vomiting, headache, confusion and tremor, as well as clinical depression, which induces mood changes, cognitive impairment and learning and memory deficits.

You’ve caused mitochondrial dysfunction 

Alcohol also damages mitochondrial DNA, particularly in the liver. Mitochondria, the energy-producing machines in our cells, are susceptible to damage from the free radicals produced by alcohol via acetaldehyde. Even slight damage to the mitochondria can lead to toxicity in brain regions.

Where do hangover symptoms come from?

Can’t bear light and sound 

This is linked to glutamate rebound. Alcohol suppresses glutamate activity in the brain, and after you stop drinking, your body tries to compensate for this by increasing glutamate production.

Headache 

This may also be linked to glutamate rebound, plus acetaldehyde dilates the blood vessels in our heads. New research also suggests alcohol may cause your immune system to attack your body and release chemicals that cause irritation in blood vessels and nerves, leading to pain including headaches. Headaches may also be tied to dehydration caused by the diuretic effects of alcohol.

Stomach symptoms 

Alcohol damages the stomach and intestine lining, so it can give you diarrhea and leave you feeling nauseated. It may cause a tiny bit of inflammation in your pancreas too.

How you can prevent a hangover 

Drink less 

You know this already.

Pace yourself 

It takes about an hour-and-a-half for our bodies to process a standard drink. If you drink slowly, your body will have a greater chance to process alcohol — which means your blood alcohol peak won’t be as high — and it’s been shown to give less of a hangover.

Drink water with your alcoholic drinks 

Other ways to dilute alcohol are to add more ice to drinks; soda to wine or lemonade to beer; or more non-alcoholic mixers to spirits. Flat liquids are better since fizzy drinks could make you absorb alcohol faster.

Drink smaller measures 

Shrinking glass size has shown to result in consuming less booze over the course of an evening.

Drink clear spirits 

These contain fewer congeners. One study showed that vodka produced a lesser hangover than whisky — although sleep and next-day concentration were bad in both vodka and whisky drinkers.

Hangover cures: What’s the evidence? 

You can’t “cure” a hangover, but you can treat your symptoms.

Anti-inflammatories 

Take ibuprofen when you go to bed and/or when you wake up. Ideally, take them with food since  they can be harsh on the stomach lining.

Beta blockers 

Note: These must be prescribed and are not approved to treat hangovers! They can slow down the pounding feeling in your head by reducing your heart rate, but I’m not sure if they do more than that.

Hair of the dog, or any so-called cure that contains alcohol 

This is the very worst thing you can do. By putting alcohol back into your body and brain, you are only delaying your hangover!

Hydration 

Although there’s no research backing up hydration, it theoretically makes sense. But I would not recommend getting hooked up to IV hydration unless you’re in a hospital.

Food 

If you have a hangover, you’ll likely wake up with low blood sugar, which is why eating carbs can make you feel better. Eggs, in particular, contain a lot of the nutrients your body need.

Caffeine 

Any caffeine will help you feel more awake.

Probiotics 

Probiotics are known to reduce leaky gut, and a very small study of heavy drinkers showed the subjects who took probiotics had reduced levels of inflammation in their bodies.

Herbs and supplements 

Most of these have no evidence, although it might be worth your taking a B vitamin complex.  Some companies are developing combination treatments to speed up alcohol metabolism — they seem promising but expensive.

Movement

In theory, any exercise you do will speed up your metabolism and shift your hangover. However, you are unlikely to feel like doing this.

Here’s why you should be happy if you get a hangover

Sensible drinking is about restraint, which might be easier when you know that alcohol impairs you the next day.

Excerpted from the new book Drink?: The New Science of Alcohol and Your Health by David Nutt. Reprinted with permission from Hachette Go, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc. Copyright © 2020 by David Nutt.

Watch the TEDxBrussels Talk from Dr. David Nutt here: 

NHS 111 Wales – Health A-Z : Hangover

Splitting headaches, sickness, dizziness, dehydration: anyone who’s ever drunk too much knows the consequences.

Alcohol makes you pee more, which can lead to dehydration. Dehydration is what causes many of the symptoms of a hangover.

Hangover cures are generally a myth. There are no cures for a hangover, but there are things you can do to avoid one and, if you do have one, ease the discomfort.

Tips to avoid a hangover

To avoid a hangover:

  • Do not drink more than you know your body can cope with. If you’re not sure how much that is, be careful.
  • Do not drink on an empty stomach. Before you start drinking, have a meal that includes carbohydrates (such as pasta or rice) or fats. The food will help to slow down your body’s absorption of alcohol.
  • Do not drink dark coloured drinks if you’ve found you’re sensitive to them. They contain natural chemicals called congeners, which irritate blood vessels and tissue in the brain and can make a hangover worse.
  • Drink water or non-fizzy soft drinks in between each alcoholic drink. Fizzy drinks speed up the absorption of alcohol into your body.
  • Drink a pint or so of water before you go to sleep. Keep a glass of water by your bed to sip if you wake up during the night.

Hangover treatment

Dealing with a hangover involves rehydrating your body to help you deal with the painful symptoms. The best time to rehydrate is before going to sleep after a drinking session.

Painkillers can help with headaches and muscle cramps.

Sugary foods may help you feel less trembly. In some cases, an antacid may be needed to settle your stomach first.

Bouillon soup (a thin, vegetable-based broth) is a good source of vitamins and minerals, which can top-up depleted resources. It’s also easy for a fragile stomach to digest.

You can replace lost fluids by drinking bland liquids that are gentle on your digestive system, such as water, soda water and isotonic drinks.

Things to avoid

Drinking more alcohol, or “hair of the dog”, does not help. Drinking in the morning is a risky habit, and you may simply be delaying the appearance of symptoms until the extra alcohol wears off.

If you’ve been drinking heavily, doctors advise that you wait at least 48 hours before drinking any more alcohol (even if you don’t have a hangover), to give your body time to recover.

Sometimes, of course, a hangover makes this advice easier to follow.

Advice for regular drinkers

To keep the health risks from alcohol to a low level, if you drink most weeks:

  • do not drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis
  • spread your drinking over 3 or more days if you regularly drink as much as 14 units a week
  • if you want to cut down, try to have several alcohol-free days each week

14 units is equivalent to 6 pints of average-strength beer or 10 small glasses of low-strength wine.

Know your units

A 750ml bottle of red, white or rosé wine (ABV 13.5%) contains 10 units.

See below how many units are in your favourite tipple.

  • Single small shot of spirits* (25ml, ABV 40%) = 1 unit
  • Alcopop (275ml, ABV 5.5%) = 1.5 units
  • Small glass of red, white or rosé wine (125ml, ABV 12%) = 1.5 units
  • Bottle of lager, beer or cider (330ml, ABV 5%) = 1.7 units
  • Can of lager, beer or cider (440ml, ABV 5.5%) = 2 units
  • Pint of lower-strength lager, beer or cider (568ml, ABV 3.6%) = 2 units
  • Standard glass of red, white or rosé wine (175ml, ABV 12%) = 2.1 units
  • Pint of higher-strength lager, beer or cider (568ml, ABV 5.2%) = 3 units
  • Large glass of red, white or rosé wine (250ml, ABV 12%) = 3 units

*Gin, rum, sambuca, tequila, vodka, whisky. A single large (35ml) measures of spirits is 1.4 units.

The information on this page has been adapted by NHS Wales from original content supplied by NHS website nhs.uk


Last Updated:
23/06/2023 10:26:42

How to get rid of a hangover at home, which helps with a mild hangover – February 21, 2020

All news The Kremlin announced a number of important statements

Putin offered the Wagner fighters three options: broadcast the president’s address

Investigators opened a criminal case after the death of a mother and child in a fire in the Kama region

Arsen Bolkvadze said that the deputies did not propose to install turnstiles in the transport of Perm

PMCs will no longer be able to recruit criminals: SVO news for June 26

The resignation of Alexei Demkin from the post of mayor of Perm has been talked about for a long time. Who were nominated for this position?

“We didn’t go to overthrow the government”: Prigozhin performed for the first time after the rebellion

Samovar, silk tassels of lampshades and favorite desserts of Permians: what became the city’s popular confectionery

Entrepreneurs were blocked from entering the Chinese market in Perm. They accused the new owner of raiding

Perm City Hall confirmed that Aleksey Dyomkin wrote a letter of resignation of the head of the city

“I fell asleep as a producer, woke up as a commander.” How Iosif Prigogine Became a People’s Hero of the Armed Revolt

Alexei Demkin resigns as mayor of Perm

Social activists assessed the accessibility of Perm for people with disabilities. The rating of districts is depressing

“They said he was ugly and called him Dobby”: a happy story about how naked puppies found in an earthen pit found owners

The mother of the deceased on the Titan gave way to him. He wanted to solve a Rubik’s Cube at a depth of

Roman Kostomarov published the first video from the hospital

The Stroganov Regatta sailing competition was held in Berezniki

, but everything is in my blood “: a young mother complained of deep wounds after a figure correction – she was told that jeans were to blame0003

Perm will say goodbye to the famous obstetrician-gynecologist Rosa Skachedub. She gave medicine 70 years

Should you get vaccinated against measles if you don’t know if you had a childhood illness? The Ministry of Health of the Kama region answers

Cameras with facial recognition will appear at the Perm stadium “Zvezda”

One week left! Voting for the winners of the People’s Prize ends in Perm 59.RU

0002 The door of the accounting department was sawn with a grinder. Perm bailiffs came to describe the property of the Pushkin bath

“So that there would not be even a drop of blood”: why the police ceded the center of Rostov to the rebels

Twice outcast. How the sex change system worked in the USSR and Russia and what will happen after the ban

Take care of your feet! In Perm, someone cut down part of the stairs leading to the memorial to those who died in the crash of a Boeing

In a kindergarten in Perm’s Gulliver, parents were told that quarantine had begun due to measles. But officially there is no

Permians will be able to buy an apartment for the price of a pizza: how is it possible

All over Russia restaurateurs are driving up menu prices. We tell you what is happening

Roslesozashchita: in three years, the Kama region may be left without fir trees, and in 10 years – without coniferous forests at all

At the entrance to Kungur, a garbage truck crashed into a Priora and flew off with it into a ditch. Four people were hospitalized

Do you remember that wonderful moment? Continue 10 famous poems from school curriculum

Warm but with thunderstorms. Perm weather forecasters told about the weather at the end of June

With the Order of Courage and no money. A mobilized person is returned to the Northern Military District after being wounded – he has a fragment in his chest

“The spread is very active”: the situation with the bark beetle was discussed in Perm – because of it, our forests are dry and can catch fire

Traffic jams due to PMC columns “ Wagner” and the reaction of the world to the attempted rebellion: the events around the NWO on June 25

All news0003

Share

Always carry this text under your heart (next to activated charcoal) in order to quickly find your bearings after a small spree in honor of February 23 (and on other occasions) and promptly bring yourself to order.

Only the most desperate, fearless and unprepared person will pour himself a glass without going through activated charcoal initiation. Absorbents are your best friend. But if the booze turned out to be spontaneous, and force majeure prevented you from taking preventive measures, try to at least eat. And the more fatty foods you take during a feast, the more difficult it will be for ethanol to be absorbed.

– When the body begins to absorb alcohol, it decomposes it into its constituent parts – glucose and acetaldehyde (a substance formed in the body as a result of the conversion of ethanol, later it is converted into acetate, which has on the body the effect that is commonly called a hangover). Acetaldehyde is a poison in itself. To mitigate the consequences, it makes sense to eat something heavier. The best option is to eat fat, says Igor Mormil, teacher at the Ural Institute of Fitness.

Sleep perfectly heals any ailment, and the body recovers best during the phases of REM sleep. But intoxication completely deprives a person of this pleasure. Therefore, even after eight hours of sleep, you will feel overwhelmed. Ask loved ones not to nag you for yesterday’s antics, close your eyes and try to sleep soundly.

Warn your loved ones that you are all right and put on a sleep mask

Share

No time to sleep? Run to the shower! Treat yourself in the morning at least a short-term feeling of cleanliness. This will give strength, improve well-being and mood. Let not for long.

— A shower will improve microcirculation due to the load of mechanoreceptors. And when a person takes a shower, of course, it will be easier for him. But after some time, the previous state will return,” says Igor Mormil. – A contrast shower is not barely warm and slightly cold water. These should be drops, similar to those when you plunge into the font. But this is not recommended for everyone. A person who neglects the recommendations may experience problems with the pulse, his pressure will rise, and heart palpitations will appear.

A contrast shower is frankly cold and very hot water, no half measures!

Share

Speaking of good mood. Try to support him no matter what. An important nuance of a hangover is the so-called adrenaline longing. This is the strongest feeling of guilt and shame that you experience in the morning. Even if they didn’t do anything. And along with it, depression, anxiety and irritability will surely come. This is a normal and physiologically reasonable sensation, but if you do not want to put up with it, eat honey. It will cheer you up, speed up your metabolism, help remove toxins from the body and restore the balance of glucose, which you diligently washed out with alcohol the day before.

— There are water-soluble minerals and trace elements in the human body, they need to be constantly replenished. But with a normal diet, this is difficult to do. Honey contains all the necessary substances, including glucose and fructose. To restore your glucose balance, eat a teaspoon of honey every hour throughout the day. In its pure form or in an aqueous solution, – explains the head of the peasant farm “Ural Med” Dmitry Pasechnik.

You will do this automatically, even if you have experienced the feeling of a hangover for the first time. Dry mouth and thirst will lead you to a source of water. Drink it as much as possible, even if you don’t really want to. You have already been poisoned, and it will not get worse, and the water will remove the toxic breakdown products of alcohol from the body. At the same time, mineral water, it turns out, will not be as useful as ordinary drinking water without gases.

You can drink a maximum of two glasses of mineral water, the rest is ordinary drinking water

Share

— Mineral water is considered to be medicinal table water. And it can lead to hyperkalemia (an increase in the concentration of potassium in the blood; severe hyperkalemia leads to a violation of the heart rhythm. – Note ed. ) or hypermagnesemia (an increase in the concentration of magnesium in the plasma; more common in patients with renal insufficiency and leads to hyporeflexia, arterial hypotension, respiratory depression and cardiac arrest – Note ed. ), explains Igor Mormil. – Therefore, mineral water is used to replenish the deficiency of minerals (two glasses are enough), and ordinary water is used to maintain the body.

In general, although the inscription “healing” stands out on the bottles with mineral water, this water does not help everyone. All because of the combined concentration of potassium and sodium. The World Health Organization recommends consuming less than two grams of sodium per day (and in some mineral waters, the combined concentration of sodium and potassium exceeds four grams per liter). It happens that more salt intake leads to strokes and heart attacks. Somehow too cool for a banal hangover.

If you feel that you are of no use at work today, take a day off and sit at home. Well, in the case when the hyperactive employee of the month wakes up in you in the morning, here is an armor-piercing and extreme bartending tip for you.

— Do you want to cheer up urgently and for a long time? Assess your strength and heart health and drink coffee with an energy drink. This, of course, will be a fatality, but it’s worth it,” says head bartender Ivan Derendyaev.

If you cannot help but work, do it at home

Share

You don’t always want to eat in the morning after the holiday, but you have to force yourself. Breakfast is an important part of every day, and a hangover is no reason to skip it. It is better to eat a couple of hours after waking up. During this time, the body will have time to cleanse itself. Choose lighter foods: low-fat soups, cereals, broths and fruits are your choice. Include foods high in vitamin C in your morning diet. Fatty foods are best avoided so as not to provoke an additional burden on the digestive organs.

By the way, we have already told you which menu should be preferred if you woke up after a serious spree. In response, we received experience-tested recipes and decided to discuss some of them with Sergey Bogdanov, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Narcology of the Ural State Medical University.

50 grams of vodka and a glass of kefir

Treating like with like is suitable for alcoholism. If you drink alcohol in the morning, then this is nothing more than a withdrawal syndrome. A person who is not addicted to alcohol will simply not be able to touch alcohol in the morning. Because he has postintoxication syndrome, he got poisoned. Poison will only make things worse. If alcohol improves your condition, then this is a formidable sign of the formation of alcohol dependence. With kefir or not – it does not matter.

Half a glass of vodka, cucumber or cabbage pickle

Rational grain is here, but do not confuse cooking technologies. If the base of the brine is vinegar, then against the background of an irritated stomach, it will only make things worse. As for fermentation, this is an independent fermentation process. Such a brine is really rich in trace elements, minerals, etc. A very useful tool. Only without alcohol, of course.

Drink a large mug of sweet tea at night

Strong tea is a matter of caffeine. It is a kind of antidote to alcohol, a sobering agent. There is also tannin, and this is the protection of the mucosa from absorbing additional doses of alcohol.

Block of ice cream

Firstly, the cold factor works here. This is the receptor effect of cold. The second point is milk fat, if natural ice cream, without palm oil. As an energy substrate, it can somewhat alleviate the condition, increase the energy capabilities of the body. Plus sugar, we have already talked about it.

Can of cola or fanta

The issue of carbon dioxide may play a role because it excites the receptors in the digestive tract. This can cheer up a person a little and improve his condition. There are many other ingredients in the same cola. Some of them can be a stimulant in and of themselves. With sugar, which is contained in carbonated drinks, it is more difficult. Here the question arises of its assimilation. It is complicated by an irritated stomach and anergy, the body does not have the energy to absorb it. However, it may slightly increase blood sugar levels.

Related

  • January 01, 2021, 10:00

    Sobriety test: check if you are escaping from a hangover correctly

Ilya Nenko

Chief editor actor of the national editorial office

February 23Defender of the Fatherland DayCopperMineral waterHangoverDrunkenness

  • LIKE14
  • LAUGHTER2
  • SURPRISE0
  • ANGER0
  • SAD0

See the typo? Select the fragment and press Ctrl+Enter

COMMENTS18

Read all comments

Guest

Log in » in Rostov-on-Don

Information provided in the article , is for informational purposes and cannot be used to make a diagnosis, prescribe treatment and does not replace a doctor’s appointment. Contact your doctor!

Why does insomnia occur after drinking alcohol?

Withdrawal syndrome may be accompanied by pain, dizziness, body aches, which makes it difficult to sleep peacefully. There are several ways to fall asleep with a hangover quickly and safely.

To understand how to sleep with a hangover, you need to know why this problem occurs after drinking alcohol. Ethyl alcohol is a toxin that negatively affects all systems and organs. It disrupts the functioning of the liver, cardiovascular and nervous systems, knocks down biorhythms.

The body is restored in sleep. After 3-4 transitions from slow to fast sleep, the long-awaited rest , strength, cheerfulness appear. Due to the frequent use of alcohol, slow phases of sleep, which are responsible for the production of melatonin, are shortened. Sleep becomes very sensitive and intermittent. A person constantly wakes up from the slightest rustle, and in the morning feels even more tired and overwhelmed.

The causes of insomnia can be the following :

  • A person has a strong withdrawal syndrome. Pain, nausea and muscle aches keep him awake. The more often and more the patient drinks, the stronger the withdrawal syndrome will be. At stage 3 alcoholism, a severe hangover can occur even after small doses of alcohol and last more than a week.
  • A person begins the so-called shaker, which does not allow him to sleep. Shamover refers to hangover shame, the feeling of restlessness after a wild party with alcohol for which there is no specific cause. This condition can be compared to chronic depression.
  • Alcohol aggravated chronic diseases. For example, a person has exacerbated gastritis, an ulcer, heart disease, kidney problems, which simply will not allow normal sleep. In this case, you need to seek help from doctors. The patient may miss the symptoms of dangerous, life-threatening conditions.

Not only the problem of how to fall asleep after a hangover can worry after drinking alcohol. There is also an opinion that a large amount of alcohol can provoke the so-called deep sleep . For this reason, some begin to use alcohol as a sleeping pill, which should not be done. As a result, sleep problems will only get worse. This very deceptive fast falling asleep actually does not give a good rest. Many begin to snore, which leads to disruption of respiratory rhythms (apnea).

Medical assistance is required when a person cannot sleep for several days, he starts hallucinations, migraines, clouding of consciousness.

Is it necessary to sleep with a hangover or can one endure insomnia?

If a person cannot find a way to fall asleep quickly from a hangover, he often decides that everything will go away on its own. As soon as the abstinence syndrome recedes, it will be possible to sleep without problems. However, doctors call sleep one of the most effective 0238 ways to restore strength and normalize the functioning of internal organs.

It is not recommended to go to bed only in a very strong intoxication, because a person in a dream may begin to vomit, from which he may choke on vomit. In this state it is difficult to control oneself or to change postures during sleep. If someone is nearby, he should turn the sleeping person to one side.

Due to strong intoxication, a person does not understand when parts of his body are very swollen or blood circulation is disturbed in them. If he lies in an uncomfortable position for a long time, you need to turn him over.

Due to prolonged lack of sleep, the state of health will deteriorate. Restoring the body without sound sleep is difficult. Therefore, in case of insomnia or interrupted sleep, it is desirable to select fast-acting and safe means to eliminate this problem.

Prolonged insomnia can lead to various consequences: irritability, mood swings, fatigue, reduced performance. Neurotic disorders may also appear. People who sleep poorly and little often suffer from panic attacks , depression, increased anxiety. Inadequate sleep reduces immunity and provokes the development of heart disease.

What drugs can I take for insomnia?

In search of ways to fall asleep after a hangover, people often resort to medication. However, keep in mind that not all of them are safe in the presence of ethanol in the blood. You need to choose only those drugs that will not lead to serious side effects.

Alcohol causes a sudden release of dopamine, which often leads to increased heart rate and anxiety. Mild sedatives and sleeping pills can help relieve these symptoms.

For insomnia after drinking alcohol, you can take :

  • Motherwort . It is sold in the form of capsules, tablets, tinctures. Motherwort has a calming effect, relieves anxiety, irritability. It helps to fall asleep faster during withdrawal. The only side effect when the dosage is observed is an allergic reaction.
  • Valerian . This natural remedy also helps relieve anxiety and is a mild sleep aid. You can drink it alone or with mint. In pharmacies, you can find tablets with a natural composition, which includes valerian, mint, and hops. They are not addictive, but can provoke allergies.
  • Glycine . This drug does not have a strong or fast action, but in alcoholism it relieves hangovers. This is an amino acid that relieves irritability, normalizes sleep and makes it easier to fall asleep.
  • Novo-Passit . An herbal sedative can be drunk throughout the withdrawal period, one tablet per day. However, it is recommended to take it after the removal of alcohol from the blood.
  • Mexidol . This drug is often prescribed after alcohol intoxication. It is recommended even with serious damage to the nervous system and high emotional stress.
  • Donormil . Before taking this medication, it is advisable to consult a doctor. It copes well with insomnia, but does not combine with ethanol. You can take it no earlier than 12 hours after drinking alcohol. If you have taken Donormil before or mixed it with alcohol, you should immediately drink plenty of water and induce vomiting.

Afobazole with a hangover cannot be called dangerous. There are few side effects from it, but you should not expect a quick result either. With regular use, this drug begins to act only for 3-4 days.

Folk remedies for insomnia with a hangover

At home, it is not always possible to find safe and easy sleeping pills at home. There are many soothing herbs in folk medicine. Their peculiarity is that they do not instantly help you fall asleep. Reception of herbal decoctions must be combined with drinking mode, proper nutrition.

Folk remedies can also be effective for insomnia:

  • Pickle . This is the most famous hangover cure. It restores the salt balance, but you need to drink it in large quantities.
  • Tea from St. John’s wort . This drink is great for insomnia caused by a hangover. It contains substances that normalize the functioning of the liver and accelerate the elimination of toxins from the body. St. John’s wort also has a general strengthening effect. But before use, you should make sure that there are no allergies.
  • Black tea with honey. This drink perfectly tones, honey calms and removes harmful substances. You can replace black tea with green tea, add mint or thyme to it.
  • Hops . Hop cones need to be filled with water and insisted. If you take the tincture 3 times a day, you can normalize sleep in a short time.
  • Sauna . It helps to sweat and remove toxins. This procedure has long been known in Russia as a healing one. However, this issue must be approached with caution. If you have heart disease, hypertension, vascular pathology, then hot steam will have to be abandoned.

If you don’t know how to fall asleep with a hangover at home, try simple methods first, for example, take a warm bath with aromatic oils, take a walk in the fresh air. Sometimes a good walk and quiet music are enough. A warm or slightly cool shower relieves tension well, but contrasting temperatures should be avoided, as this will lead to drops in blood pressure, which can provoke a stroke.

It should be borne in mind that it takes 4-5 days for a complete detoxification of the body after alcohol poisoning. During this time, you need to refrain from drinking alcohol, try not to eat fatty foods, drink more water. During a hangover, you need to drink pure or mineral water without gas, green tea, milk and kefir. It is better to refuse strong coffee and carbonated drinks.

To speed up the excretion of the decomposition products of ethyl alcohol, you can take enterosorbents, for example, several tablets of activated carbon, Polisorb, Laktofiltrum. However, these drugs should not be overdone either. A large dose will lead to indigestion and avitaminosis. These drugs remove from the body not only toxins and allergens, but also vitamins, useful trace elements, so it is not recommended to exceed the dosage indicated on the package.

What can not be done?

Sometimes people write on forums “I can’t sleep with a hangover – what should I do?” and try everything that others advise them to do. It should be borne in mind that there is no universal folk remedy or medicine. Insomnia is provoked by various causes. If someone needs to drink peppermint tea, then another will need a carefully selected prescription drug.

Those who have experienced sleep problems should know what not to do:

  • Tips on how to fall asleep with a hangover at home: never take strong sleeping pills without a doctor’s recommendation. The reaction of the body can be unpredictable.
  • Do not mix drugs or overdose. Not all drugs are compatible with each other. Exceeding the dosage will lead to serious side effects and increase the load on the liver and cardiovascular system.
  • Do not take new doses of alcohol (hangover) to fall asleep faster. As mentioned above, this will not lead to a good rest, but it can provoke a binge. Ethanol is not a sleeping pill in any form. It only causes disturbing interrupted sleep.
  • Do not drink Corvalol and Valoserdin earlier than 2-3 hours after drinking alcohol. Their intake increases the load on the liver, which will increase the toxic effect. If there is ethanol in the blood, a person will have a strong tachycardia, he may lose consciousness.

Care should be taken with addictive drugs. As a rule, they help quickly, but you can drink them only for a few days or in case of emergency. Addiction will lead to even greater sleep and mental disorders.

If you decide that it’s time to get rid of the addiction that leads to sleep disorders, contact a drug treatment center for help.

What to do with a strong withdrawal syndrome?

Treatment of insomnia individually. Not always light drugs and herbs help. If your health worsens after drinking, withdrawal increases and you can’t relax, you can use the service of calling a doctor at home. This is a quick and effective way to stop the symptoms of a severe hangover.

Home care includes examination, collection of tests and infusion therapy. The narcologist will select the drugs and their dosage, taking into account the age and condition of the patient. After 40-60 minutes, the state of health will begin to improve.

Infusion therapy gives the following results:

  • Accelerates the elimination of toxic substances from the body;
  • Relieves anxiety, irritability;
  • Helps the body recover faster;
  • Normalizes sleep;
  • Avoids severe and dangerous complications.

The dropper contains sleeping pills and sedatives drugs. Usually a person falls asleep after the procedure and wakes up already rested. Infusion therapy can relieve pain and body aches, dizziness, nausea.

Do not neglect the doctor’s recommendations. He will tell you how to behave and what to take in the following days. If you follow all the rules and do not take alcohol during detox, sleep will normalize in the coming days.

If insomnia began to appear regularly, not only after alcohol intoxication, but also in a sober state, you should consult a doctor and undergo an examination. Chronic alcoholism can lead to disorders, one of the symptoms of which is dyssomnia . Their treatment is carried out only under the supervision of a doctor and subject to the complete rejection of alcohol.

Why should you contact the Private Medic 24 clinic?

Narcologists are approached with the question: “I can’t sleep with a hangover – what should I do?”. A strong withdrawal syndrome that provokes insomnia, regular binges and drinking large amounts of alcohol are signs of chronic alcoholism. Addiction will intensify and worsen, so it is dangerous to ignore it. To normalize sleep, get rid of other consequences of alcohol addiction, call the clinic.

Private Narcological Clinic “Private Medic 24” offers hangover treatment in a hospital.