Rehydrate after drinking
Drink water before bed and the next morning, and eat a proper meal. Time is the only real fix.
- How often
- As needed
- Time
- After drinking
- Recommended for
- 1 factor
How to do it
- Drink a glass or two of water before you go to sleep.
- In the morning, keep sipping water through the day.
- Eat a real meal. Fruit, vegetables, milk and yogurt naturally contain potassium and other electrolytes.
- Rest. Alcohol fragments sleep, so you are likely to be short on it.
- Next time, plan fewer drinks. That is the only thing that prevents a hangover.
Why it helps
Alcohol makes you urinate more, and the mild dehydration that follows likely contributes to thirst, fatigue and headache. Water helps with that. Research has not found that electrolyte loss explains how bad a hangover feels, and the body usually rebalances its electrolytes on its own once the alcohol wears off. No drink, pill or food has been shown to cure a hangover. Only time does.
Be careful
Repeated vomiting, confusion, fainting or a racing heart are reasons to get medical help right away. If hangovers are a regular part of your week, SAMHSA's free, confidential helpline is open 24/7 at 1-800-662-4357.