Colin Snow
It's not uncommon to feel the need to sleep all day after a night of heavy drinking. While alcohol can make you fall asleep faster, it also disrupts your sleep cycle, causing frequent wake-ups and preventing you from getting enough deep sleep. This interrupted sleep contributes to the severity of hangover symptoms, including fatigue, headache, nausea, and increased sensitivity to light and sound.
Research has shown that the quality of sleep after drinking is more important than the amount of alcohol consumed in determining the severity of a hangover. Therefore, getting a good night's sleep can help reduce the unpleasant symptoms of a hangover, but it's not a cure-all.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Sleep helps with a hangover | Yes and No |
| Why people sleep all day when hungover | Alcohol disrupts sleep quality and causes fatigue |
| How to sleep better after drinking | Get a good night's rest before drinking, drink water, avoid caffeine, stick to your normal sleep routine |
| How to prevent a hangover | Avoid drinking excessively, drink water between alcoholic drinks, eat before and while drinking |
What You'll Learn
Alcohol disrupts sleep quality
Alcohol also increases the likelihood of snoring and sleep apnea, a disorder that causes repeated pauses in breathing during sleep. It relaxes the throat muscles and causes changes to blood vessels in the nose, leading to greater airway resistance and increasing the duration of breathing events during sleep. This can have serious health implications, including an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and sudden death.
Additionally, alcohol withdrawal can cause insomnia, with symptoms including difficulty falling asleep, fragmented sleep, and reduced REM sleep. This can persist during acute alcohol withdrawal (1-2 weeks) and early recovery (2-8 weeks), and in some cases, it may continue for months or longer.
Overall, while alcohol may help people fall asleep initially, it ultimately disrupts sleep quality and can have negative consequences for overall health and well-being.
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Sleep helps the body recover from a hangover
Alcohol can make it harder to get a good night's sleep, and poor sleep can make hangovers worse. However, a good night's sleep won't prevent a hangover after a night of heavy drinking.
Studies have shown that people who sleep less after drinking tend to experience more severe hangovers. One study found that total alcohol consumption did not correlate with hangover length or severity. Instead, students who slept the least had the most severe hangovers. Another study found that shorter sleep increased hangover severity and cognitive impairment.
- Get a good night's rest before drinking.
- Avoid drinking too much, and stop drinking a few hours before bedtime.
- Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water and electrolytes.
- Eat a well-balanced meal after drinking and in the morning to support your blood sugar levels.
- Create a sleep-friendly environment by keeping your bedroom cool, quiet, and dark.
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bedtime, as they can disrupt your sleep.
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Drinking water and eating well can help alleviate hangover symptoms
Drinking water and eating well are two of the most important things you can do to help alleviate hangover symptoms.
Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it makes you pee more, and you can lose a lot of fluid. Alcohol also reduces the release of the hormone vasopressin, which balances your body's fluids. Dehydration causes thirst, fatigue, and headaches. So, it's important to drink plenty of water before you go to bed and when you wake up to curb the effects of alcohol and keep your body hydrated.
Alcohol can also cause your blood sugar to drop, leading to fatigue, weakness, and moodiness. Eating a good breakfast is a renowned hangover remedy. It can help restore blood sugar levels, which can mitigate some symptoms. It's best to eat before drinking, and a heavier meal can offset alcohol's effects on your body. Even eating a decent-sized breakfast can help restore your blood sugar level and relieve dehydration.
Drinking water and eating well are two simple but effective ways to help your body recover from a hangover.
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Hangovers can cause acute anxiety
Sleep can be affected by alcohol consumption, and hangovers can cause acute anxiety. While alcohol can make you fall asleep faster, it can also disrupt your sleep later in the night. The quality of sleep is often poor, and the duration is shorter, which can contribute to a worse hangover the next day.
The detoxification period that follows a night of drinking can be considered a mild form of withdrawal, during which individuals may feel restless, anxious, nervous, or jittery. This period can last several hours, and the physical hangover symptoms can add to the anxiety, making individuals feel even worse.
In addition to the chemical changes, there can also be a psychological element to hangxiety. Individuals may feel stressed and anxious if they cannot remember what happened the night before, or if they are worried about what they said or did while under the influence of alcohol.
To manage hangxiety, it is important to be kind to yourself and practice self-care. Staying hydrated, eating nutritious meals, and getting rest can help alleviate physical hangover symptoms and provide the body and mind with the energy needed to tackle anxiety. Distracting yourself with relaxing activities, such as watching a movie or listening to a podcast, can also help take your mind off anxious thoughts.
While it may be tempting to reach for another drink to alleviate hangxiety, it is important to avoid alcohol and other stimulant drugs, as they will likely delay the anxiety and may even worsen it. Instead, focus on healthy coping mechanisms and give your body and mind time to recover.
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Hangovers can last more than one day
The main reason hangovers can last longer than expected is due to the importance of sleep in getting over a hangover. Alcohol can cause you to fall asleep quickly, but it diminishes the quality of your sleep. As a result, you wake up with a sleep deficit that only exacerbates the existing hangover symptoms. This is made worse if you were particularly tired before drinking, as you may not have the energy to bounce back as quickly.
The rate at which you consume alcohol and the type of alcohol you consume can also influence the duration of your hangover. The faster you drink, the drunker you get, and the worse your hangover will be. Additionally, darker-coloured alcohols like dark rum, whiskey, and red wine tend to cause more severe hangovers than lighter-coloured alcohols like vodka, gin, and white wine. This is because darker alcohols contain more impurities and chemicals called congeners, which can worsen hangover symptoms.
To help combat a hangover that lasts more than a day, it is important to ensure you are well-rested before drinking and to drink slowly, spacing your drinks over time. Choosing lighter-coloured alcohols and drinking plenty of water can also help reduce the severity and duration of your hangover.
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Frequently asked questions
While it is common to feel tired after a night of drinking, alcohol can disrupt sleep quality, so you may not be able to sleep all day.
To help yourself sleep after drinking, you can:
- Drink water before bed.
- Eat a well-balanced meal after drinking and when you wake up.
- Avoid drinking more alcohol or caffeine before bed.
- Keep your bedroom cool, quiet and dark.
To prevent a hangover, you can:
- Drink water between alcoholic drinks.
- Eat before and while you're drinking.
- Stop drinking a few hours before bed.
- Drink slower and in smaller amounts.
