Buzz
At some point, maybe in college or your 20s, you could likely drink, come home, pass out, and still manage to get a decent night’s sleep. Unfortunately, as we get older, the quality of sleep after drinking tends to deteriorate quickly. And that doesn’t even touch on the hangover.
While heavy drinking certainly leads to a hangover, part of why you feel sluggish and drained the next day is due to the poor sleep you get. Just a few drinks can disrupt your rest, but all is not lost. Here's how to make a restless night at least a bit more rejuvenating.
Before heading out
Have you ever had a few drinks before heading to bed, only to find yourself cycling between deep and light sleep all night long? This phenomenon is known as the "rebound effect." It causes your sleep to shift between stages, making it easier to wake up.
According to Timothy Roehrs and Thomas Roth from the Henry Ford Sleep Disorders and Research Center, the rebound effect occurs when the alcohol that helped you fall asleep is metabolized by your body. Once this happens, instead of staying in a sleepier state, your body becomes more alert. Sensitivities to things like light, noise, or temperature changes increase, jolting you awake even when you need more sleep. If you've woken up far too early after a few glasses of wine, this is why it happens. But there are ways to minimize the impact even before you take your first drink:
Prepare your bed to be inviting when you return home
If you go drinking right before bed, it’s tough to avoid sleep disruptions. However, by preparing your sleeping environment ahead of time, you can mitigate a lot. Start by following the basics. Practicing good sleep hygiene is even more crucial now. Use blackout curtains to block light, or opt for a sleep mask. Set the room temperature cool—around 60 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit—so you won’t overheat when you crawl into bed, and use earplugs to block out any external noise. It might also help to make your bed in advance so you don’t have to mess with the covers when you get home, preventing yourself from waking up in the process.
If possible, Elizabeth Kovacs, Ph.D., Director of the Alcohol Research Program at Loyola University Chicago, suggests that getting consistent good sleep in the nights leading up to the party will lessen the impact of one night of drinking. Essentially, treat the night like you'll be trying to sleep in a loud, brightly lit factory and prepare your environment accordingly.
Have a well-rounded meal
Before your first drink, make sure to eat a wholesome, balanced meal to help your body manage alcohol more effectively. A meal with protein, carbs, and fat will introduce alcohol into your bloodstream gradually, giving your body a chance to process it without overburdening itself. Red meat is an excellent choice, as Jason Burke, M.D., creator of Hangover Heaven, explains that it’s rich in protein and B vitamins, which aid in breaking down alcohol byproducts.
While out and drinking
Picture yourself out with friends, having a great time and enjoying a couple of drinks. Alcohol acts as a diuretic, which means it will increase your need to pee—often. This leads to dehydration, and as you drink, your body loses more water. Dehydration can cause a pounding headache when you get home (and the next day too), leaving you feeling dizzy, overheated, and uncomfortable. It can even make it hard to sleep, tossing and turning throughout the night.
Stay hydrated with water
The most effective solution is simple: drink water. It’s easy, but the trick is knowing when and how much. If you can, try alternating between a drink and a glass of water. This helps you stay hydrated and can prevent overdrinking, saving you from the worst of the hangover. It’s also best to avoid caffeine, which means steering clear of drinks like vodka & Red Bulls and Irish Coffees.
Stop drinking early
Ultimately, stopping yourself early is the wisest choice if you know you’ll need sleep later. To still enjoy the night and avoid being the buzzkill, drink more early on (after eating something), and then gradually reduce your drinking as the evening goes on.
Going out for dinner with friends before hitting the bar? Have a couple of glasses of wine at dinner and then take it slow with one or two drinks at the bar. Don’t stress over mixing different types of alcohol; the old adages like ‘liquor before beer, you’re in the clear’ and ‘beer before liquor, you’ve never been sicker’ are mostly myths. It really just depends on what you personally prefer.
Ideally, you’d stop drinking in time for your body to process most of the alcohol before you head home to sleep. This way, you can get some good rest and avoid the dreaded hangover the next day. As a rough guideline, aim to stop drinking at least four hours before bedtime. It may seem like a long wait at the party, but once you account for the time it takes to get home, unwind, and finally fall asleep, you’ll still have plenty of fun while your body processes everything you’ve consumed.
When you arrive home
If you're in a state where you can still process what's happening, these bedtime tips will help you get the best chance at a safe, restful sleep through the night.
Be cautious with pain medication
To ease the inevitable headache caused by alcohol and ward off the early signs of a hangover, take a small amount of ibuprofen once you get home. Avoid using Tylenol or other acetaminophen-based medications, as these can be harmful to your liver when mixed with alcohol.
Also, steer clear of any sleeping pills. It might seem like a good idea to shortcut the process and get some rest, but alcohol can amplify their effects, interfere with your breathing, and lead to pauses in oxygen intake. This not only makes you feel worse the next morning but can also pose serious health risks.
Choose smart snacks
Planning some snacks before bed can save you from overindulging in the fridge when you get home. Aim to soothe your stomach and provide the essential vitamins and nutrients to help your body break down alcohol while you sleep. You can't go wrong with fiber-rich foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and crackers. These foods slow digestion slightly, which means they’ll also slow alcohol absorption and processing. If your stomach is upset after drinking or you often suffer from indigestion, this is a worthwhile choice.
Honey is another excellent snack option after drinking. Dr. Richard Stephens of Keele University explains that low blood sugar can worsen the effects of drinking. A spoonful of honey, some honey on toast, or even a banana will provide simple sugars to help fuel the breakdown of alcohol overnight. Keep your nighttime snacks mild. These are also perfect for the morning after, when your blood sugar is especially low.
Restore your body's lost nutrients
It’s a good idea to take some vitamins before heading to bed to replenish any nutrients you may have lost during drinking. A basic multivitamin should do the trick, but according to a study published in QJM: An International Journal for Medicine, alcohol depletes your body’s B vitamins (which help break down alcohol), so a B vitamin supplement might be beneficial. Don't overload on pills before bed or the following morning, but thiamine, folic acid, and magnesium sulfate can be helpful as well.
In the emergency room, doctors administer a mixture of these nutrients via IV in what's called a ‘banana bag,’ which helps restore the body’s chemical balance. You can create your own version of a ‘banana bag’ supplement (in much smaller doses, of course) to achieve the same effect.
Have a final small glass of water before bed, and keep a glass nearby on your nightstand in case you get thirsty during the night. Be careful not to drink too much water—it'll just cause you to wake up repeatedly to go to the bathroom, wasting precious sleep time. You might also want to try Pedialyte, a nutrient-packed option that hydrates without the high sugar content of typical sports drinks. However, it won’t instantly fix your dehydration or hangover, so don’t treat it as a magical cure-all when you get home (it's actually more effective the next morning). The key to fighting dehydration is to prevent it from happening in the first place.
Lastly, set your phone to silent or put it in airplane mode so you’re not disturbed by notifications. If you can, disable your alarm and allow yourself to sleep in. You’ll need the extra time to recover. However, if you’re reading this, you likely need to get as much sleep as possible and can’t afford to sleep in. In that case, try getting to bed earlier next time.
