How to avoid a hangover
The honest answer first: the only sure way to avoid a hangover is to drink less — or not at all. But if you are going to drink, a handful of simple habits genuinely lower the odds and take the edge off the morning after. Here's what the evidence actually supports, and the "cures" that don't work.
The one thing that always works
There's no getting around it. According to the US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the only way to completely avoid a hangover is to not drink alcohol at all, and the more you drink, the worse the hangover tends to be. Western Australia's Alcohol. Think Again says the same thing in plainer terms: drink less, because the more you drink, the more likely you are to get a hangover.
Everything else on this page reduces your risk and softens the symptoms. Nothing makes a big night consequence-free. If you keep the total number of drinks down and stay inside the Australian guidelines — no more than 10 standard drinks in a week and no more than 4 on any one day — a hangover becomes far less likely in the first place.
What actually causes a hangover
A hangover isn't one single thing going wrong. It's several at once, which is why no single trick fixes it. The main culprits:
- Dehydration. Alcohol suppresses a hormone called vasopressin, so you make more urine and lose more fluid than you take in. That drives the thirst, fatigue and headache.
- Acetaldehyde. As your liver breaks down alcohol it produces acetaldehyde, a toxic by-product that stokes inflammation around the body before it's cleared.
- Inflammation. Alcohol triggers an immune-inflammatory response, which contributes to that run-down, "coming down with something" feeling.
- Broken sleep. Alcohol fragments your sleep and wakes you earlier, so you feel wrecked even after a full night in bed.
- Stomach irritation. Alcohol irritates the stomach lining and raises stomach acid, which is behind the nausea and queasiness.
- Mini-withdrawal. As the alcohol leaves your system, your brain rebounds from being sedated, leaving you restless, shaky and anxious.
On top of all that, congeners — compounds produced during fermentation and ageing, found in larger amounts in darker drinks like whisky, brandy and red wine — may worsen symptoms for some people. They're an aggravating factor, not the main event.
What genuinely helps
Because a hangover has several causes, the best approach is to chip away at as many of them as you can — before, during and after you drink.
Before you drink: eat first
Never drink on an empty stomach. Having a proper meal before or while you drink slows how quickly alcohol is absorbed, so your blood alcohol peaks lower and gentler, and it cushions your stomach lining against irritation. It's one of the few pieces of pre-drinks advice with real backing.
While you're drinking: pace, water, and count
- Pace yourself. Your liver clears alcohol at a fixed rate — roughly one standard drink an hour. Drink faster than that and alcohol builds up in your blood. Sticking to about one standard drink per hour keeps the total lower and gives your body a chance to keep up.
- Alternate with water. A glass of water between each drink tackles the dehydration head-on and naturally slows your drinking. It won't cancel out the alcohol, but it reliably takes the edge off.
- Lean towards lighter-coloured drinks. Clear spirits like vodka and gin, or lighter wines and beers, carry fewer congeners than dark spirits and red wine — a small edge, as long as you're not simply drinking more of them.
- Know what a standard drink is. One Australian standard drink is 10 g of alcohol — a 285 ml middy of full-strength beer, a 100 ml glass of wine or a 30 ml nip of spirits. A generous home pour or a strong cocktail can be two or three standard drinks in one glass, which is how people lose count and end up worse off than they planned.
Before bed and the morning after
- Rehydrate before you sleep. A big glass or two of water before bed helps replace some of what you've lost, which can make the morning more bearable.
- Let time do the work. Rest, water and a light meal when you can face one will ease the symptoms. Only time actually clears them.
- Go easy on painkillers. Don't reach for paracetamol while there's still alcohol in your system — combining the two can be hard on your liver. If you use pain relief for a headache, do it carefully and once you've sobered up.
Cause and fix, at a glance
| What goes wrong | What helps |
|---|---|
| Dehydration | Water between drinks and before bed |
| Alcohol absorbed too fast | Eat first; pace to ~1 standard drink/hour |
| Too much alcohol overall | Count standard drinks; stay under the guidelines |
| Congeners | Favour clearer, lighter-coloured drinks |
| Broken sleep & symptoms | Rest and time — nothing speeds recovery |
What doesn't work
Plenty of popular "cures" do nothing for your hangover — some make it worse. None has been scientifically proven to work:
- Coffee. Caffeine may make you feel more alert, but it doesn't clear alcohol or fix the hangover, and it adds to dehydration.
- A cold shower. You'll be wide awake and exactly as hungover as before.
- "Hair of the dog". Another drink in the morning just delays the hangover and starts the damage over again.
- Sweating it out. Exercise and saunas don't burn off alcohol — your liver does almost all the work, and heat plus dehydration is a bad mix.
- Miracle pills and "detox" tonics. No supplement has been shown to reliably prevent or cure a hangover.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best way to avoid a hangover?
Drink less, or not at all — the more you drink, the worse the hangover. If you are drinking, eat beforehand, pace yourself to about one standard drink an hour, and alternate each drink with a glass of water.
Does drinking water stop a hangover?
Water helps with the dehydration side of things, so it eases symptoms, but dehydration is only one of several causes. Water alone won't save you from a heavy night.
Do clear drinks cause less of a hangover than dark ones?
Darker drinks have more congeners, which may worsen symptoms for some people, so lighter-coloured drinks can help a little. The total amount of alcohol matters far more than the colour.
Does eating before drinking prevent a hangover?
Eating slows absorption and protects your stomach, which lowers the odds of a bad hangover — but it reduces the risk rather than removing it, because the alcohol is still there.
Is there a cure once I have a hangover?
No. Coffee, cold showers and hair of the dog don't work. Only time lets your body recover; water, food and rest just make the wait more bearable.
Sources
Written by the Trendy Publishing editorial team from the sources below. This is general information only, not medical or legal advice — check with your doctor, pharmacist or the relevant authority for your situation.
- NIAAA (US National Institutes of Health) — Hangovers
- Alcohol. Think Again — Hangover
- Alcohol and Drug Foundation — Australian alcohol guidelines