My hangover experiment

I've been experimenting with my drinking over the past few months to see if I can figure out what I can do to minimise hangovers.

I have discovered there are several factors which lead or prevent hangovers...

1. Physical exertion
2. Amount of liquids consumed
3. Type of alcohol consumed
4. Lack of sleep
5. Quality of sleep
6. Food
7. Dehydration
8. Withdrawl
9. Caffeine

I will go through each one now...

1. Physical exertion

Typically when I go out drinking I end up standing in a bar for about 5 or 6 hours. This itself is very tiring. I experimented going to the pub and not drinking alcohol but still stood in the corner with my friends for about 6 hours. The result? The next day I was shattered. It's not something you really think about but standing in the same spot for hours is physically demanding.

Result 1: Try to sit down for most of the evening and your hangover won't be as bad the next day. (Or at least, minimise the physical activity, including dancing!)


2. Amount of liquids consumed

I had read that it's the amount of peeing you do which causes hangovers (something along the lines of pissing out all the salt in your body or something like that). So I experimented with large amounts of low alcohol beer and small amounts of high alcohol spirits.

Result 2: Drinking less liquids reduces the severity of the hangover.


3. Type of alcohol consumed

I also read something about certain types of alcohol being bad for hangovers. In a nutshell, the more "pure" the alcohol the easier the hangover. So vodka would be better than beer, etc. My experiments confirmed this was true.

Result 3: Stick to drinks like vodka and rum. This ties in nicely with (2) above.


4. Lack of sleep

I spent a lot of time experimenting with this one. In particular I combined it with (1) above. Physically exerting yourself and then sleeping for about 6 hours or thereabouts results in symptoms similar to a hangover.

Result 4: A large part of a hangover is simply tiredness.


5. Quality of sleep

I was surprised by this one. I experimented by getting a bad nights sleep (sleeping on the ground) and a good nights sleep (cosy bed) after a night of drinking.

Result 5: A bad nights sleep minimises your hangover.

Yep, you read that right. The worse the sleep the easier the hangover. My conclusion on this is the bad nights sleep is sort of like staying awake so your hangover can't form properly.


6. Food

I experimented drinking on an empty stomach, a full stomach, eating while drinking, and pigging out after drinking. We all know food affects the strength of your hangover (i.e. the less food the worse the hangover.) But what I found best was...

Result 6: Eat during your drinking.

I found this made it harder to get drunk (I was able to consume a lot more alcohol and not get as drunk) but it definitely does great things for preventing hangovers.


7. Dehydration

This one was also surprising. I experimented drinking water between drinks and drinking a load of water before bed. Neither seemed to really make a difference.

Result 7: Drinking water is good for curing dry mouth but won't prevent your hangover.


8. Withdrawl

I found this one particularly difficult, because my body really rejects alcohol when I'm hungover, but I found the ol' hair of the dog works wonders.

Result 8: A drink when hungover lessens the pain.


9. Caffeine

I have no explanation for this one, but I've found a coffee greatly helps cure a hangover headache. I know coffee dehydrates you, but it really helps me.

Result 9: Drink a coffee the next morning.


So to put it all together...

When in the pub, make sure you have a seat, drink clean alcohol like vodka and try to minimise the amount of liquids you drink (i.e. drink shots instead of beer). Eat food throughout the night, and don't worry too much about getting a great nights sleep or consuming a load of water. Caffeine and a little bit of alcohol will help level you out the next day.

That's just my experience. Maybe yours is different.