Always drink responsibly. None of these hangover avoidance remedies stop you from becoming inebriated.
How do you avoid a hangover?
Drinking alcohol is an activity that most adult Americans enjoy on some level. According to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (scary sounding!), 56% of Americans over 18 reported drinking in the past month, and 70% reported drinking in the past year. [1]
Hangovers are an almost guaranteed side effect of drinking alcohol, and apparently they aren’t enough to put people off drinking. Scientists estimated that the total cost of hangovers on worker productivity was almost $90 billion in 2010, in the US alone - a huge number! [2]
One of the main things that happens when you drink alcohol is dehydration, so as a hydration nerd I’ve spent a lot of time over the past couple of years researching what rituals people have around drinking to reduce the negative impacts on the next day. Of course, not drinking is the best bet here, but let’s just put that option to one side for now. I’ve created a few recurring persona’s I’ve come across in my research.
What is your drunk personality?
The “I’ll try anything” believer
These individuals will buy whatever they can find that is even tangentially related to helping how they’ll feel after drinking. Whenever a new “cure” pops up on the market or in their news feed, they’ll throw down a few bucks to try it out. Because hey, wouldn’t it be cool if it actually worked?? These are the people you find drinking ancient herbal remedies at 2 in the morning, or taking “liver boosting” supplements. Often, they’re the ones who party the hardest.
Interestingly a lot of the products this group take are recommended to be consumed before or during your drinking session rather than after.
The resigned pain reliever
These drinkers don’t believe the hype for anything that claims to help their hangover. They trust in a glass of water before bed (if they remember), and a couple of standard painkillers the next morning, often washed down with a big cup of coffee. They know they’re going to feel bad after drinking, but are resigned to their fate and just manage it the best they can.
The upbeat pain reliever
These drinkers are a lot like the resigned pain relievers, relying on a combination of water/pizza before bed, and then painkillers and caffeine the next morning. Rather than being resigned to their fate, they don’t get terrible hangovers and view them as being largely in the mind. They just get on with their day and don’t let it get them down.
The “I don’t get hangovers” person
Universally hated, these people claim to not endure any negative side effects from all their drinking. Perhaps it’s genetic, or perhaps they’ve discovered a secret that’s hidden from the rest of us.
The nerdy hydrator
(Admittedly, I have a strong bias here) These people have a ritual of hydrating once they finish their fun. The novices will drink a lot of water, and the pro’s seek out electrolytes to go with their water to help retain it and to replace what they lost earlier that night. Some people shy away from this category because they’re worried they’ll have to pee during the night, and still others say they’ll just forget to mix up a drink or buy something with electrolytes as they just head straight to bed. Science is on their side though!
The carefree procrastinator
This persona doesn’t think about how they’re going to feel tomorrow. That’s a tomorrow problem, today they’re just going to have fun. Usually can be found suffering the next day, complaining about their decision making.
The workout masochist
Believe it or not, these people really exist. They wake up, and force themselves to exercise in some way and find that some combination of sweating and endorphins helps relieve their hangover. This takes some serious discipline!
I’ve personally interviewed all of these persona’s, and it was eye-opening to understand that not everyone has the strict rehydration ritual that I have. At Hydrant, we’re on a mission to get everyone hydrating before bed so that they wake up feeling ready to take on the day. If you’d like to try out the intense hydration method, and build it into your evening ritual - click the button below!
References
[1] Results from the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/NSDUH-DetTabs-2015/NSDUH-DetTabs-2015/NSDUH-DetTabs-2015.htm#tab2-41b (Very detailed tables with facts and figures from the drug use survey)
[2] 2010 National and State Costs of Excessive Alcohol Consumption https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(15)00354-2/pdf (Study assessing the impact of drinking alcohol on the US economy)
[3] NIH Alcohol Facts and Statistics. https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/alcohol-facts-and-statistics (We didn't actually reference this, but it's got some great quick facts and figures for you)
