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28th Dec 2023

Four evidence-based ways to prevent a hangover

Anna Martin

hangover

It’s that time of year when hangovers are just as plentiful as presents

If you ended up here you were probably Googling how to prevent one before your big night out followed by work tomorrow morning.

Now there is no set way to prevent the headaches and fatigue that come with a night of drinking but there are a few strategies you can try out.

Drink in moderation

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This one might seem obvious but it’s the best way to prevent a hangover. Or even better don’t drink at all then there’s zero chance.

There are no set limits on how many drinks you can consume before you know you’ll have a rough morning as everyone has a different alcohol tolerance.

Yet usually, if you drink enough to become intoxicated, you may have a hangover the following day.

Avoid drinks high in congeners

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While most of us looking to avoid hangovers are more conscious of the alcohol content in our drinks you should also look out for congeners.

Congeners are toxic chemicals that include methanol, isopentanol, and acetone.

Drinks high in congeners include whiskey, cognac, and tequila. Bourbon whiskey is exceptionally high in congeners.

On the other hand, colourless drinks – like vodka, gin, and rum – have low levels of congeners.

Drink lots of fluids

Alcohol is a diuretic which means that it makes you need to pee, therefore it can cause dehydration which in turn causes headaches, fatigue, dry mouth and all that lovely stuff.

Thankfully there is a simple solution to this, drink more water or just non-alcoholic beverages when out.

Don’t forget to down a large glass of water before you head to bed as well.

Get plenty of sleep

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Alcohol is known to interfere with your normal sleep schedule and the quality of the rest you get.

Although poor sleep doesn’t cause most hangover symptoms, it may contribute to the fatigue and irritability often associated with hangovers.

Getting plenty of sleep after heavy drinking can help your body recover.

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