If you’re over 21, you’ve been there. You had like two glasses of wine, not even big ones, and you wake up hungover. Or maybe you drank a ton and wake up hungover. Whatever the case, hangovers suck. I used to never get them, but lately it seems one glass of prosecco and I’m hurting in the morning. I’m not willing to give up my bubbly though, so I’ve done lots of researching and have tested out a few tricks for mitigating and coping with hangovers. I wouldn’t say anything is total cure, but I do have a routine that I know works. And with the holiday party season well upon us, I figured now would be a good time to share them. Again, this is what works for me, and I follow it to a T whenever I drink and I’m functioning within about 4 hours of waking up. But remember, every body is different so you may need to tweak this routine to work for you, however this will get you on the right track!
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BEFORE YOU DRINK
- Drink ALL the water. Seriously, drink too much water. And grab a snack before you go. Never start the night hungry or dehydrated.
- Get a huge bottle of water and some Ibuprofen (not Tylenol or anything with acetaminophen because it’s horrible for your system when you’ve had alcohol recently) and put it on your nightstand. If you know you’re prone to hangovers, get some unflavored Pedialyte and ginger ale and leave it by your bedside, too. Pedialyte is a lot like Gatorade minus the insane amount of sugar so it won’t make you sicker, but it will help replenish you in the morning. The ginger ale will give it some flavor and also settle your stomach.
- Right before you get in bed, drink as much of the water as you can and take your recommended dose of ibuprofen.
- Turn your phone volume down super low so an unexpected text or call wont hurt and make sure any alarms are turned down as well.
- Turn off all the lights and let the room cool down, try to get a good night’s sleep for as many hours as possible.
AFTER YOU WAKE UP
- The first thing you need to do after waking up is grab that water and ibuprofen. If enough hours have passed, take another dose and drink the entire glass of water.
- If you left out Pedialyte and ginger ale, mix about half of each in a glass and sip on it. Keep sipping on it all day if you need to.
- Moving water is a cure for me, so I always grab a cup of coffee if I can drink it or my Pedilyte mix, and turn on the shower. Then I just sit in the shower in a mostly dark bathroom. With my drink in hand. I like to light a couple candles on the counter to provide the light and turn off any actual light bulbs. I know it’s silly, but there’s something about moving water that is much more relaxing and soothing. Plus it’s much faster than a regular bath.
- After your shower, keep drinking water and your mix and/or your coffee.
- Keep the lights low, turn on Netflix or YouTube, and just relax. If you didn’t drink an insane amount, you should start feeling better after one glass of the Pedialyte mix and two glasses of water. But keeping taking the ibuprofen all day to keep headaches at bay.
- As soon as you’re able to eat, opt for eggs and potatoes. Or some kind of starchy carbs and protein. And salt it. Hangovers are essentially severe dehydration so you need lots of electrolytes and water to ease the pain.
- Depending on the severity, you could be functioning within a few hours. Or you might be out all day. Whatever the case, sleep and relax as much as possible. If you push too hard, you’ll just end up feeling worse.
What are your hangover hacks?
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