Head pounding, stomach churning, muscles aching… You don’t need to see a doctor to diagnose yourself with a hangover. Luckily, there are a few quick and easy cures – although you may not feel 100% better until you get another good night’s sleep. So before you decide to stay in bed all day, try these tips.
Water Is Your Friend
Yes, it’s totally obvious, but water really does help. After a night of drinking, chug some before you go to bed. If you don’t get to that the night before (and we totally understand), water helps the morning after, too. Drinking water while you’re out drinking will also stave off any hangover pains you may have the next morning. An easy way to sneak some water in while you’re partying is to make your drinks with lots of ice. As you drink, the ice melts and keeps you hydrated!
A Little Food Goes a Long Way
It may be the last thing you feel like doing, but snacking on some crackers or chips – really anything with lots of carbs – before bed will do wonders for you in the morning. In the morning, it’s totally worth it to make the long and arduous journey out of bed to the kitchen. A little food will settle your stomach and help lull you back to sleep.
Start the Shower
Taking a long, hot shower when you’re sick is like your favorite Friends episode reappearing on TV after all these years: like magic. The same goes for when you have a hangover. If you have an early class or meeting to get to and you’re dead tired (and unfortunately, you probably are), try quickly switching between hot and cold water a few times. That should wake you up.
Sip a Latte
Coffee is a well-known but understated hangover cure. Like a hot-cold-hot-cold shower, it wakes you up and gets you ready for your day. But if you choose to go this route, don’t forget the water! Coffee can dehydrate you even more and give you a headache, but balancing it with lots of water can alleviate these nasty side effects.
Sleep Instead of Exercise
Here’s the best news you’ve ever heard about exercise: you don’t have to do it when you’re hungover! Not only is it probably the last thing on your mind when you’re in bed cradling your throbbing head, but it’s actually not a great idea when you have a hangover. You’re already dehydrated from the alcohol – you don’t need to break a sweat and cause further dehydration and misery. Save your workout for the next day!
The Bottom Line
There is no true cure for a hangover. The best way to treat a hangover is to never get one in the first place! Always drink in moderation (we’re talking, like, one drink per hour) and stop before you start feeling sick.