You woke up with a bad hangover and need quick help? Here are 10 tips against the hangover that REALLY work. From anti-hangover drinks to the perfect hangover breakfast. And even better: We’ll give you the best hangover avoidance tips for the night before.
If you look a little too deep into the glass at a party, the morning after is a nightmare. The consequences for too much alcohol could be nausea, vomiting, headaches and a racing pulse. If you want to spare yourself the hangover, you should follow the simple advice to drink no alcohol at all or only very little.
But sometimes all good intentions are forgotten. And after the legendary party night literally comes the rude awakening. The good news is that you don’t have to suffer all day, but can do something about the hangover.
What helps against hangover the next day? 10 tips
We have looked around for the best hangover relief tips: to cure hangover nausea, headaches, anxiety, and heartburn. Also: 10 hangover prevention tips for the night before. So you will not get a hangover in the first place.
Showering helps against the hangover
Even if lying down seems more tempting to you than standing up: a full bath will not get your blood circulation back on track like a nice shower. Refresh yourself with lukewarm water and use an energizing shower gel, for example with lavender, lime or rosemary.
To get the circulation going, set the water to cold at the end. This stimulates the blood circulation and helps the body to eliminate toxins. By stimulating the circulation, you will also cure the unpleasant hangover headache.
Tips for hangover headaches
A popular anti-hangover tip: before going to bed, take a pain reliever. If your head is still buzzing the next morning, you can take another light painkiller.
But be careful: Some painkillers irritate an already upset stomach. Instead of ibuprofen or aspirin, you should better take paracetamol in case of nausea and heartburn caused by alcohol. This is more stomach-friendly.
The alternative to drugs: a bag of ice or a cold washcloth. The cold relieves headaches because it constricts the blood vessels.
Peppermint essential oil relieves hangover headache
Peppermint oil also helps against hangover headaches. Massage gently in a circular motion on forehead, neck, and temples and breathe in and out slowly and deeply. The essential oil has a strong cooling effect and the peppermint scent calms the senses. With this, you can easily relieve your headache.
Vitamin-rich drinks help against hangovers
Even if you feel like it: caffeinated drinks such as coffee and cola are not suitable against a “fire” after too much alcohol – because they can make your heart race even faster. Even highly acidic drinks like orange juice are not for overexcited stomachs.
It is better to use still mineral water, fruit and herbal teas or warm water with lemon. They replenish the body’s vitamin and mineral reserves.
Alternatively, you can dissolve a vitamin C effervescent tablet in water, let it stand for a short time and then drink it in small sips.
This hangover breakfast helps
The ultimate trick after a long night of partying: an extensive breakfast with lots of vitamins and minerals. So you can compensate for dehydration and electrolyte deficiency.
A nice breakfast will beat the hangover very quickly. But make sure that it is not too greasy. A slice of wholemeal bread with tomato, radishes, pepper, and salt is perfect. Another great hangover breakfast is scrambled eggs with a little bacon. It takes getting used to but THE best hangover trick is herring rolls for breakfast.
Nothing sweet for breakfast
Sugar makes the hangover worse. So avoid sweets, sweet drinks, and fruit jams.
That helps with hangover sickness
You’re so sick you can’t eat a bite? Ginger tea helps against dizziness and nausea. It increases the production of stomach acid and has a calming effect on the nervous system. Chamomile tea is also a good home remedy for hangovers. It is best to brew the tea, let it cool down and then drink it lukewarm in small sips.
Afterward, you should still force yourself to eat. Because nothing helps better against a hangover than breakfast.
That helps with heartburn
Another typical hangover symptom: heartburn. To bind the stomach acid, you can eat a tablespoon of dry oatmeal or drink a glass of milk.
Fresh air against the hangover
The last tip to beat the hangover: fresh air! Instead of crawling into your bed and suffering in silence, you should get up and go for a walk.
Especially the cool winter air works wonders. It stimulates the circulation and the cold relieves headaches. The oxygen also accelerates the breakdown of alcohol.
Hangover skin care tips
Not only do we feel horrible with a hangover, but unfortunately we also look that way. This is also due to alcohol. It removes moisture from the skin and, as a result, we look tired and pale and get wrinkles more quickly. Because nobody wants that, you should also pay attention to your skin when you have a hangover.
Beauty tips against pale hangover skin:
First, exfoliate to remove the old skin cells and the gray skin tone. Then apply a moisturizing mask and leave it on for 10-15 minutes. Then rinse off with lukewarm water and finally apply a moisturizer in a tapping motion.
In this way, you increase the blood circulation and your skin looks fresh and rosy. If you need to be out and about today: you can use eye pads to remove dark circles under the eyes.
Also interesting: DIY beauty products: How to make all natural, non toxic cosmetics
Where does the hangover come from anyway?
The list of uncomfortable symptoms that can occur with a real hangover is long. In addition to headaches, typical hangover symptoms such as stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting are particularly unpleasant.
Many are probably also aware of depression, lack of concentration, anxiety and depressive moods as side effects of a hangover.
The majority of hangover symptoms are not caused by the alcohol itself, but by the toxins that are produced when the alcohol is broken down in the body. In addition, alcohol increases urine output, so that you literally dry out.
The body sends these symptoms as signals to show us that it has been under a lot of strain and is now “punishing” us for this. Fortunately, there are ways to limit the negative effects of drinking too much alcohol – before and after drinking.
Tips on how to prevent a hangover
There are a number of things you can do during the party or before going to sleep to prevent the hangover. These ten, for example:
Eat well while drinking
Before a party, you should really feast. Because especially high-fat and protein-rich foods stay in the stomach for a long time and delay the absorption of alcohol into the blood. The result: the blood alcohol level rises more slowly. Salty snacks such as peanuts, pretzel sticks, crisps or olives while drinking can prevent mineral deficiencies.
Avoid sweets to prevent hangovers
Sugar enhances the effect of alcohol. Therefore do not eat sweet snacks with alcohol, but stick to salty foods.
Choose the right alcohol
Not all alcohol is the same! Not every alcoholic beverage causes the same headache. The worst of all hits you after drinking brandy! Then follow in decreasing order: red wine, rum, whiskey, white wine, and gin.
There are also differences with beer: Drinking wheat beer has worse aftereffects than drinking dry-hopped beer. Also, be careful with warm or sugared drinks such as mulled wine or punch. These increase the absorption of alcohol into the blood.
Do not mix alcohols
Stay true to yourself, even when it comes to party drinks. Because if you stick with one type, it’s easier to keep track of what’s going on.
Since alcohol dehydrates the body, you should drink enough water or non-alcoholic beverages in addition to alcohol. It is always best to drink a glass of water with every glass of alcohol.
If possible, avoid smoking at the same time
Avoid smoking if possible, even when partying. Non-smokers simply have more fun. Why? Tobacco smoke removes oxygen and vitamins from the body. This considerably increases the effect of the alcohol – and the hangover the next day is even worse.
No drinking games
Even if it is unfair: women tolerate less alcohol than men! Don’t try to keep up – it will end badly! Avoid drinking games of any kind.
Before going to sleep
Drink water
We have already mentioned it above: To prevent a hangover the next morning, you should definitely drink at least 4 cups of mineral water before going to bed.
Even better: Dissolve a magnesium and calcium effervescent tablet in water. This replenishes the supply of trace elements that alcohol has removed from the body.
Eat something before going to bed
Do not only drink water before going to bed, eat a slice of bread or something similar. To be on the safe side, you can also take a painkiller as a precaution – but if possible do not take anything with acetaminophen (Tylenol).
At night, open the window
Before going to sleep make sure you leave a window open! The oxygen helps the body to regenerate. The risk of waking up with a headache or nausea is much lower.
When already in bed, lie higher
With too much alcohol you sometimes have the feeling that your bed has turned into a merry-go-round. To stop the unpleasant ride, a second or third pillow under the head helps, so that the upper body is higher. A little psychological trick that reduces the feeling of dizziness: Let one foot hang out of bed!