There’s no instant cure for a hangover, but you can speed up recovery by targeting the specific things alcohol did to your body: dehydration, inflammation, blood sugar drops, and poor sleep. Most hangovers resolve within 24 hours, and the right combination of fluids, food, rest, and pain relief can shorten that window significantly.
Why You Feel This Bad
Understanding what’s happening inside your body helps explain why certain remedies work and others don’t. When you drink, your liver breaks alcohol down into a compound called acetaldehyde, then into acetate. The speed of that process matters more than you’d expect. Slower alcohol metabolism is associated with worse hangovers, because alcohol itself (not just its byproducts) crosses into the brain and triggers symptoms. Research published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine found that the presence of alcohol in blood was linked to increased levels of inflammatory molecules, and those levels correlated directly with next-day hangover severity.
Acetate, the final breakdown product, also appears to play a role in hangover headaches. Animal studies suggest acetate contributes to the kind of pain signals responsible for that throbbing head. Meanwhile, alcohol suppresses a hormone that tells your kidneys to retain water, which is why you urinate far more than the volume you drank. The result is dehydration that compounds every other symptom, from fatigue to dizziness.
Rehydrate With Electrolytes, Not Just Water
Plain water helps, but it’s not the whole picture. Alcohol flushes out sodium, potassium, and magnesium along with all that extra urine. Replacing those electrolytes is what actually restores your fluid balance. Sports drinks, coconut water, or oral rehydration solutions all work well. Broth or soup is another solid option because it delivers sodium and fluid together.
Start drinking fluids as soon as you wake up and keep sipping throughout the day. If you’re nauseous and can’t keep large amounts down, take small, frequent sips rather than forcing a full glass at once.
Eat to Stabilize Blood Sugar
Alcohol interferes with your liver’s ability to produce glucose. Normally, your liver releases stored sugar into your bloodstream to keep levels steady, but processing alcohol takes priority and that glucose production gets suppressed. The result is low blood sugar, which contributes to shakiness, weakness, fatigue, and irritability the morning after.
Eating a meal with both complex carbohydrates and protein is the most effective way to bring your blood sugar back up and keep it stable. Toast with eggs, oatmeal with nuts, or a banana with peanut butter all fit the bill. High-protein foods like eggs, meat, dairy, legumes, and nuts also supply an amino acid called cysteine, which supports your body’s natural detoxification processes. Avoid the temptation to skip food because of nausea. Even something small and bland, like crackers or a piece of toast, gives your body fuel to work with.
Choose the Right Pain Reliever
This is one area where the wrong choice can make things worse. Anti-inflammatory pain relievers like ibuprofen (Advil) or naproxen (Aleve) are the safer option for hangover headaches, because hangover symptoms are partly driven by inflammation. They can be tough on an already irritated stomach, though, so take them with food.
Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is riskier. Both alcohol and acetaminophen are processed by the liver, and combining them increases the chance of liver damage. Cleveland Clinic notes that people who drink heavily should avoid daily acetaminophen doses greater than 2,000 mg. If you regularly drink or have any history of liver problems, skip acetaminophen entirely on hangover days. Also check your other medications, both prescription and over-the-counter. Many cold medicines, sleep aids, and combination pain relievers already contain acetaminophen, and you could accidentally double up.
Prioritize Sleep and Rest
A big reason hangovers feel so brutal is that the sleep you got while drinking wasn’t actually restorative. Alcohol suppresses REM sleep, the deep sleep phase that happens mostly in the second half of the night. REM sleep is what leaves you feeling rested and supports memory, learning, and concentration. When it’s cut short, you wake up foggy and exhausted even after a full eight hours in bed.
If you can, go back to sleep or nap during the day. Your brain will naturally try to catch up on the REM sleep it missed. A dark, cool room and staying off screens will help you fall asleep faster. Even resting without sleeping gives your body time to clear remaining alcohol metabolites and reduce inflammation.
What Doesn’t Work
“Hair of the dog,” or drinking more alcohol the next morning, delays the hangover rather than curing it. You’re adding more toxins for your liver to process and extending the cycle of dehydration and inflammation. Coffee can help with alertness and may ease a caffeine-withdrawal headache if you’re a regular coffee drinker, but it’s also a diuretic that can worsen dehydration. If you do drink coffee, match it with an equal amount of water.
Greasy food is another popular myth. While eating something is important for blood sugar, a heavy, fatty meal can irritate an already upset stomach. Bland, nutrient-dense foods are a better bet.
Preventing a Worse Hangover Next Time
What you drink matters nearly as much as how much. Darker alcohols like bourbon, red wine, and brandy contain higher levels of compounds called congeners, which are byproducts of fermentation that intensify hangover symptoms. Vodka is considered the “cleanest” spirit, with the fewest congeners. Beer and wine generally contain more congeners than distilled spirits overall.
Pacing yourself with water between drinks slows your overall alcohol intake and keeps you better hydrated. Eating a full meal before drinking gives your body a head start on maintaining blood sugar and slows the rate of alcohol absorption. And if you’re winding down for the night, having your last drink at least three to four hours before bed minimizes alcohol’s disruption to your sleep quality, giving your body time to clear some of the alcohol before you enter those critical REM cycles.