Best Way To Rehydrate After a Night Out

We’ve all been there before…that feeling of having a little too much fun the night before, and ever-so-slightly regretting it the next morning. The headache, the nausea, and the feeling of being super dehydrated. And depending on your body and how you replenish it, the duration of the hangover can last anywhere between a couple of hours to an entire day. However, there are some things that you can do after your night out to speed up the recovery process and today we will be sharing those tips with you! So if you are looking for the best way to rehydrate after a night out, you’ve come to the right place, just in time for the holidays–after all, ‘tis the season, right?

How Does Drinking Alcohol Cause Dehydration?

When you think of the most common hangover symptoms, you might be surprised to learn that a lot of what you’re feeling the next day is actually caused by dehydration. So how and why does this happen and how does drinking alcohol cause dehydration? Well, you may or may not already know this first part, but alcohol is considered a diuretic—which basically means by consuming it, you are going to pee more often than usual. The more-frequent visits to the bathroom (or breaking the seal as they called it in my college days) lead to your body losing more liquids (water) than normal. Oh, and let’s not forget that you most likely aren’t drinking as much water as you normally would, when you drink. When these two things are combined, it creates a perfect storm for dehydration because you are not replenishing your body with the water and electrolytes it is losing.

Since headaches and nausea are all things that you’ve experienced from dehydration when alcohol isn’t present, you’re probably wondering why they are so much worse after a night of drinking. As usual, a lot is happening in our body at every moment, so we have to dive into science real quick to explain what’s happening within the body.

When the alcohol leaves your system throughout the night, you'll still most likely wake up dehydrated. Although you will feel symptoms of dehydration, the real culprit of hangover symptoms are caused by acetaldehyde, a toxic chemical that is produced when alcohol breaks down in your body. As this toxic chemical builds up in your bloodstream, it amplifies symptoms like headache and nausea.

As interesting as this is, I’m sure you would rather just dive into the best way to hydrate after a night out to prevent this feeling, right? Don’t worry, we've got you! In the next section, we will count down the best ways to avoid dehydration and a hangover.

Best Tips on Hydrating After A Night Out

Okay, so now that we understand what’s going on in the body, let’s talk about the best way to hydrate (and stay hydrated) so you take some steps to avoid feeling so blah 🤕 the morning after a night of some cocktails.

1. Drink Water

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a general rule of thumb to follow is to drink 8 ounces per hour for every alcoholic beverage consumed. An easy way to think about this is drinking one glass of water before you have that second drink.

2. Eat Fruits and Veggies

It is common for people to want to indulge in something fried or greasy the morning after a night of drinking, and while this may help you to feel slightly better, it won’t help your hydration efforts. Try loading up on some hydrating fruits and veggies as part of your morning routine. Think berries, carrots, cucumbers, celery, watermelon, peaches, etc.

3. Avoid Alcohol

Have you ever heard anyone say that the best cure for a hangover is more alcohol? Umm yeah, let’s avoid doing that and instead focus on the best way to rehydrate so you can start feeling better. As we mentioned, alcohol causes dehydration and if you start the cycle all over again, you aren’t exactly replenishing your body with lost liquids.

4. Electrolytes

You most likely have heard of people chugging down sugary sports drinks or pedialyte after a night of drinking, but do you know why? To replenish their electrolytes. Unfortunately, both options can be loaded with sugar, so you might benefit more from a sugar-free electrolyte powder mix from Ultima Replenisher that you simply mix with water.

Takeaway

There is nothing wrong with responsibly enjoying some drinks with friends from time to time, but the key to avoiding dehydration as part of a hangover is by staying hydrated throughout the evening. Try switching to hydrating cocktails or increase water intake throughout the evening. If you still wake up feeling the unpleasant signs of dehydration in the form of a hangover, the best way to rehydrate is by drinking lots of liquids and replenishing your electrolytes.

Ultima Replenisher Electrolytes come in a variety of flavors and are the most delicious way to stay hydrated throughout the day and throughout the holidays.