Odd experience with Alcohol...

[SamBeaven]

So I went to the pub last night with some friends and had a few pints of lager. When I got home I drank half a litre of water to stave off the effects of a hangover (it's caused by dehydration - the brain swells up and presses on the inside of the skull).

When I woke up this morning, there wasn't a trace of a hangover and I had an unusual amount of energy, getting up without any trouble at all. Over the course of the day I've got everything I wanted to do done and more (mostly personal organization and preparation for next semester of college).

I'm guessing it wasn't the alcohol (and I certainly hope it wasn't - I don't want to have to become an alcoholic to improve my personal productivity!), so does anyone know what it could be? Was it the half a litre of water before bed, or something else?

[RT Wolf]

Maybe you ended up getting exactly the right amoutn of sleep?

[JoeBlogs]

Maybe you expected to feel hungover, but the water helped a lot so you felt ok, and feeling much better than you expected put you in a good, positive, motivated mood for the day?

[John Wesley]

I think you probably woke up at the perfect part of your sleep cycle. The water probably helped too.

[febflake]

So I went to the pub last night with some friends and had a few pints of lager. When I got home I drank half a litre of water to stave off the effects of a hangover (it's caused by dehydration - the brain swells up and presses on the inside of the skull).

I don't think this is what is really happening. I may be wrong but from what I know it works like that: Alcohol is a poison, body tries to get rid of it like it would try to get rid of an infection or a parasite (read: like when you have flu), to do so it rises up body heat level and do other tricks like releasing white globules(? is that the English word?) etc. , in the process blood takes up more space due to heating (yes, a tiny difference but enough to make a difference, veins are really thin).. then your brain hurts simply because blood has difficulty getting through the whole body loop. Having temperature doesn't help as well.

The reason drinking water after drinking alcohol helps is because you mixed up a lot of water with a lot of alcoholized (damn) liquid and your kidneys works out the bad stuff out of it better that way.
A more efficient method is to drink an alcohol glass then a water glass and so on. And go to the toilet frequently.

But I am not a doctor, I just know that from someone who was an nurse student.

My guess is: you slept well, full cycle and didn't drink *that* (i mean: enough) much and your body got rid of of more toxins than usual due to the stress (because of the alcohol processing) it endured and thanks to water you drank, then you felt healthy.

[Baltar]

Originally Posted by febflake

I don't think this is what is really happening. I may be wrong but from what I know it works like that: Alcohol is a poison, body tries to get rid of it like it would try to get rid of an infection or a parasite (read: like when you have flu),

Poisons aren't handled by the immune system, they get detoxified by the liver. Alcohol being a poison (albeit officially only considered poisonous in large quantities) is therefore handled by the liver, which is why alcoholics often die of liver failure. But SamBeaven is right that alcohol causes dehydration and that drinking a lot of water with alcohol helps reduce hangover symptoms. Though, hangover is still partly caused by alcohol's toxicity.

[kravin]

When I woke up this morning, there wasn't a trace of a hangover and I had an unusual amount of energy, getting up without any trouble at all.

I've had this occur to me a few times too. Usually when it has happened, it has been after a late night of fairly heaving drinking followed by a period (say, about 2 hours) of not drinking alcohol before going to bed. I always drink a couple of pints of water before going to bed after a night out. Water definitely helps with the headache, but what about the other symptoms like sore muscles and scattered thoughts?

My running theory is that the lighter sleep that alcohol causes can help you to wake up and stay awake at the right point in your sleep cycle, leaving you with next to no grogginess upon waking. Although I feel pretty good when this happens, I get very tired towards the end of the day, due to the insufficient sleep and the poisons still working their way out of my body.

[escapee]

Alcohol - Facts, Statistics, Resources, and Impairment Charts

Every year, more money is spent promoting the use of alcohol than any other product. Perhaps through its elaborate and creative marketing, the most basic, yet important fact about alcohol is often overlooked — alcohol is a drug — the most commonly used and widely abused psychoactive drug in the world.

One concept that many people find difficult to accept is that alcoholism and alcohol problems are a disease. Research has shown that alcohol interacts with the body’s systems in predictable ways to lead to physiological addiction.

Alcoholism is a disease — a chronic, progressive, fatal disease if not treated.

Short Term Effects
Even at low doses, alcohol significantly impairs the judgment and coordination required to drive a car or operate machinery safely. Low to moderate doses of alcohol can also increase the incidence of a variety of aggressive acts, including domestic violence and child abuse.

Effects of moderate alcohol intake include dizziness and talkativeness. The immediate effects of a larger amount of alcohol include slurred speech, disturbed sleep, nausea, and vomiting. “Hangovers” are another effect after large amounts of alcohol are consumed — symptoms including headache, nausea, thirst, dizziness, and fatigue.



Long Term Effects
Prolonged, heavy use of alcohol can lead to addiction (alcoholism). Sudden cessation of long term, extensive alcohol intake is likely to produce withdrawal symptoms, including severe anxiety, tremors, hallucinations, and convulsions.

Long-term effects of consuming large quantities of alcohol can lead to:
• permanent damage to vital organs
• several different types of cancer
• gastrointestinal irritations, such as nausea, diarrhea, and ulcers
• malnutrition and nutritional deficiencies ( Vitamin C/antioxidants , B and maybe minerals )
• sexual dysfunctions
• high blood pressure
• lowered resistance to disease

Mothers who drink alcohol during pregnancy may give birth to infants with fetal alcohol syndrome. These infants may suffer from mental retardation and other irreversible physical abnormalities. In addition, research indicates that children of alcoholic parents are at greater risk than other children of becoming alcoholics.

[Alex]

I definitely think that it was the water that made you feel that way when you woke up, not the alcohol!

[dmaterialized]

All I can say is, this happens to me consistently-- but only after heavy drinking followed by a period of no drinking before bed.

I often party on a friday night here at my college, wake up after less than 4 hours of sleep, and feel AMAZING all day. Absolutely phenomenal. (I usually sleep 9 hours if given the chance).

Very, very odd... but I can't tell you more than that.

[Shamou]

Originally Posted by SamBeaven
the brain swells up and presses on the inside of the skull.

Sorry… but you just flunked physiology 101 and will not get you MD degree…

Here is the reason for the hangover… from: The Impact of Alcoholic Drinks on Civilization

Alcohol also acts as a diuretic, which means that it increases the release of urine from the body. This is because your kidneys and liver require water to dilute and process the toxins. When you drink alcohol, your body actually requires more water than usual in order to perform this function efficiently. If water and fluids are not readily available to aid in this detoxification process, the body redistributes whatever water is available. All parts of the body are affected by this redistribution of fluid, even the brain. And you wonder why your head hurts!

.

[kpreston]

I always wake up very early, feeling refreshed, after a heavy night of drinking (usually only about four hours of sleep). I'm not sure why it happens, but I know exactly what you're talking about.

[The David]

I hate to ask, but about how much is 'a few pints of lager'? Is that a lot? I know that alcohol can be a sleep aid and, in small quantities, a mood booster. If you've been under stress, the night might have been refreshing.

[SamBeaven]

I would class 'A few' as three to four pints (four is normally my limit), which is around eight UK units. Enough to get me merry but not enough to make me puke or fall over.

And thanks for the FYI Shamou!

[Shamou]

Originally Posted by SamBeaven

And thanks for the FYI Shamou!

Glad to be of help... maybe now you can retake that physiology exam and get your MD degree...

.

[KarlN]

This exact same thing happened to me yesterday! _Heavy drinking_, about 15 UK units, 3 hrs sleep, and then feeling great the whole day, no hangover.

Alcohol loves me.

[Nelson]

You probably oversleep a lot being in college. Oversleeping actually has the reverse effect on your body that you want it to - instead of having more energy, you become more groggy by oversleeping. If you've been in an oversleeping pattern (such as oversleeping consistently four days a week) then undersleeping can actually boost your energy.

People say you need 8 hours of sleep a night, but thats a generalized statement, lots of people only NEED 4-6 hours a night, and Steve's polyphasic sleep experiment only proves that we may not actually NEED any sleep at all. The truth is, youi probably oversleep a lot and pulling yourself out of that groggy state left you feeling refreshed.

[visualization]

Actually I had this experience many times. After I drink a few beers (not enough to get drunk) I always drink a lot of water because one of my friend told me you wont get hangover when you drink lots of water. Many times, I can sleep very well after that and the next morning i am very alert and energetic.

But I also notice that sometimes the next morning i feel really bad. Anyway, I dont think drinking is good cause alcohol kills brain cells.

[DefaultName]

Because you had ample sleep-time.



______________
Jane
Car Builder Solutions Catalog by Car Builder Solutions

[SamBeaven]

After a little experiment last night, I've worked out it's a combination of hydration and a little undersleeping (although normally when I go to the pub I'm back at more or less my normal bedtime. I have a really close local. Yay!)

Now I'm going to see if I can replicate the experience without alcohol...

[Kazeko]

I noticed the same effect several times. In my opinion, this happens because alcohol (as already been said) is a drug. Like coffee. It drains inner resources from neural system, to give you temporary boost of energy. If you do not take care of "painless detoxication", by drinking water for example, these energy resources are spent to neutralize toxic effects (to drain water from your body and so on).

By the way, to reduce hangover, it's better to use "sugar water". (The best choise is the honey water with some lemon juice. Add green tea to detoxicate really fast, but make sure your heart and your guts are strong enough to handle it. You may also want to use some "herbal tea" combinations to obtain different effects - ask me for advice )

The best choice, however, is not to drink at all
If you need "high energy" all the time, there are no shortcuts - eat plants and exercise. Work your way to energy and good health. Then it would be possible for you to have an energy boost by eating a single fuji apple (like Steve does).

As for me, i'm still in the process of giving up alcohol. But that's the story for another topic...