Planning to moderate your drinking at festive parties to avoid a next-day write-off? Groundbreaking research suggests the key to a milder hangover might lie less in the number of drinks you consume and more in how intoxicated you actually feel.
The Critical Role of Perceived Intoxication
A compelling new study has found that individuals who report feeling more drunk are significantly more likely to suffer worse hangovers. This factor appears to be far more influential than the precise quantity of alcohol consumed.
Scientists theorise that heightened feelings of drunkenness indicate alcohol has exerted a stronger effect on the brain and body. This intensified impact is likely to amplify classic hangover symptoms, including severe headaches, unquenchable thirst, and nausea.
Research Findings from the Open University
Researchers from the Open University gathered detailed data on the drinking habits and subsequent hangovers of almost 1,200 participants across the UK and Ireland.
The study focused on each person's heaviest drinking session within the previous month. Participants reported not only how many drinks they had but also rated their subjective feeling of drunkenness on a scale from zero to ten. Their personality traits and mood while drinking were also assessed to gauge any influence on hangover severity.
The results were striking. The analysis showed that the actual amount of alcohol consumed accounted for only an 11 per cent impact on hangover intensity. In stark contrast, the level of drunkenness participants felt had a 64 per cent impact.
Personality and Mood Show Limited Link
Interestingly, the study found that an individual's personality, such as whether they were neurotic or extroverted, and their mood during drinking did not show a significant connection to experiencing a severe hangover.
These significant findings were formally presented at the 14th Alcohol Hangover Research Group Meeting in Glasgow.
Practical Advice for Drinkers
Dr Lydia Devenney, who led the research, provided crucial advice based on the outcomes. Speaking to the Daily Mail, she stated: 'This has implications for how we manage our hangovers.'
She emphasised a proactive approach: 'Your future self may thank you for not just keeping an eye on how much you drink, but also checking in with how you feel and remembering what's "normal" for you before ordering that next round.'
This research underscores the importance of mindful drinking. It suggests that pacing oneself and being acutely aware of one's own level of intoxication could be more effective for hangover prevention than simply counting units.
For context, the NHS recommends that adults consume no more than 14 units of alcohol per week. This is roughly equivalent to six medium glasses of wine or six pints of average-strength beer, spread across several days with alcohol-free days in between.
