How long does a hangover last?
A hangover starts when your blood alcohol falls back toward zero and ends when your body has finished recovering from the night. That second part takes longer than most people expect, and nothing you drink or swallow the next morning makes it go faster.
Most hangovers last about 18 hours from the last drink, or about 12 hours after you wake up. In a study of hangover duration, 811 Dutch students reported on their latest hangover: it lasted 18.4 hours on average, and for most it was over 14 to 23 hours after they stopped drinking. Symptoms are worst when blood alcohol falls back to about zero, and after a heavy night they can last 24 hours or longer. Nothing speeds it up: only time ends a hangover.
When will my hangover end?
Enter the time of your last drink. The window is where most hangovers in the 811-student duration study ended. It is a typical range, not a prediction for you.
- Earliest typical end
- 3:00 PM
- Average end
- 7:24 PM
- Most are over by
- 12:00 AM (next day)
- Bad ones can pass
- 1:00 AM (next day)
Women in the study took slightly longer to recover than men, 18.8 hours against 17.9. Counted from waking up instead of from the last drink, the average hangover lasted about 12 hours.
How a hangover unfolds, hour by hour
Blood alcohol can keep rising for a while after the last drink, then falls at a steady rate as the liver clears it. The hangover begins as it nears zero, and NIAAA says symptoms peak when blood alcohol returns to about zero. That is why most people wake up with one. It is not tied to the morning, though: if you drink until dawn, it can start that afternoon (Verster et al. 2020).
The clearest hour-by-hour picture comes from a 1974 lab study of 23 men who drank in the evening, as summarized in the duration study:
- 8 h Hangover scores start to rise
- 14 h Worst point (8 a.m. in that study)
- 16 h Symptoms start falling quickly
- 21 h Scores back near zero
Individual mornings do not all follow that curve. When researchers sorted 727 drinkers' latest hangovers by shape, three patterns covered almost everyone (Verster et al. 2018):
- 54.5%Worst on waking, then steadily better. These were the most severe hangovers.
- 21.8%Got worse before getting better, with more stomach trouble.
- 19.1%Flat and mild all day, after drinking less.
When does a hangover start?
When the alcohol is nearly gone. The liver clears it at a roughly fixed rate, so the higher your peak, the later the hangover begins. A forensic review put the average at 0.015% per hour for moderate drinkers, slower on an empty stomach and faster after a meal (Jones 2010).
- 0.05% 3.3 2.5 to 5
- 0.08% NIAAA binge level: about 4 drinks (women) or 5 (men) in 2 hours 5.3 4 to 8
- 0.10% 6.7 5 to 10
- 0.15% 10 7.5 to 15
- 0.20% 13.3 10 to 20
Hours to zero at 0.015% per hour; the range runs from 0.02% (after food) to 0.01% (empty stomach). The 0.08% row is NIAAA's binge drinking level. To see your own curve drink by drink, try the Mix Lab.
What makes a hangover last longer
A worse hangover is a longer one
In the duration survey, how bad a hangover felt was the strongest predictor of how long it lasted. Anything that makes the morning worse also tends to stretch it out.
van Schrojenstein Lantman et al. 2018, The duration of the alcohol hangover
How much you drank, and how fast you clear it
Higher blood alcohol goes with a more severe hangover, and people who clear alcohol faster tend to have milder ones. Drinking more than you usually do makes a hangover more likely. Oddly, in the survey the number of drinks did not predict how long the hangover lasted, only how bad it was.
Mackus et al. 2020, Alcohol metabolism and hangover · Verster et al. 2020, Updating the definition of the alcohol hangover · van Schrojenstein Lantman et al. 2018, The duration of the alcohol hangover
Congeners: what else is in the glass
In a controlled study, 95 people drank to the same breath alcohol level on bourbon or on vodka. They felt worse the morning after bourbon, which carries far more congeners, though their test scores were equally impaired on both. NIAAA notes that darker spirits like bourbon could worsen symptoms for some people.
Rohsenow et al. 2010, bourbon vs vodka hangovers · NIAAA, Hangovers (2025)
Broken sleep
Alcohol helps you fall asleep but fragments the night: less REM sleep, more time awake, waking early. Students who slept less than 7 hours after drinking reported more severe hangovers. Those who slept longer had milder ones, though counted from the last drink theirs ran a little longer.
NIAAA, Hangovers (2025) · Rohsenow et al. 2010, bourbon vs vodka hangovers · van Schrojenstein Lantman et al. 2017, sleep and hangover (Nature and Science of Sleep)
Dehydration, which matters less than you think
Mild dehydration likely adds to thirst, fatigue and headache. But dehydration effects are usually mild and short-lived while the hangover lasts longer, water drunk while drinking or right after only modestly reduced next-day hangovers, and water drunk during the hangover did not change how severe it was. Dehydration and hangover happen together; one does not cause the other.
NIAAA, Hangovers (2025) · Mackus et al. 2024, Hangover versus dehydration
Smoking, illness and genes
A review of the biology lists sleep loss, smoking, congeners, health status and genetics as things that do not cause a hangover but can make it worse.
A morning drink
The "hair of the dog" can blunt symptoms for a while, but NIAAA says it may add to and prolong the hangover.
Age is not on the list. In a survey of 51,645 Danish adults, severe hangovers after binge drinking were much more common in the young: men aged 18 to 29 had 6.8 times the odds of men over 60, and women showed the same pattern (Tolstrup et al. 2014).
Hangover load by type of drink
Since a worse hangover tends to be a longer one, what you drink matters as well as how much. Our Hangover Index scores each type from 1 to 10 on seven chemistry factors that can make a hangover worse, such as congeners, histamines, sulfites and sugar, plus typical strength. It is a way to compare drinks, not a measured duration, and the amount you drink outweighs it.
- Vodka 2/10
- Gin 3/10
- Hard Seltzer & RTD 3/10
- Tequila 4/10
- Mezcal 5/10
- Rum 6/10
- White Wine 6/10
- Beer 6/10
- Mead 6/10
- Curaçao 6/10
- Irish Whiskey 6/10
- Canadian Whisky 6/10
- Bourbon 7/10
- Scotch 7/10
- Sparkling Wine 7/10
- Liqueur 7/10
- Tennessee Whiskey 7/10
- Cognac 8/10
- Red Wine 8/10
Each type links to its healthiest brands, ranked. In a controlled study, people felt worse after bourbon than after vodka at the same blood alcohol level (Rohsenow et al. 2010); see bourbon vs vodka.
Hangover symptoms
NIAAA lists fatigue, weakness, thirst, headache, muscle aches, nausea, stomach pain, vertigo, sensitivity to light and sound, anxiety, irritability, sweating and raised blood pressure. In a survey of 1,410 Dutch students, the most commonly reported symptoms were fatigue (95.5%) and thirst (89.1%), and drowsiness and cognitive problems were the two dominant features of a hangover (Penning et al. 2012).
The anxiety some people call "hangxiety" is on that list too. In a study of 97 social drinkers, next-day anxiety rose most in very shy people (Marsh et al. 2019). If it comes back after most nights of drinking, that is worth raising with a doctor.
Feeling better is not the same as recovered
A hangover affects more than how you feel. A review of 19 studies found short- and long-term memory, sustained attention and psychomotor speed impaired during a hangover (Gunn et al. 2018). In a driving simulator, 42 people weaved more and had more lapses of attention the morning after heavy drinking (Verster et al. 2014), and a commute study found the same impairment whether or not any alcohol was left in the blood (Alford et al. 2020).
NIAAA's advice follows from that: during a hangover, attention, decision-making and coordination can all be impaired, so driving, operating machinery or caring for others can be affected. If you are still hungover, do not drive.
Can anything make it end sooner?
No. "There is no cure for a hangover other than time," in NIAAA's words: the body has to finish clearing the byproducts of alcohol. Coffee, a shower or a morning drink will not end it, and a morning drink may prolong it. A review of hangover remedy trials found no compelling evidence that any of them work (Pittler et al. 2005).
Some things ease the wait. Water helps with thirst and a dry mouth, even though it does not shorten the hangover. Pain relievers need care: aspirin and ibuprofen, like alcohol itself, increase stomach acid and can irritate the stomach lining, and acetaminophen (Tylenol) combined with alcohol can be toxic to the liver. Electrolyte drinks are popular, but research has not found that electrolyte levels track how bad a hangover is.
The best-supported way to shorten tomorrow is to drink less tonight, and to choose lower-congener drinks when you do. The same review concluded that abstinence or moderation is the most effective way to avoid hangover symptoms.
For every common remedy checked against the evidence, from electrolyte drinks to hangover pills, plus what helps nausea and a headache, see what helps a hangover.
When it is not a hangover
Call 911 right away if someone who has been drinking shows any of these signs of alcohol poisoning. Blood alcohol can keep rising after drinking stops, even while someone is asleep (NIAAA).
- Confusion or stupor
- Cannot stay awake, or cannot be woken
- Vomiting
- Seizures
- Slow breathing (fewer than 8 breaths a minute)
- Irregular breathing (10 seconds or more between breaths)
- Slow heart rate, clammy skin
- No gag reflex
- Very low body temperature, bluish or pale skin
Symptoms that last for days, or start a day or more after drinking stops, may be alcohol withdrawal rather than a hangover, especially in people who drink heavily most days. Withdrawal usually starts within 8 hours of the last drink and peaks at 24 to 72 hours; seizures, hallucinations, fever, severe confusion or an irregular heartbeat need emergency care (MedlinePlus).
This page explains published research. It is not medical advice; if you are worried about your symptoms or your drinking, talk to a doctor.
FAQ
How long does a hangover last? ▾
Most hangovers last about 18 hours from the last drink, or about 12 hours after you wake up. In a study of hangover duration, 811 Dutch students reported on their latest hangover: it lasted 18.4 hours on average, and for most it was over 14 to 23 hours after they stopped drinking. Symptoms are worst when blood alcohol falls back to about zero, and after a heavy night they can last 24 hours or longer. Nothing speeds it up: only time ends a hangover.
Can a hangover last 2 days? ▾
It can run past a full day. NIAAA says symptoms can last 24 hours or longer. Most do not, though: in the duration survey, most hangovers ended 14 to 23 hours after the last drink. A hangover that is still building on the second day is unusual. If you drink heavily most days and feel shaky, anxious or sick a day or more after stopping, that can be alcohol withdrawal rather than a hangover, and it needs medical care.
Is a 3-day hangover normal? ▾
It is not typical. Three days is far outside the usual range of 14 to 23 hours. Symptoms that last several days, or that start or get worse a day or more after drinking stops, are worth a call to a doctor. In people who drink heavily and regularly they can be alcohol withdrawal, which tends to peak 24 to 72 hours after the last drink. Seizures, hallucinations, fever, severe confusion or an irregular heartbeat need emergency care: call 911.
When does a hangover start? ▾
When blood alcohol falls back toward zero, which is why most people wake up with one. Researchers tie the start to that moment, not to the next day: drink until morning and the hangover can start that afternoon. At the average clearance rate of 0.015% per hour, a blood alcohol peak of 0.08% takes about 5 hours to reach zero, and 0.15% about 10 hours.
When is a hangover at its worst? ▾
Around the time blood alcohol returns to about zero, according to NIAAA. In a 1974 lab study, scores peaked about 14 hours after drinking. Individual mornings differ: in a survey of 727 drinkers, 54.5% felt worst on waking and steadily better after, 21.8% got worse before getting better, often with more stomach trouble, and 19.1% had a flat, milder hangover all day.
Why is my hangover lasting so long? ▾
The likeliest reason is that it is a bad one: in the duration survey, the more severe the hangover, the longer it lasted. Short or broken sleep, darker drinks with more congeners, drinking more than usual, smoking and being unwell all make hangovers worse. A morning drink can also prolong it. If it lasts days rather than hours, see the answer on 3-day hangovers above.
Do hangovers get worse with age? ▾
The best data says the opposite. In a survey of 51,645 Danish adults, severe hangovers after binge drinking were far more common in the young: men aged 18 to 29 had 6.8 times the odds of a severe hangover of men over 60, and women showed the same pattern. Differences in how much or how often people drank did not explain it.
What is hangxiety, and why do I feel anxious with a hangover? ▾
"Hangxiety" is the anxiety that can come with a hangover. Anxiety and irritability are on NIAAA's list of typical hangover symptoms. In a 2019 study of 97 social drinkers, next-day anxiety rose most in very shy people, and in them it tracked with signs of problem drinking. If anxiety after drinking is regular or severe, raise it with a doctor.
Does drinking water make a hangover end sooner? ▾
Not much. Water drunk while drinking only modestly reduced next-day hangovers in survey data, and water drunk during a hangover did not change how severe it was. Dehydration effects tend to be mild and short-lived, while the hangover lasts longer. Water still helps with thirst and a dry mouth, so it is worth drinking.
Can anything make a hangover go away faster? ▾
No. NIAAA is plain about it: there is no cure for a hangover other than time, and coffee, a shower or a morning drink will not end one. A review of hangover remedy trials found no compelling evidence for any of them. Pain relievers can ease a headache but need care: aspirin and ibuprofen, like alcohol itself, increase stomach acid and can irritate the stomach lining, and acetaminophen (Tylenol) combined with alcohol can be toxic to the liver. See what helps a hangover for every common remedy checked against the evidence.
Is it safe to drive with a hangover? ▾
It is riskier than it feels. In a driving simulator study, 42 people drove worse the morning after a night of heavy drinking, weaving more and having more lapses of attention, and another study found the same impairment whether or not any alcohol was still in the blood. A review of 19 studies found memory, sustained attention and psychomotor speed impaired during a hangover. Feeling better is not the same as being recovered.
Which drinks cause the shortest hangovers? ▾
Less alcohol, above all. Beyond that, drinks with fewer congeners tend to leave milder mornings: people felt worse after bourbon than after vodka at the same blood alcohol level. Clear, unaged, unsweetened spirits score lightest on our Hangover Index, and aged dark spirits, red wine and sweet liqueurs score heaviest. A milder hangover is usually a shorter one.