You had a great night out, but the next morning, anxiety hits: your heart is racing and you’re replaying every conversation from the night before in your head. This feeling, known as hangover anxiety or “anguish” affects about 22% of social drinkers.
While for some people, it’s mild jitters, for others, it’s a wave of anxiety that feels impossible to escape. “Sunday terrors” can leave you feeling panicked, full of dread and unable to relax.
Hangover anxiety can make even simple tasks feel overwhelming. Here’s why it happens and what you can do about it.
What does alcohol do to our brain?
A hangover is the body’s way of recovering from drinking alcohol, bringing with it a range of symptoms.
Dehydration and disturbed sleep they play a big role in the pounding headaches and nausea many of us know all too well after a long night out. But hangovers aren’t just physical – there’s a strong mental side too.
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Alcohol is a nervous system depressant, meaning it changes the way certain chemical messengers (or neurotransmitters) in the brain behave. Alcohol relaxes you by increasing γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the neurotransmitter that makes you feel calm and lowers inhibitions. It decreases glutamate and this also slows down your thoughts and helps you achieve a more relaxed state.
Together, this interaction affects your mood, emotions, and alertness. This is why when we drink, we often feel more social, carefree and willing to let our guard down.
As the effects of alcohol wear off, your brain works to rebalance these chemicals decreasing GABA and increasing glutamate. This shift has the opposite effect of the night before, causing your brain to become more excitable and overstimulated, which can lead to feelings of anxiety.
So why do some people feel anxious while others don’t? There is no one clear answer to this question, as several factors can play a role in whether someone experiences hangover-related anxiety.
Genes play a role
For some, a hangover is simply a matter of how much they drank or how hydrated they are. But genetics can also play an important role. Research shows that your genes can explain almost half of why you wake up feeling hungry, while your friend might not.
Because genes affect how your body processes alcohol, some people may experience more severe hangover symptoms, such as headaches or dehydration. These stronger physical effects can, in turn, trigger anxiety during hangoversmaking you more prone to ‘stress’.
Do you remember what you said last night?
But one of the most common culprits for feeling anxious the next day is often what do you do when you drink.
Let’s say you had a big night out and you can’t remember a conversation you had or something you did. Perhaps you acted in ways that you now regret or are ashamed of. You can get stuck on these thoughts and become trapped in a cycle of worry and rumination. This cycle can be hard to break and can make you feel more anxious.
Research suggests that people who already struggle with feelings of anxiety in their daily lives are particularly vulnerable to anxiety.
Some people drink alcohol to relax after a stressful day or to feel more comfortable at social events. This often leads to greater consumptionwhich can make hangover symptoms more severe. It can also start a cycle of drinking to feel better, making stress even harder to escape.
Hangover stress prevention
The best way to prevent stress is to limit your alcohol consumption. THE Australian guidelines we recommend no more than ten standard drinks per week and no more than four standard drinks each day.
In general, the more you drink, the more severe your hangover symptoms can be and the worse you are likely to feel.
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Mixing other medications with alcohol can also increase the risk of anxiety pain. This is especially true of party drugs like ecstasy or MDMA, which give you a temporary high but can lead to anxiety as they wear off and descending.
If you wake up anxious:
focus on physical recovery to reduce mental strain
drink plenty of water, eat a light meal and allow yourself time to rest
essay mindfulness meditation or deep breathing exercises, especially if anxiety keeps you alert or your mind racing
consider journaling. This can help you reframe anxious thoughts, put your feelings into perspective, and encourage self-compassion
talk to a close friend. This can provide a safe space to express concerns and feel less isolated.
Hangxiety is an unwelcome visitor after a night out. Understanding why anxiety happens—and how you can manage it—can make the morning a little less scary and help keep those anxious thoughts at bay.
