How do I avoid crashing when I go out drinking?

June 20, 2009 9:30 AM

How do I avoid crashing when I go out drinking?

So I'm a guy in my mid 20s and naturally, this means I like to go out drinking with my friends on the weekend. Trouble is, by the time it gets to be about 1 am or so, and I've had a decent amount of drinks, I crash. I just get so tired that it's not fun to be out anymore and I have to go home. It seems like none of my friends have this problem and they can stay out until bar close and then hang out beyond. Obviously if you get too wasted, you're going to pass out, but usually, I am just sufficiently drunk, not totally wasted, if that makes sense. So, any (preferably legal) ideas on how I can extend my nights a bit more and have more fun once the p.m. turns to the a.m.? I think I have pretty normal sleeping habits (work m-f 9-5 and go to sleep around midnight usually).

posted by mealticket to health & fitness (28 comments total)

I have this problem too and usually head it off by having a sugar-free Red Bull before I go out. I also find that going outside for a smoke between drinks keeps me alert for longer.
posted by youcancallmeal at 9:33 AM on June 20

Have a big cup of coffee to start the night? Drink Touchdowns? Stop drinking and start sipping at, say, 9pm or so? Walk around a lot (physical activity can help prevent the drowse)?
posted by bz at 9:35 AM on June 20

Dehydration = Fatigue. Drink water throughout the night to counteract the dehydration effect that the alcohol is having on you. Avoid caffeine, which will increase dehydration. You'll probably notice a big difference.
posted by meerkatty at 9:37 AM on June 20 [1 favorite]

Disco nap.
posted by box at 9:38 AM on June 20 [4 favorites]

Yep, take on water between drinks, get some fresh air, and when you start to feel tired take a break from the alcohol.
posted by fire&wings at 9:43 AM on June 20

A friend in Santa Barbara swears by the "boot and rally" method. Personally, I think you should drink less.
posted by hal_c_on at 9:44 AM on June 20 [3 favorites]

Before: sleep well the night before, have a wee disco nap
Immediately before: slam a Red Bull
During: pace yourself (singles, not doubles, don't do more than 1-2 shots), drink water, don't immediately get a new drink as soon as the old one is gone
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 9:47 AM on June 20

Interestingly when I was in my 20s alcohol gave me a bit of energy and I had no problem staying up really late, but I was prone to getting the spins. Throughout my 30s, alcohol has generally slowed me down and I'm prone to crashing in bed if I've had enough, yet I never get the spins. I think this has something to do either with tolerance or changes in metabolism over the years. I often drink about 6 beers on the weekend and very little at all during the weekday and am gradually cutting it back.
posted by crapmatic at 9:47 AM on June 20

As a UCSB former student, I can attest to the boot and rally technique. However, it isn't the classiest way to make it through the night.

As mentioned above getting some non-booze hydration is a good start. Also a good night's sleep before the night out is good. If not practical, then a nap the afternoon before the festivities begin. And pacing is important as well. There is a magical moment where you're stimulated by the alcohol. If you go past that moment too quickly, it is sleepy-time. Finding that mix takes time. Drink too much and you want to go to sleep. Don't drink enough and you're sleepy too. Drink just the right amount and you're good to go until the cows come home.
posted by birdherder at 10:00 AM on June 20

Eat before you go out, picking protein and fat over carbs – that'll help slow down alcohol absorption. But keep in mind your response is perfectly normal: you're pushing your sleep cycle already, and adding to it a quantity of depressant. Alcohol tends to make us feel the fatigue we've been denying.
posted by zadcat at 10:02 AM on June 20

Same thing started happening to me in my mid-20s, and, for better or for worse, the days of going out drinking with buddies until 3 a.m. just came to a close.

Now in my late 30s, I still like to go out for dinner and a few beers with my wife and our friends, but us and pretty much everyone we know in the late-20s-and-on age range go out at 7 and are sound asleep by 1 a.m. Like crapmatic, I think it's a combination of metabolism and tolerance as we age, plus our lifestyles change too as we become 9-5ers (sigh), rather than college students with late-morning classes and evening jobs.

You can rage against the dying of that light, I suppose, but eventually most people figure out that staying out that late, slamming poisonous "energy drinks" and quaffing that much alcohol isn't good for them anyway. I've watched a few friends a decade younger than me reluctantly make the same transition.
posted by M.C. Lo-Carb! at 10:03 AM on June 20 [1 favorite]

Beer, no. ____& Coke, yes.
posted by Sys Rq at 10:08 AM on June 20

Red Bull and Vodka.
posted by Ugh at 10:12 AM on June 20

What crapmatic and M.C. Lo-Carb! said. You're getting older. I am only thirty-four but a long night on the piss is unthinkable now, which was certainly not the case ten years ago.
posted by kmennie at 10:24 AM on June 20

dfriedman: Don't drink. Problem solved.

Yeah except it's not. I do not drink, and it is a very very rare evening that I make it to 1 am on a night out with friends. Usually I've said my kiss-kiss goodnights and am home in bed by midnight.

Granted, I'm 37 but it has always been this way. I lasted way longer in my drinking days, assuming I was drinking on a given night.
posted by DarlingBri at 10:38 AM on June 20

In your mid-20s you're approaching the threshhold where such revelry is no longer possible or a good idea. Also having a real job doesn't help. If you really want to rally and keep drinking, drink a red bull & vodka; or drink a coffee right in the middle of your binge and eat some fries. It's not a good idea, but I have done it and it works. I stopped because trying to stake awake to drink more just seemed like less and less of a smart move.

Around 27-8 I couldn't go out drinking both Friday and Saturday anymore, or at least just wasn't motivated, and that was also around the time that I started just letting tiredness happen when it happens.

You might experiment with smoking a joint when you get tired. It might make your head spin so fast you puke, it might put you right to sleep, but it might also perk you up. Again, this is not really a good idea, but it's a workable idea. Also, smoking cigarettes can help, but it will make your hangover around 1-5 to 2 times as bad the next day. Again not really a good idea if you think about it. If I had to stay on-point to pick up a woman I liked, I would do it, and simply accept my fate the next day; thank the lord I am no longer single.
posted by creasy boy at 10:38 AM on June 20 [1 favorite]

I do my best to stay away from the stimulants (red bull, coffee, smokes) when drinking because they make the hangover much worse. Partly because they'll disturb your sleep, partly because it's more crap your body has to cycle out of its self, and party because you just drink a lot more.

But a quick disco nap, and a glass of water every other drink past midnight. If it's socially unpopular to drink water order it yourself from the bar, have 'em put it in a Collins glass with some ice and a lemon and no one will know. Or get a Coke and call it a rum & Coke, though water will be much better at keeping you in the game.
posted by Ookseer at 10:56 AM on June 20 [1 favorite]

I also find hydration (make sure you're really hydrated before you go out, water, gatorade, or my favorite, smart water) and food to be the key. Don't go out hungry, but also don't get too full. Like, eat the fish and chips, fries, or queso or whatever, but don't gorge to where you get sleepy. Lean proteins are probably best, but sometimes not available unless you can eat before leaving the house.

The #1 crash inducer for me is beer. I love beer, especially dark beer, but booze+large volume of beverage sitting in my belly+carb city=sleepytime. So, switching to mixed drinks has helped. I also don't ever drink THAT much because I'm a lightweight, but it helps.
posted by ishotjr at 11:01 AM on June 20

Red bull, water, pizza beforehand.
posted by Damn That Television at 11:01 AM on June 20

When I'm tired but decide to go out anyway, I order whiskey and red bull for my first 4 or 5 drinks. It wakes me right up and keeps me wired for most of the night.
I make sure I drink 1 gallon of water or more when I get back home though, or the hangover the next day is brutal.
posted by mesh gear fox at 11:31 AM on June 20

Water is a good idea. So is having something relatively heavy in your stomach. An empty stomach is bad, but carbs actually speed up your metabolism temporarily, making you absorb alcohol faster than you would otherwise. I frequently "pre-game" with eggs and bacon.

Also, as has been observed, you're not as young as you used to be. Ever wonder why once midnight or 1AM hits the average age of bar patrons starts to go down? Well, it's because us non-kids can't party the way the young 'uns can. At least not without wasting most of the next day.

But I think the biggest thing going on here is that you're hitting your circadian rhythm. If you always go to bed around midnight, when midnight hits, your body concludes "Okay, bedtime!" and that's basically it for the evening. As you've got a 9-5 to be at, your bedtime and rising time are probably within 30 minutes of each other at least five days a week, giving your body more than ample opportunity to get used to that schedule. So just because you decide to stay out late one night doesn't mean that your body is okay with that, and staying out later than usual starts to come with consequences the next day, particularly as you move into your late twenties. The only real way out of this is to vary your schedule pretty dramatically, but I think you'll find that the cost really isn't worth it. Yes, having a well-established circadian rhythm makes staying out late a pain in the ass, but it also means that you don't have nearly as much trouble staying awake when you need to be as you would otherwise.

Sorry man. That's just how it goes.
posted by valkyryn at 12:27 PM on June 20

Eating is good. You need more energy if you're staying up past "normal" bedtime, and alcohol can lower your blood sugar, leading to drowsiness. I always notice that when I stay up later than usual, I get hungry. I figure this is my body's way of saying "Hey, since we're obviously not going to sleep now, can I at least get some fuel? kthxbai."

I'd say, before you go out, have a mixed meal that includes protein, carb, and fat, and have a snack every ~3 hours while you're out. Intersperse with water and a bit of caffeine, and you should be good. Keep your physical activity moderate while you're out -- super crazy dancing will make you tired, but sitting like a lump in a booth will also trigger your body to think of bed. Maybe try to stay up and walking a bit, like playing pool or bowling or something.

I also find it helpful to have a nap beforehand, if possible.
posted by peggynature at 1:33 PM on June 20

Surprised nobody's mentioned it, but I'm led to believe that this is what cocaine is for. Might not be an option for you, but it's how a lot of people do it. I live in NYC where one often finds oneself drinking until 5 or 6, and at 37 can usually keep up with the cokeheads without narcotic assistance. I drink (mostly beer) at a steady pace so I never get really drunk, but I'm never in danger of starting to become more sober than I was ten minutes ago - that's when you get sleepy. Ramp your buzz up gently towards the end of the night; if you ever get on the downward slope you're done for.
If it's a long haul, you might need to snack. Either sneak off for half a slice of pizza every few hours, or get your group to go somewhere with tapas or caviar or something. These kinds of foods are designed to fuel one for late nights or alcohol consumption. A little snack after every drink will have you up all night and drinking more than could be regarded as reasonable without getting too sozzled. Failing that, just a little candy or even a sugar lump after each drink can perk you up. As said above, do not overeat, but keep your blood sugar levels topped up. Red Bull-based drinks probably would have a similar effect, but they (a) smell disgusting and are presumably unpleasant to consume and (b) make you look and smell like a fratboy/guido/chav/[insert negative social stereotype here]. Have real food, even if it's just sachets of sugar swiped from the diner.
Coffee is a warm milky drink and will make you sleepy. Stay clear of that.
posted by nowonmai at 3:34 PM on June 20 [1 favorite]

This may contain some tips:

How To Drink Vodka Like A Russian
posted by peewinkle at 3:48 PM on June 20

A 5 Hour Energy around 11pm does wonders for me. You've got to make extra sure to stay hydrated, but the caffeine dose is pretty low, and there's not so much sugar that the crash throws me off later (like Red Bull and its ilk do).
posted by solipsophistocracy at 6:53 PM on June 20

Stay Away From Caffeine. It'll get you up for a little bit, but it'll wear off and you'll be worse off than without.

Same with sugar; if you can avoid it, it'll also bode better for when you wake up the next day.

My trick in college was to load up on protein, lots of protein, before going out drinking. (strangely, ground beef/hamburgers didn't do the same trick for me - steaks, chops, and whole chicken worked great) It not only helped me stay "on" longer, but I could drink more and still enjoy myself. Also, very fibrous and complex carbohydrates so they "hang out" longer in your stomache which can reduce the rate of ethanol absorbsion. Stay away from wonderbread and polished white rice. Think honey-roasted yams/sweet-potatoes or wild rice or whole rye bread.

Alternatively, if your friends are way harder drinkers than you are... they could have passed the point where alcohol's depressant properties are paradoxically converted to a 'kind' of stimulative (this phenomenon has nothing to do with disinhibition - inhibiting normally inhibitory GABAergic brain cells and more to do with circuitry adaptation; there's a reason why when psychiatrists trying to determine if you have an alcohol dependency ask if you feel more tired or more energetic when you drink).
posted by porpoise at 8:17 PM on June 20

I slam a Tequila when I hit the fatigue wall - nothing like a good slap round the brain to remind you that it's good to be alive.

This is one of those comments that comes back to haunt me in job interviews, isn't it.
posted by cogat at 10:15 PM on June 20

Exercise regularly. I find that when I exercise at least 2 - 3 times a week, I can do with a lot less sleep, especially when I'm partying over the weekend. I think it's specifically cardiovascular exercise that has this effect; running for more than 30mins, doing some high-intensity martial art, etc.
posted by nihraguk at 11:01 PM on June 20