How Long Does It Take to Sober Up?

Drinking alcohol causes intoxication, and the more you drink, the more you will feel its effects. After a night (or day) of heavy drinking, you may be wondering how long does it take to sober up. Typically, it takes your body about two hours to metabolize one drink. Every person processes alcohol differently, and there is no way to speed up the sobering process. The effects of alcohol can last long after your last drink.

 

Understanding Sobriety

Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that slows down the body’s mental and physical functioning. Initially, after your first drink or two, you may feel relaxed or euphoric. However, as you continue drinking more and more, alcohol’s impact on the body and mind can become greater. Heavy drinking can lead to slurring your words, blurred vision, loss of coordination, changes in mood, lowered inhibitions, lack of control, nausea, and vomiting. If you have overdone it on drinks and are feeling many of these negative effects, you may be wondering how long does it take to sober up.

Strictly speaking, sobriety is not being under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Sobering up after drinking happens once the body has metabolized all alcohol completely and your blood alcohol level is at zero. However, often, you may continue to feel the effects of heavy drinking long after your blood alcohol level has reached zero, which is known as a hangover. Typical symptoms include fatigue, weakness, headache, nausea, stomach pain, sensitivity to light, anxiety, irritability, muscle aches, vomiting, sweating, and increased blood pressure. Every person will experience hangovers differently, but they can last up to 72 hours, although most hangovers are typically shorter.

Factors Affecting How Long It Takes to Sober Up

If you’re wondering how long does it take to sober up, the answer will be different for every person. Several factors impact the body’s ability to process alcohol. How quickly your body metabolizes alcohol will determine how long it takes you to become intoxicated — and the answer to the question how long does it take to sober up. Some factors include:

• Amount of alcohol consumed: Higher amounts of alcohol take longer to leave the body fully.
• Age: Alcohol tolerance drops as you age, and older adults also have slower metabolisms, which can affect how fast the body metabolizes alcohol.
• Weight: Higher body weight means higher water content, which helps the body metabolize alcohol more quickly.
• Sex: Women tend to have higher body fat content and less water per pound of body weight than men. Fat cells do not take up alcohol as quickly as other cells, so men generally can sober up more quickly.
• Liver health: The liver plays a central role in metabolizing alcohol, so people with healthy liver function process alcohol more efficiently than those with liver disease.
• Stomach content when drinking: Eating before drinking helps to slow down the rate of alcohol absorption in the body.
• Medications being used: Many medications are also metabolized in the liver, so if someone drinks alcohol on these medications, the liver has to work twice as hard to process both substances.
• How often someone drinks: Drinking frequently, especially binge drinking, can damage the liver, which can make it more difficult for the body to metabolize alcohol and take longer to sober up.

The Process of Alcohol Metabolism

Alcohol is not digested like food, which slowly absorbs into the bloodstream as it travels through the entire digestive tract. When alcohol is swallowed, a small amount is absorbed directly by the tongue and mucosal lining of the mouth, and then the rest is directly absorbed into the bloodstream through the lining of the stomach and small intestine. Once alcohol enters the bloodstream, it is carried to all body organs. It enters all body tissues except bone and fat, so people with higher adipose tissue take longer to sober up.

The liver is the primary organ responsible for eliminating alcohol from the body. Liver cells produce the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, which breaks down alcohol into ketones. Generally, the liver processes one standard drink per hour, but this may not apply to those with the factors mentioned above. More accurately, the liver metabolizes alcohol at a rate of 0.015% an hour; this is the rate at which your BAC decreases after reaching its peak.

Common Myths and Misconceptions About Sobering Up

Many myths and misconceptions exist about ways to sober up more quickly. You might be able to look and feel better with some of these, but only time will lower your blood alcohol level. Some common misconceptions about how long does it take to sober up and how to speed up the process include:

• Drinking strong coffee helps sober you up. Coffee has caffeine, which can help you feel more awake or alert — but won’t lower your BAC.
• Taking a cold shower will sober you up. Cold showers can also help you feel more alert, but they won’t reverse the effects of alcohol.
• Vomiting can get rid of alcohol in your stomach. Alcohol is quickly absorbed in the gut, so vomiting won’t make a difference unless you vomit immediately after taking a sip.
• Eating carbohydrates and fatty foods helps you sober up. Food in your stomach only helps before you start drinking to slow down the absorption of alcohol, but once it is in your bloodstream, there’s not much you can do.

Strategies to Help Sober Up Safely

Now that you understand the complicated answer to the question how long does it take to sober up, let’s get to the next topic: How to sober up safely. There is no way to sober up faster; only time will allow your liver to fully metabolize the alcohol you consumed. However, there are some steps you can take to ensure you are safe while you sober up and minimize any hangover symptoms, such as:

• Get some sleep, but if you drank too much, make sure someone stays with you and that you sleep on your side in the event you vomit.
• Drink plenty of water to rehydrate your body.
• Eat something with carbs and fat to balance your blood sugar.
• Do not take any additional medications which burden your liver, such as acetaminophen.

Recognizing When to Seek Help

Sometimes, a night out can turn into heavy drinking, and if this is happening more often than not, you may have a problem with alcohol abuse. Recognizing the signs of alcohol abuse is crucial for early intervention and seeking help — and that’s the best way to start recovering from alcohol addiction. Some signs that your drinking behaviors are actually problematic and you may need help include:

• Developed a tolerance to alcohol.
• Experiencing frequent blackouts.
• Craving alcohol.
• Developing withdrawal symptoms when not drinking.
• Neglecting responsibilities due to drinking or recovering from drinking.
• Hiding your drinking behaviors from others.
• Experiencing negative consequences to your health, relationships, work, and personal life because of your drinking.

Long-Term Sobriety and Recovery

Alcohol addiction is a chronic disorder that requires professional help. Long-term sobriety is possible with the right type of treatment and support. Comprehensive treatment programs can provide patients who are having difficulty stopping drinking on their own with various forms of therapies, support groups, medically assisted treatment, and coping strategies to achieve recovery. While the road to sobriety is often difficult and long, its benefits are worth it. Long-term sobriety can improve your physical and mental health while allowing you to live the life you envisioned.

How WhiteSands Treatment Can Help

WhiteSands Treatment can help you on your road to recovery from alcohol addiction. If you are finding that you are spending more days drinking and trying to find ways to sober up more quickly to take care of responsibilities, our treatment programs, including inpatient addiction treatment and intensive outpatient programs, can help you find long-term sobriety. We create personalized treatment plans rooted in evidence-based therapies and compassionate care so you can acquire the necessary tools and skills to stop drinking once and for all.

Please contact us today or call 877-855-3470 to speak to one of our intake specialists and learn more about how comprehensive treatment at WhiteSands Treatment is the answer you have been looking for.

If you or a loved one needs help with abuse and/or treatment, please call the WhiteSands Treatment at (877) 855-3470. Our addiction specialists can assess your recovery needs and help you get the addiction treatment that provides the best chance for your long-term recovery.