How to Sober Up

Sobering up is a natural physical process the body goes through after alcohol use. There is no way to bring your blood alcohol level down quickly; "sobering up" methods are intended to make the inebriate feel better or control him/herself. These methods can be very effective in helping a drunker person to think or move better, but none of them will help you get sober enough to drive home.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

1. Take preventative measures. The classic twofold method of reining in a budding hangover: water and pills. Classic pain relievers like ibuprofen can inhibit a hangover, and water acts to get the alcohol out of your system faster and to cleanse your body after a hard-drinking night. Drinking water along with alcohol, or before you go to bed, can help.

2. Sleep it off. The more sleep you get after a drinking binge, the more sober you will be when you wake, and the more competent you'll be to go about business as usual.

3. Walk it off. Getting exercise can mediate the effects of a hang-over, but you also have to keep in mind that you could become further dehydrated. Water is the first principle, but with that in mind, a long walk can serve to get a drunken individual more alert and back to a less shaky control of motor skills.

4. Try a coffee jolt. A cup of joe can wake you out of a drunken stupor at least a little bit: it also works as a diuretic, which can speed up your metabolic processes a little. But, coffee can also dehydrate.

5. Will yourself sober. Try meditating or doing other mental work to clear your head. If you are having trouble thinking clearly, take a cat nap and try again. Working up out of inebriation is often a gradual process, a struggle to overcome the extreme effects of alcohol on the mind and body. Eventually, you'll feel yourself breaking through into sobriety.

Tips & Warnings

• Warning: these methods will probably make you feel better, but none of them will get your blood alcohol level down quicker. No matter what, DON'T let any of these idea take the place of safe sobriety over time. DO NOT get behind the wheel. Do everything you can to get yourself to a safe place, but DON'T drive. No matter how good you feel, you are a danger to yourself and others on the road until you are COMPLETELY sober.