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.

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.