Why Does Alcohol Make You Anxious the Next Day?

You Should Know: You had a great night out, so why does the next morning sometimes feel like an existential crisis? That phenomenon, called “hangxiety,” affects around 22% of social drinkers. Alcohol messes with your brain chemistry by boosting GABA, a neurotransmitter that makes you feel calm, while suppressing glutamate, which normally keeps you alert. Then your brain overcorrects when the alcohol wears off, often leaving you more anxious than before you started drinking.

Going Deeper: Bad sleep makes everything worse. Alcohol might help you fall asleep faster, but it disrupts the restorative rest your brain actually needs to regulate your mood the next day. People who already deal with anxiety tend to be more vulnerable to hangxiety, and genetics may explain nearly half the reason why some people get hit harder than others.

Takeaway: Limiting how much you drink is the most reliable way to avoid it. If you do overdo it, getting water in and eating something gives your body a fighting chance.

Bottom Line: Hangxiety is your brain chemistry bouncing back from the night before. The more you drink, the harder that rebound tends to hit.