How To Wind Down After A Night Out

It was fun, and now it’s time to get some rest. But winding down after all that noise, alcohol and stimulation can sometimes feel impossible. 

Your body wants to relax, yet your brain is racing and your nervous system hasn’t been informed that the party is over. What do you do now?

When to let go of the rules

As much as the wellbeing experts out there love to tell us to prioritise sleep over everything else, sometimes you just can't (or don't want to). 

Why miss a milestone birthday celebration, being best man at a wedding, or maybe just a particularly fun evening that arises spontaneously? Wellbeing is as much about balance as everything else.

Dr Rangan Chatterjee, a general practitioner and author of books like The 4 Pillar Plan, consistently emphasises how “good sleep is the foundation of health – without it, nothing else works properly". But Chatterjee also refers to a quote by Dr. Gabor Maté, which reflects the precious moments in life we must capture authentically: “If I were to choose to live my life over again, I wouldn't live it in this way.” 

So, you had the big night, and now face the consequences for your body. But this isn’t a hangover how-to, more so what to do when your system is on overdrive, your sleep is being wrecked and you’re trying to avoid feeling like a mess. 

Your body’s not broken, it is just receiving mixed signals

Most people put the rubbish-day-after feeling down to alcohol consumption or substance use, forgetting the simplicity of sleep debt and the havoc this factor alone can play on your body.

Derailing your sleep schedule and feeling groggy is one thing, but it affects your digestion and your mood too. It’s all connected to our circadian rhythm. Activities like stimulating conversation late at night or nighttime eating (when you're not used to it) can confuse things. Not to mention the exposure to artificial light well into the evening leaving your body thinking it's the daytime when it’s definitely not.

So what happens as a result? A ‘tired but wired’, exhausted feeling, maybe even a slightly jet-laggy, out of body experience.

In people with conditions like PTSD and trauma, studies have shown a robust relationship between disruptions in sleep patterns, which are tied to the circadian rhythm, and an increase in dissociative symptoms. 

Perhaps you don’t have these conditions, but it is still a powerful reminder of the delicate nature of our inbuilt body clocks.

Another factor that is overlooked is the emotional toll of socialising. 

Yes, humans are inherently social beings, but we also need time to come inwards too. Not having enough balance in this regard can lead to social burnout, which is more than simply being tired.

Parties and nights out are full-body experiences. They’re social, sensory, emotional and physical, that means post-party recovery needs to be holistic too.

When calm doesn’t come naturally at 3am

You might think coming home will instantly bring peace. But for some, that’s when the adrenaline crash starts and what remains can be a peculiar blend of euphoria and regret. Commonly referred to colloquially as ‘hangxiety’, it’s not in your head. 

It’s true, a "dopamine crash" is a real phenomenon where intense pleasure or stimulation leads to a subsequent low, causing fatigue, irritability, anxiety, or lack of motivation as dopamine levels drop and the brain seeks to rebalance, often seen after binge-watching, sugar highs, or stimulant use.

So this crushing sensation might not just be your body processing the alcohol, often it can also be related to your overstimulated brain struggling to regulate after being flooded with dopamine and social noise.

Before you even think about sleep

Deep down you’re exhausted, your ears are still buzzing with an uncomfortable static and it's been many hours since you were last asleep. So it would be forgivable to crash on top of the covers in your clothes (or full face of makeup) and call it a night, right? 

Not quite. Science tells us that spending just 10-15 minutes on a proper wind-down routine will make all the difference to how you sleep and how you feel the next day.

Start with hydration that goes beyond that obligatory pint of water you were told to drink as a teenager. Your body has been sweating, moving, possibly consuming copious amounts of alcohol, and likely hasn’t had much hydrating fluid for many hours. So it’s electrolytes that are on the cards. 

A rehydration sachet, like LMNT, containing vital minerals, or (in a pinch) a glass of water with a dash of sea salt and a squeeze of lemon, will help you to rebalance.

Maybe swerve the takeaway on the way home if you can. Instead look for something steadying, but it needn’t be a fancy rainbow-coloured Buddha bowl or anything too elaborate. 

A banana, some wholegrain toast with nut butter, or even plain crackers will do. That way you’re avoiding the trans-fat-loaded kebab and fries that can further inflame your liver. And, although these effects from one trans fat–containing meal are transient, this type of harmful fat, consumed habitually, over time can lead to conditions such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

A simple meal is what you need, so keep it as pared-back as possible and try to get some protein in there. Do this for the sake of your blood sugar, which is probably pretty up and down and you don’t need anything that’ll spike it again. 

Shop healthy, balanced snacks.

That’s a cue to your nervous system to slow down. 

Tim Ferriss is a big fan of a pre-bed soak in dim lighting as an excellent way to wind down.

For example, try a warm shower or bath. A warm one (not hot) to help your muscles settle and let your brain know the night is over. The change in temperature afterwards helps trigger the sleep cycle too. 

You can incorporate your nightly skincare regimen here also, because your skin will thank you in the morning.

Please note: If you’re going to have a bath, make it a shallow one so you’re less likely to fall asleep in it. This can be particularly dangerous if you’ve been drinking.

Entering the bedroom itself: you want it dark, cool, quiet. You might need earplugs. You probably need a sleep mask to block out the morning light. And, as tempting as it is to check on your Instagram stories, absolutely no screens. 

Blue light will mess up your melatonin and may ruin any chance of actual rest. Huberman is pretty strict on this, so you should be too.

And, regarding ambient temperature, sleep expert Danielle Pacheco believes the optimal range is between 18.3°C and 20°C (65-68°F). If you find temperature is difficult to regulate, try Eight Sleep, with technology that adapts to you. 

According to Breath author James Nestor, slowing your breath helps to calm the intensity of an overstimulated state by activating your body’s natural relaxation response. Breathe in for 5 seconds, out for 7, for at least 5-10 minutes, and it will help you feel more present in your body. 

Overall, having a routine is an important part of soothing your nervous system. The NHS advises for people struggling to sleep, that they focus on consistency in their nightly wind-down.

From sleep-friendly minerals to calming herbs and amino acids that take the edge off, these are the kind of supplements that can help your body ease out of that overdrive state. Have them handy on your bedside cabinet.

Momentous Sleep: This blend brings together magnesium L-threonate, L-theanine, and apigenin, each chosen to support your journey to a more tranquil night.

Transparent Labs Sleep & Recover: Melatonin-boosting blend including tart cherry for gentle recovery, better sleep and nervous system calm.

Hilma Sleep Support: Magnesium, reishi mushroom, L-theanine and calming herbs to support wind-down without next-day grogginess.

Anatome Reset, Relax + Sleep: Botanical blend with amino acids like L-Glycine and L-Tryptophan to ease stress and support natural sleep cycles.

Qualia Night: Comprehensive formula containing magnesium, vitamin B6, adaptogenic herbs and botanicals aimed at the nervous system, hormonal balance and deeper recovery. 

The next day isn’t just about sleep

The moment you wake, you might begin to feel the physiological ramifications of everything your body processed the night before.

Minus the guilt, sleep in if you can. If you can’t, be sure to schedule in a nap, or NSDR session later. Sleep is the only thing that will actually restore the debt you’ve taken on by partying into the early hours.

Coming back to an earlier point, food needs to be on your side, especially the day after. Comfort food may be more of a necessity than a wish under these circumstances, but it is possible to do comfort food in a constructive manner.

Avoid fried leftovers or whatever’s lurking in the back of your cupboards. You need something that’s nutritionally dense. 

And movement can be helpful too, even if you really don’t feel like it. It need not be super-intensive. Sometimes a refreshing dip and a few laps of the local pool does wonders. 

You want to move your lymph, get your blood flowing and get into your body and out of your head.

Your brain on alcohol: There’s a reason your brain feels weird

Alcohol is a bit of a liar, because it tricks you into thinking you’re relaxed and ready for bed. But, even in small doses, it actually disrupts REM sleep, that’s the stage where you process emotion, stabilise memories and regulate mood. So even if you sleep ‘the standard 8 hours’, you likely won’t feel that well rested.

Then there’s the blood sugar spike. Most alcoholic drinks contain sugar, but the alcohol content itself also disrupts blood sugar well into the next day. 

Your body responds by a reduction in the liver's ability to release glucose, which messes with your energy levels and your ability to fall asleep later. 

Where to draw the line

We opened this piece with a comment on living a balanced life, which sometimes means disregarding the rules for the sake of pleasure. But the key word here is ‘balance’, so how do you know when you are taking it too far?

A life without balance can sometimes lead to a path of inauthenticity. In other words, get the fundamentals in place and you cannot stray too far from your true sense of presence.

“When a person can’t find a deep sense of meaning, they distract themselves with pleasure.” – Viktor Frankl

What you should know

Your system isn’t failing when you get home, the room won’t stop spinning, and your mind won’t stop racing. 

Your body and mind are simply responding exactly how it should to overstimulation, sugar, alcohol and lack of rest.

There is something to be said about allowing yourself the space to come down. Not just after a night out, but in a broader sense, too. 

This is not about avoiding the party, but when you’ve danced until dawn, it’s about owning the recovery process and dodging those nasty repercussions. 

Build a wind-down routine that builds holistically and combines practicality. Recover with intention and wake up refreshed.

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