Drink up: a hangover makes you very horny

I've experienced firsthand that hangovers get worse with age. Sometimes I think back to my part-time job in the hospitality industry, where I had to close up at night and then, of course, sat around for hours afterward, and how fresh I felt three hours later in the lecture hall. Incomprehensible. But really, how did I do that? Just the thought of it makes me extremely tired. If I downed as much beer and shots now, you really shouldn't expect me to be in the shower by half past eight. No way. And once I finally reach that shower, it comes with a lot of sighing and groaning. Because for the past few years, I've had hangovers that come with an immense amount of self-pity and the intention that you will never drink again. 

But along with the hangovers comes a strange kind of hazy horniness. Totally fine, because my ex had that too, and morning sex is a great remedy against self-pity. A win-win situation. And that hazy horniness is not a myth; it really exists and is scientifically backed. So while you're sighing and groaning in search of ibuprofen and thinking to yourself: now, a quickie would really do me good... That's completely normal. The ‘horny hangover’ is described by Urban Dictionary as: ‘the mysterious and overwhelming urge to have sex the day after a night of hard drinking, despite being completely dehydrated and having a massive headache.’ Mysterious. Overwhelming. I couldn't have described it better myself.

But why is that? Well, there are several explanations for it. Neurologist Nicole Prause says the following about it: it may help against certain anxiety and depressive thoughts that often accompany a hangover. So this could be a way for your body to counteract that. Also, the alcohol is still in your system, and alcohol can sometimes bring about some sexual desires. Because of that alcohol that still has some effect, this could still influence your overall condition or your overall horniness.

And lastly, it's just a really nice distraction. Not thinking about that nagging hangover for a moment. So if you just looked a bit too deeply into the glass the night before and now find yourself in bed with your lover, one-night stand, or a complete stranger (okay, with that last option you might want to be careful): dive right in. Because during sex, oxytocin and endorphins are released. And yes, that makes you happy. Happy humping during your hangover.