Alcohol & Academic Performance

 

Do you ever wake up feeling like you could do with another night’s sleep? And does that sluggish, tired feeling then hound you all day, making it hard to concentrate in lectures?

Have you ever thought this unpleasant feeling could be related to the dreaded hangover as a result of the amount of alcohol you have drunk on your night out?


Remember:

  • Alcohol can seriously disrupt your sleep, leaving you jaded and making it hard to focus the next day when in lectures.
  • Alcohol can interfere with your routine cognitive tasks, like remembering what was said in your lectures, sorting out your presentation or concentrating on writng that essay.
  • Alcohol is a depressant, so you might find your motivation gets sapped along with your work abilities. 
  • Alcohol and the after-effects definitely can make you feel more irritable, so are you going to be focussed in class?

 

Our top tips to avoid that dreaded hangover the next day in lectures:

  • Why not treat yourself to a couple of alcohol-free days. The chances are you’ll feel fresher, more on top of work and far happier in your relationships. 
  • On a night out. Before you order that next drink, have a think about what you have on in University the next day and ask yourself ‘Is it worth it?’
  • Rather than staying out until the end of the night, why don’t you head home early, have a glass of water and enjoy a good nights sleep.
  • Eating isn’t cheating – make sure you have a good meal before you go out drinking as food helps slow the absorption of alcohol, stopping it going to your head too quickly, and helping you to avoid that dreaded hangover!
  • Try a ‘spacer’ instead of a ‘chaser’ -  A 'spacer' is a non-alcoholic drink that you take in between alcoholic ones - you space them out. That way you slow down your drinking and you’ll l be surprised how good and refreshing a spacer can be in between alcoholic drinks.

 

 

For more practical tips on how to enjoy your night our visit our ‘Late Night Do it Right’ webpage  or visit the Drink Aware website for useful information and fact on alcohol.