Does alcohol get to your head more easily during the day than at night? The answer is yes

Even with the same amount, the effects of alcohol are often experienced differently at different times of the day. The rumor that a glass of sparkling wine with breakfast goes to your head faster than a champagne reception in the evening persists. Is it really so?

There is little scientific evidence that time of day influences the effects of alcohol. In fact, however, there are several factors and preconditions that support the supposed relationship between the time of day and the effect.

After drinking, alcohol enters the blood through the walls of the stomach and intestines and is then distributed throughout the body. When the stomach is full, the rate at which the alcohol is passed into the bloodstream is slightly inhibited. But even with food intake just before consumption, alcohol does not enter the blood less, the increase in blood alcohol content is only slowed down, giving the impression that the effect is weaker.

So when you have breakfast on an empty stomach in the morning, you feel like the alcohol is rising to your head faster.

Another factor that contributes to the effects of alcohol coming on more quickly during the day is psychological. Alcohol is a cytotoxin and as such affects the transmission of information between nerve cells. As a result, perception and responsiveness slow down. In small amounts, the reward center in the brain is also activated, resulting in a mood-enhancing and disinhibiting effect.

Changes that are perceived as disruptive and different from the environment when dealing with tasks of daily living. On the other hand, during a pleasant evening in a pub, the consequences of alcohol consumption are less noticeable or even experienced as pleasant.

On vacation or at summer temperatures, the alcoholic cocktail also tastes particularly good during the day and, unlike drinks after sunset, you don’t have to wait long for the effect. In fact, alcohol works faster and more intensely when it’s hot.

By dilating the blood vessels in response to the consumption of alcohol and the heat, blood pressure drops. In addition, the body loses a lot of fluid through sweating and the dehydrating effects of alcohol, which can lead to dehydration. The Federal Center for Health Education therefore recommends caution: in addition to fatigue and the feeling of being exhausted, alcohol under the scorching sun can lead to circulatory problems and even loss of consciousness.

Whether during the day, in the evening or in the early morning hours – the physical condition plays a decisive role in the consumption of alcohol. Factors such as gender and weight have a major influence on the amount of alcohol that the body can tolerate and break down again.