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Scientific literature suggests a large number of symptoms that may be present the day after excessive alcohol consumption. The purpose of this study was to explore the presence and severity of hangover symptoms, and determine their interrelationship.A survey was conducted among n = 1410 Dutch students examining their drinking behavior and latest alcohol hangover. The severity of 47 presumed hangover symptoms were scored on a 10-point scale ranging from 0 (absent) to 10 (maximal). Factor analysis was conducted to summarize the data into groups of associated symptoms that contribute significantly to the alcohol hangover and symptoms that do not.About half of the participants (56.1%, n = 791) reported having had a hangover during the past month. Most commonly reported and most severe hangover symptoms were fatigue (95.5%) and thirst (89.1%). Factor analysis revealed 11 factors that together account for 62% of variance. The most prominent factor 'drowsiness' (explained variance 28.8%) included symptoms such as drowsiness, fatigue, sleepiness and weakness. The second factor 'cognitive problems' (explained variance 5.9%) included symptoms such as reduced alertness, memory and concentration problems. Other factors, including the factor 'disturbed water balance' comprising frequently reported symptoms such as 'dry mouth' and 'thirst', contributed much less to the overall hangover (explained variance5%).Drowsiness and impaired cognitive functioning are the two dominant features of alcohol hangover.

Introduction: The interaction between sleep and biomarkers of immune functioning (e.g., altered cytokine profiles) has been shown previously. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between perceived immune functioning and sleep in healthy young adults. Methods: Students of different Dutch universities participated in an online survey. Subscales of the SLEEP-50 questionnaire were completed to assess narcolepsy, insomnia, and circadian rhythm disorder (CRD). Total Sleep Time (TST), sleep quality, and number of nightly awakenings were assessed as well. Perceived immune functioning was assessed with the Immune function questionnaire (IFQ), and rated on a scale ranging from 0 (very poor) to 10 (excellent). Associations between sleep outcomes were related to perceived immune functioning using nonparametric Spearman correlations. Results: A total of 2489 healthy students (16.8% men) completed the survey. Their mean (SD) age was 21.2 (2.1) years old. Perceived immune functioning, as assessed with the IFQ, correlated significantly with scores of insomnia (r = 0.282, p = 0.000), narcolepsy (r = 0.229, p = 0.000), and CRD (r = 0.166, p = 0.000). In line, perceived immune functioning assessed with the 1-item rating also correlated significantly with scores of insomnia (r = -0.193, p = 0.000), narcolepsy (r = -0.135, p = 0.000), and CRD (r = -0.136, p = 0.000). TST did not correlate significantly with perceived immune functioning. The number of nightly awakenings correlated significantly with both the IFQ score (r = 0.185, p = 0.000), and the 1-item perceived immune functioning rating (r = -0.108, p = 0.000). Significant associations were also found between sleep quality and both the IFQ score (r = -0.209, p = 0.000) and 1-item perceived immune functioning rating (r = 0.199, p = 0.000). Conclusion: Significant associations were observed between perceived immune functioning and various sleep parameters. These results confirm previous findings of a bi-directional relationship between sleep and immune functioning, and suggest that a healthy immune status may contribute to improved sleep, and vice versa.

Background. about 25% of drinkers claim to be hangover resistant, despite occasional heavy alcohol consumption. The aim of this study was to compare the presence and severity of hangover-related symptoms and mood of hangover resistant drinkers versus people reporting a hangover. Methods. N = 17 hangover resistant and N = 19 …