How ‘Hangxiety’ and Your Period Bring Out the Worst in Each Other

Ever awakened after a night out with your heart racing and stomach churning as you replay every conversation you had, like a highlight reel of embarrassment? That’s ‘hangxiety,’ or hangover anxiety — the post-drinking anxiety that makes you want to crawl under your blankets and never emerge. It’s not just in your head; there’s a science behind why alcohol leaves you feeling emotionally wrecked the next day. And, if you’re someone who menstruates, your cycle might be making things worse.

Let’s break it down: why you feel hangover anxiety, the relationship between hangxiety and menstruating, how your hormones are involved, and what you can do to ease the mental (and emotional) crash.

What Is Hangxiety?

Hangxiety, or hangover anxiety, isn’t just a bad mood. It’s your body’s biological reaction to alcohol’s effect on your brain and nervous system.

When you drink, alcohol floods your brain with feel-good chemicals like dopamine and endorphins. You feel on top of the world, at least for a few hours. But as alcohol leaves your system, your brain begins scrambling to restore balance, and that’s when the crash hits. The result is hangxiety — or more specifically:

1. Neurotransmitter chaos: Alcohol initially boosts your level of GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), the neurotransmitter that helps you feel calm and relaxed; that’s why those first few drinks feel like liquid confidence. But as your body breaks down the alcohol, your GABA plummets, and your level of glutamate —  the neurotransmitter that ramps up brain activity — spikes. Now, you’re feeling jittery, overthinking everything, and struggling to relax.
2. Stress hormone overload: Alcohol triggers the release of cortisol, your body’s stress hormone. This makes you more sensitive to stress the next day. Essentially, your body is in fight-or-flight mode, even if the biggest danger is checking your texts from last night.
3. Dehydration and electrolyte imbalance: Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it makes you urinate — a lot. This can leave you dehydrated and low on electrolytes, both of which can worsen that overall sense of unease and fatigue.
4. Sleep disruption: Even if you pass out quickly, alcohol wrecks your sleep quality. It disrupts REM sleep, the stage when your brain processes emotions and memories. Without it, you wake up groggy, emotionally raw, and mentally scattered.

How Your Menstrual Cycle Can Worsen Hangxiety (and Vice Versa)

Your menstrual cycle plays a big role in how your body and mind react to stress — and that includes hangover anxiety.

The duration of your period, and a week or two before your period starts (the luteal phase), is a hotbed for emotional turbulence. Here’s why:

1. Progesterone plummets: Progesterone levels peak during the luteal phase, in order to prepare your uterus for pregnancy. However, since no pregnancy takes place, it drops off right before your period. This can leave you feeling irritable and emotionally unsteady. Pair that with alcohol-induced GABA disruption, and it’s a recipe for heightened anxiety.
2. PMS worsens: Alcohol increases the production of estrogen and testosterone in the body. This can make your PMS way worse, especially the mood swings and irritability. It also impacts the balance of prostaglandins, which are hormone-like compounds that control the intensity of menstrual cramps.
3. Cortisol keeps spiking: Research shows that during the luteal phase, your body is more reactive to stress. Add to that the increased cortisol from alcohol, and you’re in for a serious physical and emotional crash.
4. Dehydration and bloating worsen: Alcohol dehydrates you, and if you’re already dealing with water retention or bloating from PMS, the discomfort can feel overwhelming as your abdominal muscles and uterus cramp more. Water also thins the blood and mucus, which makes it easier for your body to pass it. If you’re dehydrated, your actual flow may be disrupted or become uncomfortable. 

So, if you’ve noticed that hangxiety during a period feels worse — or if your period is worse when you’re hungover and anxious — you’re not imagining things. There is a scientific explanation for the link between hangxiety and menstruating.

How to Prevent Hangxiety (Especially During Your Period)

The good news? You’re not powerless against hangxiety. A few mindful adjustments can make all the difference:

1. Time your drinks wisely: If you have your period or you know it’s coming, consider scaling back on alcohol or skipping it altogether. Hormonal fluctuations make you more vulnerable to hangxiety during this time.
2. Fuel your body: Drinking on an empty stomach is a surefire way to amplify hangxiety during a period. Eat a meal with complex carbs, healthy fats, and protein before you drink. It slows alcohol absorption and keeps your blood sugar stable.
3. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate: Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it makes you lose fluids. Sip water between drinks and chug a big glass before bed. Electrolyte drinks can also help replenish lost minerals.
4. Choose your drinks wisely: Dark liquors like whiskey and red wine contain more congeners (chemical byproducts of fermentation) that can worsen hangovers and anxiety. Clear spirits like vodka or gin tend to be easier on your system.
5. Set a limit: Know your body’s limits and stick to them. That extra shot might feel fun in the moment, but your future self will thank you for saying no.
6. Prioritize sleep: After a night out, create the best sleep environment possible. Use blackout curtains, keep your room cool, and try not to scroll on your phone before bed.
7. Practice self-kindness: If hangxiety hits, remind yourself it’s temporary, common, and rooted in biology, not reality. (So many of us have been there!) Avoid making big decisions or over-analyzing conversations until you’ve had time to rest and recover.

Too Late? Here’s How to Manage the Morning After

Despite your best efforts, hangxiety might still rear its head or coincide with your period. Here’s how to soothe yourself:

1. Eat a balanced breakfast: Reach for something with protein, healthy fats, and carbs. Think avocado toast with eggs or a smoothie with banana, nut butter, and spinach. These foods stabilize blood sugar and support brain function. Coffee increases blood pressure and resting heart rate, which can exacerbate tension and anxiety, so avoid it like the plague. Reach for tea, sparkling water, or juice instead. 
2. Move gently: If you’re up for it, light movement like yoga or a walk can help reduce cortisol and release endorphins. No need for an intense workout; this is about feeling good, not punishing yourself.
3. Meditation or deep breathing: Hangxiety loves to feed off overthinking. Ground yourself with a short meditation or deep breathing exercise to calm your nervous system.
4. Reach out: Call a friend or loved one who understands. Sharing your feelings can help you gain perspective and remind you that you’re not alone.

Above all, remember: you deserve grace and compassion, especially from yourself. Whether it’s taking a break from drinking or simply being more mindful of when and how you indulge, small changes can help you wake up feeling more balanced and in control. And that’s something worth raising a (hydrating) glass to!

Tell us your worst hangxiety story, we’d love to hear it! Comment below.