Does Coffee and a Cold Shower Sober You Up From Alcohol?

Time for a little myth-busting. You’ve probably heard — or even tried it yourself — that a cold shower or a hot cup of coffee can help you sober up if you’ve had a bit too much to drink. People facing alcoholism, now called alcohol use disorder (AUD), often want to know quick and easy ways to get temporarily sober so they can continue functioning in their daily lives.

However, even people who do not have AUD occasionally overconsume, and that’s when they pull out a variety of old wives’ tales to help them become less intoxicated. But is it even possible? Here, we’ll take a look at some of the most widely spread myths around sobriety, evaluate if there’s any truth to them, and give you some tips on the only reliable way to sober up after imbibing.

Myths About Sobering Up

Many people can consume an alcoholic beverage or two with some regularity and never have a problem with misuse. However, the impact of alcohol use can vary widely from person to person, as can the effects that alcohol has on the body and brain. At times, a person may wish to sober up, either because they realize too late that they’ve consumed too much, are having negative side effects, or are going to be in a situation that requires sobriety.

Drinking Coffee Sobers You Up

This myth has been around for as long as coffee and alcohol have shared space in our lives, and it’s one that many people still hold onto. The idea is simple: drink a cup of coffee after consuming alcohol, and the caffeine will somehow help your body metabolize the alcohol faster, leaving you feeling sober and refreshed. It’s an appealing thought—who wouldn’t want an easy fix after a heavy night out?

Unfortunately, while caffeine can make you feel more alert, it has no effect on how quickly your liver processes alcohol. The body’s ability to metabolize alcohol is a biological process that takes time, and there’s no magic shortcut.

The best remedy remains the simplest one: give your body the time it needs to process the alcohol naturally. So, while a cup of coffee might perk you up, it won’t sober you up.

Taking a Cold Shower Sobers You Up

The shock of cold water hitting your skin triggers an increase in heart rate and alertness, giving you that invigorating sensation of being instantly more awake. It’s no surprise that many people swear by cold showers as a morning ritual to shake off grogginess.

However, it’s important to separate feeling energized from actual physiological changes. While cold showers can wake you up and even temporarily improve circulation, they won't do much to influence your body's metabolism. This is similar to the myth surrounding coffee, which many believe directly boosts metabolism when, in reality, its effects are more about stimulating the central nervous system than significantly altering metabolic processes.

Eating Food Sobers You Up

You’ve likely heard the age-old advice to avoid drinking on an empty stomach. Maybe you’ve even blamed skipping dinner for feeling more intoxicated than you anticipated. While it’s true that having food in your system can slow the absorption of alcohol into your bloodstream, the relationship between food and alcohol isn’t quite as straightforward as it may seem.

Once alcohol enters your bloodstream, it’s your liver—not your stomach—that takes charge of processing it. Eating before drinking can delay the absorption of alcohol, giving the liver more time to metabolize it gradually.

However, if you’ve already consumed alcohol, eating afterward won’t reverse or lessen its effects. The alcohol already circulating in your bloodstream will continue to affect you until your body has fully processed it.

Vomiting Sobers You Up

Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to moderate to severe nausea, and if you’ve ever found yourself feeling sick after a night of drinking, it’s easy to understand why you might think that vomiting could help. After all, getting rid of the alcohol in your stomach seems like a logical way to feel better. However, the science behind alcohol metabolism tells a different story.

Unfortunately, by the time you feel nauseous, much of the alcohol has already entered your system, so vomiting won’t significantly reduce your blood alcohol content or make you any less intoxicated. That said, vomiting can provide temporary relief from nausea caused by alcohol irritating your stomach lining, but it’s not a solution for sobriety.

What Coffee Actually Does

Drinking a cup of coffee does have a physical effect on your body. Black coffee contains caffeine, a stimulant, which can give you a sense of increased energy and an overall feeling of perking up. However, the coffee itself has zero effect on your level of sobriety.

In fact, it’s now advised that you do not mix alcohol and caffeine. This is because the stimulant nature of coffee counteracts the depressant qualities of alcohol, which may lead to a false sense of sobriety.

The effects of caffeine can reduce the fatigue brought on by alcohol consumption, which can make you feel more sober, even though you aren’t. This can lead to risky decision-making and dangerous situations.

What a Cold Shower Actually Does

A cold shower will give you a brief boost in energy and perhaps a little clarity in the midst of your intoxication, but it will not change your level of sobriety. Some research has shown that a cool shower can hydrate the skin, which is often dehydrated by alcohol consumption.

However, it’s generally considered a risk to get into the shower if you’ve recently been drinking in excess. Alcohol impacts your balance and your reaction time, increasing the likelihood of a dangerous fall.

An Explanation of How the Body Processes Alcohol

Alcohol use disorder can affect anyone. Some people are more inclined to AUD because of a genetic predisposition, trauma, or other external reasons. What does vary from person to person is the effects of alcohol on each individual.

When alcohol is consumed, it sits in the stomach but is then absorbed into the bloodstream. The rate of absorption depends on different factors that are unique to each person. From there, the alcohol is processed by the liver, where it is broken down to ethanol—the active ingredient in alcohol—acetate, and water. Over time, the liver metabolizes these components, with any remaining water getting eliminated as waste.

When you consume alcohol, you elevate your blood alcohol concentration (BAC). The amount of alcohol needed to increase a person’s BAC will vary, so it can be difficult to know how much is too much. The blood alcohol level is not consistent from person to person, even if they consume the same amount of alcohol. The way alcohol is metabolized can depend on how much food has been consumed prior to drinking, the overall health of the liver, and even body weight and sex.

One thing, however, is certain: once you have consumed any amount of alcohol, there is no action you can take to force your body into metabolizing it more quickly or sobering up at will. Coffee and cold showers won’t help. Neither will drinking water or tossing back an energy drink like Red Bull. Alcohol metabolism cannot be controlled; it must be waited out.

Effective Ways to Sober Up

Of course, you don’t have to have alcohol use disorder to overdrink or wish to sober up quickly. Perhaps you’re looking to cut back on alcohol consumption, or you’re sober and curious. Whatever your reason, there are only a couple of useful tips to sober up.

Stop Drinking Alcohol

You will not begin to sober up until you have ceased alcohol consumption. Simply slowing down or spacing out your drinks will not have an impact on your level of sobriety. The only sure way to begin the process of sobering up is to completely stop drinking alcoholic beverages.

Give it Time

When it comes to sobering up, there’s one essential truth: it takes the time it takes. You can’t predict it, and you can’t speed it up. Generally, researchers say you can allow the body one hour to metabolize one unit of alcohol (one two oz. shot of liquor, one 12 oz. bottle of beer, one six oz. glass of wine), but many other factors play a role in how long it ultimately takes.

There are other steps you can take as you wait for your body to process the alcohol. Getting plenty of water can help you stay hydrated and lessen some of the aftereffects of drinking, like headaches and stomach upset. Rest will allow your body to recover while ensuring you’re out of harm’s way.

Remember that alcohol slows your reaction time and has a sedative effect. It can also cause your blood pressure to fluctuate and contribute to existing heart disease. If you feel you’ve had too much and are concerned about your physical well-being, contact a healthcare professional for medical advice.

The Dangers of Relying on Myths

While there are some slight dangers associated with alcohol myths, the biggest danger in believing these myths about helping you get sober is that they can become a coping mechanism to cover up a serious issue.

If you or a loved one are consistently in situations where quick sobering up is desirable or necessary, there may be a deeper problem. Alcohol use disorder is addiction. However, it is treatable.

How Caron Can Help

Finding the right treatment program for AUD can feel like a daunting task, but you don’t have to do it alone. The first step is acknowledging that you have a problem. Sobering up doesn’t have to be a quick fix or a temporary solution. Long-term recovery is within reach, but you’ll need support to get there.

At Caron, we have a variety of evidence-based treatment options for every individual. We would be happy to help you explore treatment that’s right for your needs, goals, and desires. Contact us to get started on your recovery journey.