With Christmas and New Year’s Eve comes plenty of celebration and, all too often, a hangover the next day.

There are a number of factors that can contribute to a hangover, such as mild dehydration, disrupted sleep, gastrointestinal irritation, inflammation, acetaldehyde exposure and mini withdrawals from alcohol.

Symptoms can vary from person to person, but many typically experience fatigue, nausea and headaches.

Of course, the best way to avoid a hangover is simply not to drink, but is that really going to happen? Probably not.

So here are a few things you can do to prevent spending your well-deserved break over the holidays regretting the night before.

Be prepared for your hangover

There’s no silver bullet for a hangover, but speak to any seasoned drinker and they will share with you a few tips and tricks they swear by.

Water is going to be your best friend.

If your hangover if due to mild dehydration, then obviously you need to hydrate, so have some before going to bed and leave a big glass on your night stand.

Berocca and an electrolyte drink such as Gatorade or Powerade are usually up there as sworn-by hangover cures.

Berocca doesn’t market itself as a hangover cure, but many people swear the effervescent tablets will fix you up.

Similarly, people swear by having a Gatorade or Powerade in the fridge to chug just before going to bed after a big night out.

Many people swear by Berocca as a hangover fix.

Filled with electrolytes, these kinds of drinks may help hydrate you, but the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAA) says there is no research to suggest they can help fight a hangover.

The NIAA says research has not found a correlation between electrolyte disruptions and the severity of hangovers, plus the human body will restore electrolyte balance once the effects of alcohol subside.

If you get headaches with your hangovers, it’s a no-brainer to have on hand.

There’s also alc-eze, a supplement specifically for relieving hangover symptoms, which uses nashi pear and other natural ingredients.

Clinical nutritionist Lexi Crouch recommends taking alc-eze before drinking and the next day as well to ensure the hangover symptoms stay at bay.

Have a feast

Maybe the idea of having a healthy meal after drinking the day before is something you can’t quite stomach, but it could be just what you need.

Start your day with a healthy breakfast and a coffee.

US health not-for-profit Ochsner Health recommends trying to stomach some eggs, which are a good source of amino acid cysteine and can help break down some of the toxic byproducts of alcohol.

And in good news for anyone who loves carbs, they might also help.

The Harvard Medical School (HMS) actually recommended eating some carbs to help fix you up.

“Drinking may lower blood sugar levels, so theoretically some of the fatigue and headaches of a hangover may be from a brain working without enough of its main fuel,” HMS explains.

“Moreover, many people forget to eat when they drink, further lowering their blood sugar. Toast and juice is a way to gently nudge levels back to normal.”

Grease and carbs can help with a hangover.

Sodium, what most of us call salt, is a critical electrolyte that helps to deliver hydration to our bodies, and can also help retain hydration. So by all means get something salty into you.

Some hangover experts recommend adding half a level teaspoon of salt to a litre of water to sip on throughout the day.

Harvard also suggested having a coffee. This won’t fix your hangover, but as a stimulant it can help with grogginess.

Sleep it off, walk it off

If you’re really hungover, maybe try and get some more sleep.

Alcohol does disrupt your sleep, so it’s really no wonder you’re feeling a little rusty the next day.

Molly Kimball, from Ochsner Health, recommends getting active.

“Even a brisk walk will help to increase circulation, bringing more blood and oxygen to the brain and muscles, helping to offset hangover symptoms like headaches and achy muscles,” she said.

“And sweating it out is one of the best natural ways to detoxify our bodies.”

What not to do

Harvard researcher Dr Robert Swift notes that many drinkers advocate a “hair of the dog” to help with withdrawal symptoms, but that is one approach he can’t endorse.

Drinking more to remedy the effects of drinking too much just “perpetuates a cycle”, he says, while not giving your body a chance to recover naturally.

One popular drink many swear by the morning after a big night is a Bloody Mary.

Some love the vodka-based mixer, but you could even make an alcohol-free Immaculate Virgin concoction and that might work even better.