You’re not imagining it: two-day hangovers are 100% real, and they’re more than just a lingering sense of tiredness. While you’re unlikely to have any alcohol left in your system after 24 hours (on average, alcohol leaves the body at a rate of one unit per hour), the impact it has on your brain and body can linger.

While they’re not as common as your bog-standard hangover, you might experience a two-day hangover every once in a while following a particularly heavy night.

“When you consume alcohol, it goes through a process of being metabolised and eliminated from your body,” explains Dr Grace Hula, GP and founder of G&M Healthcare. “While the effects of alcohol intoxication typically wear off within a few hours, the byproducts and lingering effects can lead to prolonged hangover symptoms. This is especially true if you’ve consumed a large amount of alcohol or if your body metabolises it slowly.”

The kind of symptoms that might linger during a two-day hangover include a headache, nausea and impaired attention. More serious symptoms could also include sweating and an increase in anxiety.

Are 2-day hangovers real, or are they just the knock-on effect of poor sleep?