Health & Healing
How long does it take to break down alcohol?
Estimated wait
~8 hours
Based on published sources
Timeline guide
- Faster cases~7 hours
- Average cases~8 hours
- Slower casesUp to 10 hours
These are rough average values, not a guarantee — real elimination is individual and can take longer. NEVER conclude from this estimate that you are fit to drive; residual alcohol the next morning can still be over the limit. Not medical or legal advice.
The body breaks alcohol down only slowly — roughly 0.1 to 0.15 per mille (‰) per hour — and nothing speeds this up: coffee, a cold shower or sleep make no difference. After a sociable evening at around 1.0 ‰, it therefore takes about 7 to 10 hours for the alcohol to clear completely — often not until the next morning.
More details
Exactly how long depends on the amount, your body weight, sex and condition. Residual alcohol the morning after is regularly underestimated.
How the process works
- 10.5 ‰ ≈ 3–5 hours to clear ↑ the time on this page
- 21.0 ‰ ≈ 7–10 hours
- 31.5 ‰ ≈ 10–15 hours
- 4Rate ~0.1–0.15 ‰ per hour — coffee, showers and sleep do NOT speed it up
Last updated: 17 Jul 2026
Information is for general knowledge only.