When someone has too much to drink, the first advice that people often give is to let that person sleep it off and hopefully sober up by the morning. It is true that sleep allows your body time to heal itself and can give your liver a chance to metabolize alcohol you recently consumed.
However, it is dangerous for people to presume that they can safely drive the morning after an intense drinking session just because they slept for a few hours. People can and do still get arrested for driving drunk the day after they consumed alcohol.
If you still feel drunk, you probably are
Your body is only capable of metabolizing so much alcohol at a time. The exact amount that you can handle will vary based on factors ranging from your age and weight to your gender and the other foods you ingested.
The more you drink in a shorter time, the more likely it is for you to have residual alcohol in your system even after a night of sleep. Rather than assuming you have a low-grade hangover, you should presume your experience is the result of intoxication and ask someone to drive you to class or work, or even just take a personal day to recover safely at home.
Officers may be watching for people leaving a party house the next day
Police officers are well aware of the fact that many people do not sober up after a night of hard drinking with just a few hours of sleep. Especially if the cops got called on the party you attended, it is likely that officers will target nearby streets for enforcement in the hours after a party, including the next morning.
In other words, there is a significant risk that you could wind up pulled over and failing a breath test even though you haven’t had anything to drink in several hours. It is generally best to err on the side of caution after drinking and avoid driving until you know you are safe and sober enough to drive. If you do find yourself arrested, however, it’s important to explore all of your options, as there are usually ways someone can defend against pending impaired driving charges.