One morning, you wake up with a pounding in your head. The first thought that comes to your mind is, “Why did I drink so much last night?”

You look over on the other side of the bed and the person you met the previous night is there. Now you’re definitely wondering why you overdrank the previous night.

I’m betting many of us have experienced a situation similar to this in the past (with or without the alcohol).

While a one-night stand is not something anyone should shoot for, it does happens. It’s part of many young people’s lives.

The problem most people have with one-night stands is the perception that those who have them are bad people. Again, it all depends on personality. Some people are more open about sex than others, but that doesn’t make them a bad person.

Although your own personal conscience will be the deciding factor, the biggest thing to keep in mind during and after a one-nighter is whether or not both people understand what’s going on.

There is nothing worse than having a one-night stand (which by it’s title, means it only lasts one night), and then being bombarded by text messages and phone calls from your one-night partner.

The difficult part about this situation is that one-night stands aren’t usually planned, especially when alcohol is involved. So there really isn’t much time to sit down and talk to the person. You just have to do it and hope for the best.

Relationships that start with sex are more often than not doomed to fail. The first thing you know in your relationship is sex and it will come to define your time together.

If you know you get easily attached to others, even on the first date, one-night stands are not for you.

When both people understand the sex you just had was a one-time deal, then the sexual experience is at its best.

The first question that should come to your mind before engaging in sex is always the most important: do I have protection?

An STD is not something anyone in their right mind would want to deal with, and you will certainly be remembering the experience for more than one night.

When deciding whether or not a one-night stand is something you can swallow the next day and move on, think about this statement: a morning of awkwardness is far better than a night of loneliness.