Alcohol, Self-Care, or Stress Relief? The Conversation Every Woman Needs
We’ve all told ourselves a glass of wine helps us unwind — but what if it’s actually wrecking your rest? Alcohol sedates you, but it doesn’t restore you.
In this eye-opening moment, Sarah Rusbatch explains why wine disrupts REM sleep, raises cortisol, and leaves women feeling constantly “just tired.” Even one drink can hijack your brain’s ability to process emotions overnight — and that exhaustion adds up.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
• What “grey area drinking” really means—and why most women who struggle don’t identify as alcoholic
• How stress, boredom, and loneliness drive drinking in midlife
• The neuroscience of habit and emotional regulation behind alcohol use
• Why alcohol has been sold as “self-care” and how to rewrite that story
• Practical steps to reduce or stop drinking without shame
• How to rebuild social confidence and friendships alcohol-free
• The impact of alcohol on sleep, hormones, and midlife health
• Why compassion, not willpower, is the key to real change
If you often wake up exhausted, wired, or low in mood, this episode will help you understand the science behind it — and how to reclaim real, restorative sleep without the nightly glass.
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Disclaimer: This podcast and any information, advice, opinions or statements within it do not constitute medical, health care or other professional advice. Information is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only.
00:00 – Why Women Turn to Wine
01:14 – Meet Sarah Rusbatch
02:18 – When Drinking Stopped Working
03:33 – How Alcohol Shapes Women’s Lives
08:08 – Becoming a Grey Area Drinking Coach
08:56 – Alcohol’s Hidden Impact on Health
13:09 – Wine, Friendship & Connection
15:00 – The Emotions Behind Drinking
16:52 – Stress, Loneliness & Midlife
19:24 – What We Learn from Parents’ Drinking
21:56 – Why Wine Isn’t Self-Care
25:26 – Gender Roles, Pressure & Overload
30:05 – What Is Grey Area Drinking?
30:30 – Are You a Grey Area Drinker?
31:42 – Early Signs You’re in the Grey Zone
32:36 – Alcohol, Sleep & Mood
34:46 – The Science of Stress & Wine
35:43 – Alcohol’s Effect on Skin
37:39 – Sedation Isn’t Sleep
43:35 – Binge Drinking & Health
44:48 – Life After Alcohol
* Grey area drinking women
* Alcohol free midlife
* Stop drinking without rehab
* Women and wine culture
* Alcohol and menopause
* Emotional drinking habits
* Sarah Rusbatch Beyond Booze
* How to drink less
* Alcohol and anxiety
* Midlife wellness podcast
* Quit-lit for women
* Alcohol self-care myth
* Female friendship and wine
* Perimenopause and alcohol
* Dr Shauna Watts interview
