In this episode I sit down with my very first guest — my husband, who’s a sleep expert with more than 20 years’ experience working in sleep and sleep disorders.
We talk about what alcohol actually does to our sleep (even in small amounts), why it feels like alcohol helps at first but quietly disturbs our stages of sleep. We discuss what starts to change in our bodies and nervous system - once we put alcohol down.
Together, we unpack what alcohol actually does to the brain and body at night (why it knocks you out but doesn’t let you truly sleep). If you’ve ever wondered why you wake up at 3am, feel wired-but-still-tired, or can’t seem to feel truly rested even when you “sleep through”, this episode will make it make sense. And if you’ve ever used alcohol to “switch off” or if you regularly use it to help you fall asleep, this conversation will give you science-backed clarity and hope for restorative sleep.
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Find out what I do and what I offer - from Yin yoga 🧘♀️ to 1:1 Coaching and Root Cause Therapy' - https://www.quitlikeabadass.com/
Evidence demonstrating a weak effect of screen light on sleep:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1087079224000376
In this episode I’m sharing 6 powerful reasons to take a break from drinking - not from a place of restriction or rules, but from a place of curiosity and self-care. These are 6 changes women actually see and feel when alcohol is no longer a daily habit. Because I think what we ALL want is less stress, more calm, more connection and a gradual return to feeling like ourselves again. And I want that for you - and yes, it is possible, I am human proof of it.
I discuss what happens when our drinking shifts into something that’s 'just part of the nightly routine'. I explain how alcohol silently drives our everyday stress (yes, really!) and what changes emotionally and physically when we step away from it - even for a short time. This episode is an invitation to pause and notice how different life feels - when your body isn’t regularly recovering from yesterday’s drinking.
Fear is a very common human emotion — but when it holds us back from necessary change or keeps us small, it’s time to dig a little deeper. Did you ever notice how fear shows up right when you’re about to make a big decision or try something new? In this episode, I explore what fear really is, why it shows up when it does, and how we can work with it rather than against it.
If fear has ever stopped you from doing the thing that you know you want to do, this one’s for you.
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Hey, I'm Amy Gradisar. I am a Women's Empowerment and Grey Area Drinking Coach. If you'd like to know more about me and what I do, please visit my website: https://www.quitlikeabadass.com/
If you'd like to follow me on Instagram please click here: https://www.instagram.com/quitlikeabadass/?hl=en
I detail part of my ‘quitting alcohol’ journey here in Part 1. As the patriarchal nature of AA really didn't suit me, it was a welcome change to learn from some truly amazing women who stood up to speak about their own issues with alcohol (in the mid to late 2010's). I could resonate so much. This includes Holly Whitaker, my first ever paid Coach. Their goal was to teach others about how we can slowly get 'lost' in alcohol, to stand up against the alcohol industry – and how they took back control of their own precious lives.
I am a product of their support and important work - and I want to pass that onto you!
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If what I say resonates with you - or even if you are the least bit curious, you can check out the QLAB website. Google the single word quitlikeabadass or click here:
quitlikeabadass.com
In this episode I talk about what Grey-Area Drinking is.
Briefly: The 'Grey Area' of drinking sits between the extremes of alcohol use - it’s definitely not at the “social, take-it-or-leave-it” end of the spectrum, but it’s absolutely not the rock-bottom, full alcohol dependence stage either. It’s the space in between, where drinking might look “normal” from the outside, but inside it feels: misaligned, harder to control, and quietly taking up too much space in your mind.
It is the messy middle - when alcohol isn’t ruining your life, but it’s quietly stealing from it. If you’ve ever wondered whether your drinking is ‘bad enough’ to change, this episode is for you.
This is 'Part 2 'of my story: *trigger warning* I mention sexual assault in this episode, but I don't go into any specific details.
In this episode I describe what life was like for me in regards to alcohol - from 2017 onwards. My chronic pain was getting worse and I certainly felt that I was at my lowest point - but I never really had what would be described as a 'rock bottom' moment. I was getting a lot of 'convincers' though and I describe what they are. I detail exactly how much I was drinking and that at one point, something happened to me that changed me forever. Other topics in this episode: self blame, sexual assault/betrayal, feelings of shame & our 'conditioning'.