Nightly Wine, Stress, and Burnout: Why So Many High-Performing Women & Moms Are Using Alcohol to Cope
By Dee Davidson, FDN-P
You finish work. The kids finally settle down. The dishes are done. The emails stop coming. For the first time all day, you can exhale. So you pour a glass of wine.
For many women, this nightly ritual feels harmless. It's a reward after a long day. A way to unwind. A moment of peace in an otherwise chaotic schedule. But what if that glass of wine has quietly become more than a beverage? What if it's become your primary coping mechanism for stress?
As a Functional Health Practitioner, I've worked with countless high-achieving women and mothers who aren't drinking because they have a drinking problem. They're drinking because they're exhausted. They're overwhelmed. They're carrying the weight of careers, businesses, children, aging parents, relationships, finances, and endless responsibilities. From the outside, they look like they have it all together. On the inside, many are running on fumes.
What starts as an occasional way to relax can slowly become a nightly habit. Not because these women lack willpower, but because alcohol temporarily provides relief. It quiets the mental chatter, softens anxiety, and creates a brief sense of calm. After a stressful day, that relief can feel incredibly appealing.
The problem is that while alcohol may help you feel better in the moment, it often creates additional stress inside the body.
One of the most overlooked effects of alcohol is its impact on blood sugar regulation. Many women don't realize that even when alcohol contains little sugar, the body prioritizes metabolizing alcohol before other fuels. This can create blood sugar instability throughout the night. The result may be waking between 2 and 4 a.m., experiencing night sweats, having racing thoughts, feeling anxious upon waking, or struggling with energy crashes and cravings the following day.
Many women assume these symptoms are simply part of getting older or related to hormones. While hormones can certainly play a role, blood sugar instability is often an important piece of the puzzle.
Alcohol also affects cortisol, one of the body's primary stress hormones. While it may initially create feelings of relaxation, alcohol places additional demands on the body. Over time, regular alcohol consumption can contribute to fatigue, mood swings, increased belly fat, disrupted sleep, and feeling wired but tired. In other words, the very thing many women use to reduce stress may actually be increasing physiological stress behind the scenes.
Another area that often gets overlooked is gut health. Alcohol can alter the balance of beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract, increase intestinal permeability, impair nutrient absorption, and contribute to inflammation. Considering that approximately 70 percent of the immune system resides within the gut, it's easy to see why chronic digestive stress can affect so many aspects of health.
When the gut becomes compromised, symptoms often extend far beyond digestion. Women may experience fatigue, brain fog, skin issues, hormone imbalances, immune dysfunction, anxiety, and low mood. The gut and brain are deeply connected, and what happens in one often impacts the other.
Inflammation is another major concern. One of the biggest misconceptions about inflammation is that it always presents as pain. In reality, inflammation can show up as puffiness, stubborn weight gain, fatigue, low motivation, digestive discomfort, brain fog, anxiety, depression, joint aches, and even difficulty concentrating.
Many women who enjoy a nightly glass or two of wine never connect these symptoms to alcohol because the effects are gradual. They simply start feeling less like themselves and assume it's a normal part of aging, motherhood, or a busy lifestyle.
The truth is that alcohol may be contributing to a long list of symptoms, including poor sleep quality, increased anxiety, depression, irritability, low energy, sugar cravings, digestive issues, hot flashes, night sweats, hormonal imbalances, and chronic inflammation.
This doesn't mean alcohol is the sole cause of these symptoms. Health is always multifactorial. But for many women, it can be an important contributor that deserves a closer look.
The most powerful question isn't, "How do I drink less?" The better question is, "Why do I need the drink in the first place?"
For many high-performing women, alcohol has become a coping strategy for chronic stress, burnout, loneliness, anxiety, perfectionism, people-pleasing, emotional overwhelm, or a nervous system that never truly gets a chance to relax.
The goal isn't necessarily to remove the wine. The goal is to create a life where wine is no longer required to recover from the day.
This often means supporting the nervous system in healthier ways. It may look like taking an evening walk, practicing deep breathing, spending time in prayer or meditation, journaling, prioritizing sleep, setting healthy boundaries, spending time in nature, or addressing hidden stressors through functional testing and personalized support.
Most importantly, this conversation should never be about shame.
Many women aren't struggling because they're weak or lacking discipline. They're struggling because they're carrying too much for too long.
The answer is rarely more willpower.
The answer is often more support.
More rest.
More boundaries.
More healing.
Because your body isn't working against you. It's simply responding to the environment it's been given. And when you begin supporting your body and nervous system in the way they truly need, incredible healing can happen.
Ready to Learn More?
If you're struggling with fatigue, inflammation, digestive issues, hormone imbalances, anxiety, stubborn weight gain, or feeling like your body isn't responding the way it used to, functional lab testing can help uncover hidden stressors contributing to your symptoms.
Schedule a Discovery Session with Dee Davidson to learn more about GI Stool Testing, HTMA, and root-cause approaches to healing.
Medical Disclaimer
This article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult your physician or qualified healthcare provider regarding medical concerns and before making changes to your healthcare routine.
About Dee Davidson, FDN-P
Dee Davidson is a Board-Certified Functional Health Practitioner, hormone and thyroid specialist, and the creator of the Confidently Balance Your Hormones podcast. She helps women in midlife and beyond uncover the root causes of fatigue, weight gain, anxiety, gut issues, and hormonal imbalances using functional labs, science-backed strategies, and nervous system regulation.
Dee’s work centers around empowering women to finally feel safe, seen, supported, and confident in their bodies — without restriction, overwhelm, or confusion.