For most of my adult life, sleep was a nightly battle. Falling asleep took forever. Staying asleep was even worse — I’d often bolt awake at 2 a.m. with my brain fully alert, thinking about work, family, life, everything. Melatonin helped for a month, then stopped. I assumed this restless pattern was my “forever” reality. Then—completely unexpectedly—everything changed.
It happened on my first day working in the CBD industry, long before I ever imagined starting Kyoto Botanicals. That night was the first time in years I slept deeply, stayed asleep, and woke up feeling like myself again. This is the exact THC-Free sleep routine I’ve built and refined over the last eight years.
It’s simple, repeatable, grounded, and—most importantly—something I follow every night. No medical advice here. Just one founder’s real experience with sleep, routine, and a THC-Free approach that finally helped my brain quiet down at night.
Last updated: November 18, 2025 • Author: Kyoto Botanicals
My Struggle With Sleep (And Why I Thought It Was Hopeless)
For years, I assumed bad sleep was just part of being an adult.
I’d crawl into bed so excited to sleep because i love it so much and then lie there wide awake—mind buzzing, thoughts looping. And when I did fall asleep, I’d often wake up at 2:00 a.m. sharp, mentally “on,” unable to shut things off again.
Melatonin worked for a short stretch, but eventually it fizzled and I remember thinking:
“Maybe this is just how it is now.”
I didn’t know then how much a simple, predictable nighttime routine could change everything.
The Night Everything Changed
Eight years ago, I took a job at Charlotte’s Web, coming from a very traditional corporate marketing background. I wasn’t a “weed guy.” I wasn’t trying to get into cannabis. It was just an opportunity that felt interesting and new.
On my first day, someone handed me their original CBD formula.
I took it home that night with zero expectations.
And then I slept.
Not “kind of better.”
Not “I think I slept okay.”
I slept like a rock — fell asleep naturally, stayed asleep, woke up rested for the first time in years. I couldn’t believe something this simple could help me maintain healthy, more consistent sleep.
It wasn’t magic.
It wasn’t a miracle cure.
It was the first time my brain didn’t feel like it was running a marathon at 2 a.m.
That night completely changed how I thought about sleep, routine, and what actually helps the mind quiet down.
Why THC-Free Matters for My Sleep
Everyone is different — but for me, THC and sleep do not mix.
At all.
THC makes me so anxious and paranoid that I have absolutely no chance of falling asleep. Instead of quieting down, my mind goes into overdrive and gets loud, spirally, and beyond uncomfortable.
THC-Free is my jam because:
- No psychoactivity
- No paranoia
- No racing thoughts
- Just calm, predictable, steady effects
- No next-morning fog
This is also why I’ve written pieces like:
There’s a massive shift happening toward THC-Free CBD — regulatory, cultural, and consumer-driven — and it aligns perfectly with the way I’ve approached sleep for nearly a decade.
What My Nights Look Like Now
Eight years into refining my routine, here’s what my nights look like today:
- I fall asleep easily, without forcing it
- I stay asleep, without mind-racing interruptions
- I wake up rested, not groggy
- I hit my most productive focus window early in the morning
- I’m present with my kids before school
- I feel mentally clear as I start the day
My routine isn’t complicated. It’s not perfect. It’s just consistent and all mine, which is the real secret.
My Exact THC-Free Sleep Routine (Step-By-Step)
This is my real routine — nothing fancy, nothing influencer-fake. Just what I actually do every night. And remember, this took me years to build stacking pieces together over time to find what works for me. So stay patient and find what works for you.
2 Hours Before Bed
- Shower
- Cold in the summer
- Warm in the winter
- House lights dimmed
- Dinner long finished and digested
1 Hour Before Bed
- Take Mint CBD Tincture (THC-Free)
- Take magnesium L-threonate
- Phone goes on silent mode
- Screens OFF — absolutely no TV
- No phone in bed, ever
30 Minutes Before Bed
- Read a book
- Let my mind coast
- No emails, no social, no notifications
- Just letting the day slow down
10 Minutes Before Bed
- Lights low
- Brown noise on
- Get into bed without rushing
- visualize something calmming (for me its golf)
- Let sleep happen naturally
This routine is calm, simple, and repeatable — which is all my brain really needed.
The Product I Trust (And Why)
Here’s the tincture I personally use every night. It’s what I’ve trusted for years, since Kyoto Botanicals first existed in 2020.
Kyoto Botanicals Mint CBD Oil — 900mg, THC-Free
- Broad-spectrum, zero THC
- Clean, USA-grown hemp
- USDA Organic
- Smooth mint flavor
- Consistent, gentle, predictable
- No fog, no “weird” feeling, ever
This is the formula that lets me avoid the THC issues that make my brain go into hyperdrive and instead lean into steady, quiet, predictable calm.
Why This Routine Works *For Me*
Everyone is unique and I’m not claiming CBD will fix your sleep.
What I am saying is:
- THC-Free CBD helps my brain slow down
- Routine helps my body know what’s coming
- Consistency removes friction
- Zero-THC means zero anxiety for me
- Reading helps my mind settle
- Magnesium + CBD is the combo that hits my rhythm
- No screens eliminates mental “noise”
- Warm or cold showers help me reset
Everyone’s different.
But for me, this is the first routine that has kept me sleeping consistently for nearly a decade.
If You Feel Overwhelmed or Intimidated by CBD…
My honest founder-to-reader advice:
Just try it.
Not everything has to be complicated.
THC-Free CBD is clean, predictable, and simple — especially if you’re someone who tends to get anxious with THC.
There’s literally no downside to trying it and finding your own sweet spot.
It’s risk-free.
And if it helps you even a fraction of how it’s helped me? That’s a life-changing difference.
Ready to try clean, THC-Free CBD?
Shop Peppermint CBD OilTHC-Free • Broad-Spectrum • Colorado Proud • 30-Day Guarantee
Frequently Asked Questions
When do you take CBD for sleep?
I take mine about one hour before bed, alongside magnesium.
Why THC-Free instead of full spectrum?
THC makes me extremely anxious and actually prevents me from sleeping.
THC-Free = calm, steady, predictable.
How long did it take you to find your routine?
Years. Sleep routines take refinement, not perfection.
Mint or Lemon?
Mint is my nighttime go-to — it pairs well with winding down.
Do you still wake up at 2 a.m.?
Almost never. My routine reduced that early-morning “brain awake” problem more than anything else I’ve tried.
Closing Thoughts: Sleep Doesn’t Have to Feel Hopeless
I used to assume bad sleep was just part of adulthood — something you just accept as the pressures of life mount.
But one night changed everything for me.
And consistency and trial and error kept it going.
If you want to explore a simple, gentle, THC-Free approach, start with Mint, start slow, and start without pressure.
You’re not stuck with bad sleep. Sometimes you just need the right routine.
— Mark
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