Sleepless in Denver: A Radio Host’s Journey Toward Rest
By the time the clock strikes four in the morning, most of Denver is still steeped in silence. But for Bret Saunders, the longtime voice of KBCO’s morning show, this is when his day begins. His alarm sounds in the pre-dawn darkness, and with practiced rhythm, he prepares to greet an audience just beginning to stir.
For nearly three decades, Saunders has carried the weight of this schedule with a combination of enthusiasm and endurance. Yet even the most seasoned professionals are not immune to the wear and tear of irregular sleep. Behind the microphone, his voice has remained steady, but away from it he has wrestled with a problem familiar to millions: the elusive pursuit of restorative rest.
A Life Measured in Hours of Sleep
Saunders describes himself as someone who has always loved the quiet hours of the morning. Rising early felt natural, even energizing, for much of his career. The difficulty, he admits, was not in waking up but in falling asleep.
On average, he managed no more than five hours a night. His schedule demanded that he slip under the covers by 8:30 or 9:00 p.m., but his body refused to cooperate. Often, he would lie awake until 10:30 or later, conscious of the minutes slipping away. When morning arrived, his body ached for more.
Like many, he turned to pharmaceuticals. For years, Xanax, a powerful sedative often prescribed for anxiety, offered temporary relief. Saunders does not hide his ambivalence. He recalls the drug’s immediate effectiveness, its ability to hush the noise of stress and usher in sleep. Yet over time, he began to fear its long-term effects on his brain and emotional health. He chose to step away, a decision he now frames as both necessary and liberating.
What came next was a familiar trial-and-error process. He experimented with cannabis-based remedies, gummies that promised to soothe the restless hours. They offered fleeting comfort but no consistent relief. The deeper, restorative stages of sleep remained out of reach.
Searching for an Alternative
It was in this liminal space between exhaustion and resolve that Saunders encountered Blue Sky Sleep Gels, a cannabidiol-based product developed in Colorado. The supplement promised something gentler than pharmaceuticals and more targeted than over-the-counter aids: the potential to enhance deep and REM sleep, the two stages most critical for mental clarity and physical recovery.
Skepticism lingered. He had tried natural alternatives before, only to be left disappointed. Yet within weeks, Saunders began to notice changes. His average night lengthened by nearly an hour. More striking was the quality of rest. His sleep tracker reflected measurable improvements in both deep and REM phases. Mornings felt different. He no longer woke groggy, searching for equilibrium. Instead, he described rising with energy, ready for exercise and eager to engage.
The Weight of Rest
Sleep is often framed as a private matter, but its absence carries public consequences. Saunders’ role as a broadcaster depends not only on preparation but on presence. The microphone is an unforgiving instrument, magnifying distraction or fatigue.
“Since I started taking these sleep gels, my energy level is up early in the morning,” he explained. “I feel more engaged with the audience. I feel more engaged behind the microphone. It’s really pretty impressive how quickly this has all come together.”
Listeners may not have known that their familiar morning host was navigating this battle in the background. Yet for Saunders, the shift was transformative. With better rest came sharper focus, steadier mood, and renewed enthusiasm for the conversations that define his program.
Beyond the Studio
The effects did not end at the station door. At home, Saunders’ family noticed a more attentive presence. Exercise, once a halfhearted obligation, became an invigorating routine. He describes logging time on the elliptical most days, sometimes adding weekend runs when weather permitted. “My enthusiasm for exercise has gone up pretty significantly,” he said, crediting his improved sleep for this change.
The correlation between rest and wellness is well documented in research, but Saunders’ story underscores it in intimate detail. Energy, patience, and clarity of thought became more available to him. Even the simple act of greeting the day shifted from weary ritual to something closer to joy.
A Broader Cultural Problem
Saunders’ journey mirrors a growing crisis in American health. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in three adults does not get enough sleep. The reasons vary: demanding jobs, digital distractions, untreated anxiety, and the broader culture of productivity that prizes work over rest.
The pharmaceutical industry has long offered solutions, from prescription sedatives to over-the-counter antihistamine blends. Yet concerns about dependency, side effects, and diminishing returns leave many searching for gentler alternatives. In recent years, cannabidiol (CBD) has emerged as a favored option. Unlike tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), CBD does not produce euphoria, making it more widely accepted. Advocates argue that it reduces anxiety and enhances sleep without impairing cognitive function.
Blue Sky Sleep Gels enter this conversation as both product and symbol. They reflect a shift in how Americans approach wellness, away from quick pharmaceutical fixes and toward plant-based solutions that promise balance rather than sedation. For Saunders, this was not merely about sleep but about reclaiming a sense of agency over his health.
The Psychological Dimension
There is also the matter of anxiety, a condition Saunders acknowledges with candor. Broadcasting carries pressures, but so does life beyond the studio. For years, Xanax offered temporary relief. Its departure left a void.
CBD, he explains, has not eradicated stress but has softened its edges. By improving sleep, it has altered his response to the challenges of daily life. “When I wake up, I feel more energized. I just feel better about my approach to the world,” he said
This psychological shift is subtle yet profound. Better sleep equips the mind to handle difficulty with resilience. In this sense, Saunders’ story is less about a single product than about the cascading effects of rest on mental health, family life, and professional performance.
A Personal Endorsement
Toward the close of his recorded reflections, Saunders offered something close to a testimonial. “I’m really grateful that I had the opportunity to try these Blue Sky Sleep Gels,” he said. “I think that they might be a great solution for anyone who’s having trouble getting to sleep and waking up in the morning too.
Such endorsements are common in wellness marketing, but Saunders’ delivery carried the weight of lived experience. He was not reciting slogans but recounting nights of insomnia and mornings of fatigue. His relief was not theoretical. It was earned through trial, error, and eventual discovery.
The Science of REM and Deep Sleep
Part of what persuaded Saunders was the data. Like many, he uses a smartphone app to track his nightly patterns. Before CBD, the graphs showed glaring gaps in deep and REM cycles. Afterward, they revealed measurable improvements.
Scientists caution against relying solely on consumer devices, which cannot match the precision of clinical polysomnography. Yet even with these limitations, the consistency of his results aligned with his subjective sense of renewal. In the end, what mattered most was not the chart but the feeling of waking rested.
What It Means to Be Present
The language Saunders uses to describe his transformation is revealing. Again and again, he returns to the idea of being “more present.” Whether behind the microphone, with his audience, on the elliptical, or at home with his family, the quality of attention defines his days.
In a culture increasingly fractured by distraction, presence is rare. It is also deeply tied to rest. Exhaustion makes presence impossible. Sleep, then, becomes more than a biological necessity. It becomes a social and emotional responsibility.
The Broader Implications
Stories like Saunders’ are not simply about one man’s journey. They reflect broader questions about how Americans live, work, and rest. What happens when a culture that glorifies productivity finally recognizes the costs of sleeplessness? What shifts when individuals begin to treat rest not as indulgence but as foundation?
The rise of CBD and related products is part of this shift. So too is the growing willingness of public figures like Saunders to discuss their struggles openly. For decades, insomnia was whispered about, hidden as a sign of weakness. Today, it is recognized as a common condition demanding both compassion and innovation.
A Voice Renewed
When Saunders speaks into the microphone each morning, his listeners hear the familiar cadence of a trusted voice. What they may not hear are the long nights that preceded it, the restless hours when even exhaustion could not bring sleep.
That chapter, he hopes, is behind him. With the aid of Blue Sky Sleep Gels, he has found a rhythm that sustains rather than depletes. He wakes not in resignation but with readiness, prepared to meet the day with clarity and energy.
Sleep, in his telling, is not merely a private reprieve. It is the foundation of engagement, creativity, and connection. For a man whose career is built on communication, that foundation is everything.
And for those still awake in the dark hours, searching for rest, his story offers something rare: a measure of hope
