Blackout curtains work great for your baby’s nursery. If your baby or even toddler seems to be an early riser and is exhausted and cranky the whole day, chances are she’s not sleeping well through the night. Blackout curtains will help block out any moonlight or sunlight in the morning and help them sleep for a longer time.
There are two types of blackout curtains – the first is a blackout curtain that blocks out 100% of outside light, the second is a room darkening curtain that keeps light from invading at around 93-97%. If you want to save some bucks, try sewing black linen to your current set of curtains and hang them up, but make sure the hardware is strong enough whether you hang blackout curtains or DIY room darkening curtains.
Hi dear sleep-deprived parent,
I think one of the reasons you’re here might be because both you and your little one are not sleeping well. Your toddler might be waking up too early, wake you up too, and then wants to sleep again after a couple of hours which kind of disrupts your whole routine.
Babies and toddlers, as a matter of fact, adults too, when they don’t get enough sleep, may end up being cranky or fussy the entire day.
I remember the days when my son would wake up with a smile on his face and days when he would rub his eyes constantly and cry when he wakes up. I can tell the difference between when he got a good, sound sleep and when he didn’t.
Trust me, blackout curtains are really a game-changer because your little munchkin who would wake up as soon as the sun rises will sleep for more couple of hours with a blackout curtain at home.
And you know what, blackout curtains are great to keep in your room too if the sun shines too bright in the morning and often wake you up even before the alarm clock has the chance to go off.
In the film The Holiday, you might remember Kate Winslet pressing a button on the wall, and the automatic blackout shades come down, and she sleeps oh so peacefully!
This is going to be the same with your little one. She might sleep for longer if the room is still dark and gives the illusion of still being midnight and an indication that its bedtime.
As the sleep routine is put in place, your little one will soon differentiate that darkness means bedtime and brightness means it’s time to wake up.
I think this is the same concept she has in mind and the reason behind your child waking up early is because she thinks it’s time to wake up at 5.30 am every morning.
At around 4-5 months of age, your baby’s internal sleep clock starts to develop, and this is when they can differentiate between night and day.
Sure, your newborn would sleep the whole day and is awake during the night but this changes when they’re about 4 months old.
Introducing a bedtime routine by darkening the room and indicating that it’s bedtime will give babies and toddlers good and sound sleep.
Are blackout curtains necessary for your baby’s room?
To answer in a nutshell, yes. Blackout curtains will definitely help your child sleep for a longer time if she tends to wake up quite often early in the morning with sun rays coming into the room.
Blackout curtains also help regulate the temperature in the room, meaning it doesn’t change the room’s atmosphere but helps maintain whatever temperature you’ve set the room at.
By putting in blackout curtains, the outside temperature won’t affect the room temperature. This goes for those hot summer days as well as the cold winter days.
The light and airy curtains with cartoons or the ones with the beautiful flowers on them are sure a beaut view to sore eyes, but they aren’t very practical if light from outside keeps waking your child up.
Also, blackout curtains can double as sound-proof curtains. There are many brands available in the market that have the bonus of blocking out outside noise.
They’re made of thick and dense material that absorbs sound and makes it softer and less noticeable, if not completely blocking it.
When you go shopping for blackout curtains, you can get two types of curtains- the first is blackout curtains and the second is room darkening curtains. Both have the same purpose of blocking out light, but a room darkening curtain will block out only 93-97% of outside light.
But whether you buy a blackout curtain or a room darkening curtain, both weigh about the same and are on the heavier side than your regular curtains.
So, make sure that you buy strong hardware when hanging the rod and hooks so that they’re in place and don’t crash down in the middle of the night.
Also, don’t expect the blackout curtains to be colorful or have pretty designs on them. They mostly come in darker shades like black, white, grey, and brown and serve only one purpose: keeping any outside light from invading the room.
Our recommended blackout curtains that you can get online
- Double layer blackout curtains
- Ikea Majgull Curtains
- Nicetown Full shading curtain
- MIUCO blackout curtains
- CHICOLOGY cellular shades
- Amazon Basics Portable Window blackout curtain
DIY blackout curtains
Well, blackout curtains can be expensive, so doing it yourself can come in handy and save you a few bucks.
Make sure while measuring the length and width allow a little extra material to avoid any light seepage.
Your curtain measurements should start 6 inches taller than the top of the rod and 6 inches wider than the window’s sides. You’ll also want the curtain to reach the floor; otherwise, the room will get in sunlight from where the curtain ends.
While DIY your blackout curtain won’t be any different from sewing your regular curtains, you’re going to add a blackout liner.
Of course, you can also add a blackout liner to the existing curtains if you like them.
But remember that after you finish sewing the blackout liner, the curtain will end up being heavy, so make sure you have sturdy hardware to put the rods on or replace the ones you have with a stronger one.
Also, if you don’t know how to sew, worry not. You can still make blackout curtains by using metal curtain hooks to attach the blackout liner to your existing curtain.
So this way, you can still or keep your existing cute, printed curtains and add metal hooks for the blackout curtains, giving you the same result- a sleeping baby.
FAQs
Should I put a humidifier in my baby’s room?
Yes. Humidifiers are great for your newborn’s sensitive skin and especially if she has dry and irritated skin. Humidifiers will add more moisture to the air and can also help in relieving your child’s cold. Make sure to put the humidifier out of reach from your child.
Can my 4-month-old baby be afraid of the dark?
No, babies don’t have a fear of the dark. If they cry at night, it can be due to other reasons like a leaky diaper, hunger, or still learning to sleep throughout the night.
At what age are babies at a higher risk for SIDS?
SIDS can occur anytime during the first year of life, but most babies are at a higher risk when they’re 1 – 4 months of age. Till the time your baby can roll over from back to tummy and tummy to back, make them sleep on their back, and remove all blankets or toys that pose a risk of suffocating the baby.
Takeaway
If you compare the pros and cons of buying a blackout curtain to put up in your baby’s nursery, the pros clearly outweigh the cons. It’s definitely not a permanent fixture in the room, so if you don’t like it, you can always replace it with the regular curtains, but I hardly doubt that you wouldn’t fall in love with these blackout curtains once you put them up.
Also, not just for your baby’s nursery, you can even buy blackout curtains to put up in your room. They’re a great way to block light in the afternoon if you want to take a nap or if the morning sunrays annoy you too much and wake you up before your usual waking time.
So, go ahead and shop for the best blackout curtain for your room and your baby’s nursery, or DIY it with your favorite curtains.
Meanwhile, comment down below and tell us how you blocked out the light from your baby’s nursery.
