Blackout fabric

[jk1066]

So far I have used blackout lining fabric for velcro-ing to the window frame. This works quite well and eliminates most of the light. Normal blackout Blinds always seem to have light at the sides and top. Is there a better method and better fabric. I notice that temporary blackout blinds are thin material - The lining fabric is fine for a while but wondered if there was something better and maybe cheaper? Any good ideas.? I need blackout blinds for small toddlers who visit and for me --I wake up far too early otherwise.

[Surest1tch]

Unless you fit the blinds to fit outside of the window recess and extend the width by about 4" each side you can't eliminate the light completely (Ihad to do that for the grandkids), the only other way is to fit the blind inside the recess and hang blackout lined curtains in front of it.

[HenriettaMaria]

The Contented Little Baby Book (which I found utterly mental, BTW - as a C-section mum the very idea of scheduling everything to the minute from the moment of birth was simply) did have some wisdom in it.  The author advocated using a pelmet, not only at the top but at the sides too, so the curtains were recessed into boxing.  I no longer have the book but presumably painting the inside of the boxing matt black would reduce reflections too.

I made quick-and-dirty curtains for the room at MiL's where DS slept when he was tiny, simply by getting lengths of blackout (the version that is undyed/off white on the room side/fabric side and has a whitish rubbery coating on the window side), stitching lining header tape (ie, single width that sandwiches the top of the fabric) and not bothering with a hem, which would have added needle holes in any case.  By making them full enough there wasn't enough light to cause a problem, but that room did have a pelmet.

[WildAtlanticWay]

When DS was a toddler on our holidays, I always took a small roll of black bin liners with me and used masking tape to tape the bags to the window glass. At the end of the holiday, the bags were used to contain dirty washing, rubbish etc.

[Kad]

I used to go on holiday with the usual suitcase contents plus 2 World War II blackout curtains, from my Nan, that would be draped across/ stuck etc about window openings to reduce the light ingress. I still have them in the cupboard which stores  spare linen, sleeping bags etc.

[Greybird]

I am bemused by this. I encouraged my children to sleep in all conditions. I felt that if I controlled the environment too much by blocking light, I was encouraging them to have difficulty sleeping in later life. Not that my son was a good sleeper (!) but it wasn't light that kept him awake.

[jk1066]

thanks for all the replies - I'll consider my next step re blackout.

[Iminei]

I hung a sleeping bag using nappy pins up at my daughters bedroom window when she was a baby ...

Yes really ... I was 19, on my own and very, very poor!

[Lowena]

I'm with @Greybird on this. I never regulated light nor noise when mine were babies. The more they get used to the more adaptable they become

[WildAtlanticWay]

I'm with @Greybird on this. I never regulated light nor noise when mine were babies. The more they get used to the more adaptable they become

Babies and toddlers often have daytime naps, so besides the bright sunshine in the day, I’d use the bin liner method to help keep the room cooler as the curtains in holiday cottages can be very thin cotton. You can stick the bags directly to the individual glass panes and leave the window open, if you want to. It’s quite a flexible system.

DS can sleep with the curtains wide open now, so it probably didn’t affect him too badly. Saying that, I’d better go up and wake him for school. It’s gone 8am.

[Sheilago]

This is not a sewing solution, but have you thought about internal shutters? We have them in our bathroom as the window is not opaque glass and they shut out the light completely. I remember being on holiday in France, where shutters are common- we got lots of long lies, because the children didn’t know it was morning!