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Blackout blinds - how do I stop?

5 replies

Clippedwings · 21/06/2011 10:00

I have a 5 month old that sleeps well during the night, but always struggled during the day. So we put him in similar conditions to what he has at night. We bought blackout-lined curtains, but they let light in at the side. So we bought a blackout roller blind from Ikea - still bits of light escape at the top and make the room 'dusk' instead of dark. So we bought one of those stick-on-with-suckers blinds and that has kept out all the light and he sleeps...well, like a baby! He now naps for 1.5 hours in the morning, 40 minutes to 1 hour at lunch and probably 40 minutes in the afternoon. And he is no longer the very unhappy baby he used to be when he cried incessantly.

Our only problem is: we are chained to the house. Whenever we go anywhere else that doesn't have total darkness, he won't drop off to sleep at all, no matter how tired he is - and then just cries continuously. It's a nightmare visiting friends. He will sleep in his car seat on the way there, but if it is just a 10 minute drive, that is not enough sleep and he becomes very fractious. Occasionally, he will drop off if I leave him in his car seat and rock that, but I fear it's bad for his back to leave him in a car seat for hours on end. (We want to continue using the blackouts for his night sleep, as it means he doesn't wake up with the 5am sunlight!)

So, any suggestions? Did anybody else have this crutch and manage to kick it? And at what age? Thanks.

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MovingAndScared · 21/06/2011 10:24

Honestly I think sometimes you just have accept that you are a bit tied down for a while -can you get your friends to come to you?
he will need less sleep as he get older -
I wouldn't worry about the odd time in the car seat - lots of babies go on a few hours car journeys quite often and other thing I would do with my DS1 was sit in the car with him until he had long enough

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Owlingate · 21/06/2011 13:36

You can get a blackout blind for the buggy called snooze shade or something, try that. By six months they often drop the third bap of the day so you will have a little window there to see people.

I feel for you, DC1 wouldn't sleep outside his own bed after 6 months, DC2 would but we had to continually rock buggy and pin towels everywhere etc.

It does trap you, and people say 'well it doesn't matter if he misses just one sleep does it' and accuse you of being all PFB. DP used to say 'well does it matter to you if I bring the antichrist to your house? Cos that's what he'll turn in to!'.

Many family members tried to get DC1 to sleep outside his own cot but all have failed and bowed before the mighty sleep fighter.

They don't even sleep in the fecking car .

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Amaretti · 21/06/2011 13:43

I think it won't be much longer before the third nap can be dropped and then things will get easier for you. We still have blackouts (with light coming in round the sides as you describe) for much older DCs and if you do decide to get rid (which I wouldn't yet!) then that is the way to start - by gradually increasing the light let in.

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Clippedwings · 24/07/2011 10:53

Thanks for all your advice. I am now 'training' him to sleep in different places, on different beds and in different light, and things have improved.

I like the idea of the buggy blind and will be buying one of those. Thanks!

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bippyhippy · 26/07/2011 11:00

Snap. I had the same problem. Something I read about it though made me stop worrying - here

I have a snoozshade too :)

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