BLACKOUT BLINDS - how to achieve total darkness??

[oysterpots]

DS has an Ikea blackout blind that fits inside the window frame, but this basically means light comes in around all four sides of the window.

I'm guessing the only way to achieve a total blackout is to cover in front of the window frame (rather than the indented bit), so use the walls to make an overlap of a couple of inches - perhaps with blackout fabric and velcro, maybe?

Does this make any sense?

DS was up at 5.20am on Tuesday and I'm sure his waking gets earlier each day because of the sun rising earlier.

Anyone got any tips for me?
Ta

[Seona1973]

could you use blackout linings on the curtains too?

[HeadFairy]

Get a roman blind with black out lining... then get either a set of curtains also with black out lining to hang together with the roman blind or get show curtains (ie curtains that aren't really meant to be drawn, they're too narrow for the window but are just there for show) with blackout lining. The curtains (show or otherwise) will stop light coming in around the sides of the blind. This is what I've done in my bedroom because I do nights and sleep during the day. It's great, I have almost total darkness.

[GentleOtter]

We use door draught seals round the wall and push the blackout blind behind it then just to make sure, the curtains are thick and lined with blankets.

[HaventSleptForAYear]

Someone linked to a place that did velcro black-out blinds the other day.

Or a baabaa black-out that has suckers - do a search on black-outs and you'll find it.

[olivo]

www.easyblinds.co.uk

we got velcro blinds from them,, not too expensive. use those and black out linings on the curtains. make sue all the upstairs doors are shut and the landing blind is down and shut tightly.
it was great.........until she decided she weas scared of the dark

[Littledawley]

We got a local blinds company to make and fit blackout blinds - I then have regular curtains aswell which cover the chinks in the side.

it's the starlings that wake mine at 5am...

[maisie215]

We use baaa baa blinds and thick curtains. They aren't perfect but the days I don't tuck them in really well he wakes far earlier so I think they are definitely doing the trick.

[FrankMustard]

I used blackout material -just bought from a local haberdashers- and then taped it with masking tape round the side of the window at night for ds1 as he had a window that faced the sun in the evenings. Granted, it didn't look as tidy as a blind but it wasn't bad and it was completely dark, not a glint of light got through!

[jujumaman]

You can get blackout blinds fitted in special tracks down the side of windows, we have them, they cost a fortune (but we hav huge windows)but they were worth every penny - ask experienced curtain and blind makers

[PaulaYatesBiggestFan]

agree with seona

double up!

[PaulaYatesBiggestFan]

jujumaman oooooh !! are they a brand name?

[jujumaman]

Not sure if they are a brand name we had them done by a company called Powell blinds also known as the blindco (google them). Think they'll travel to most places in SE at least. Repeat, they COST (and a little light still leaks in round our huge windows and we still have curtains over them in the dds' rooms) but they are as state of the art as you can get

[wasabipeanut]

Definitely double up. DS has a blackout blind in the window indent and blackout curtains over the top. In lighter months we then stuff a sheet into the curtain rail at the top to stop any light coming over the top!

Looks scruffy but it's effective.

[PaulaYatesBiggestFan]

thankyou jujumaman will check them out

[aoifesmama]

Just to agree that Baa Baa Blinds are great and you can take them anywhere you go so very good also for hols/overnight stays

[PaulaYatesBiggestFan]

thanks aoifes will bookmark this thread now

[Twinklemegan]

Does anyone really want a child who will only sleep when it's pitch black? My DS will go to sleep even when it's light outside at 11pm and I'm very glad of it. No blackout blinds here.

[PaulaYatesBiggestFan]

hmmm my baby sleeps in the light

dc5 is nnightmare at the first chink of day!

[nappyaddict]

velcro blackout blinds with black out curtains over the top.

[nooka]

I am incredibly light intolerant, but have found that thick heavy (like chenille) dark curtains with dark linings, or lighter curtains with blackout liners work fine for me. Another lining that works well is thermal lining, as it is very tightly woven. The key is to make sure they are sufficiently wider and longer than the window so there is no leakage around the edges (which is why in general blinds are rubbish).

In hotels I have been known to spend a good half hour or more getting rid of chinks of light with blankets, pillows, coats etc - drives my dh mad

[mrsshackleton]

I like ba ba blinds for going away but they are a pita to use every day as unlcess you want to leave the room dark all day they are a right fiddle to put up and take down

[PaulaYatesBiggestFan]

nooka oooh yes the pillows piled of on the windowsill

i travel with blackout lining and sellotape!

[PaulaYatesBiggestFan]

nooka oooh yes the pillows piled of on the windowsill

i travel with blackout lining and sellotape!

[PacificDogwood]

asked this very question recently - and there are answers out there!

We baulked at the expense of tracked blinds although they sound fabby and are doing the blind/curtain doubling up thing that I did want to avoid - but what the heck, it works.

However, when the Euromillions come through it'll be tracked blinds in every bedroom in our house .