I've got blackout blinds but my bedroom is still light- help!

[Cinammoncake]

Any advice wise MNers? Do I need to get curtains as well or paint the walls darker or something (currently cream walls) It's too light and I have trouble falling asleep

Sleep mask?

Well where's the light coming from?

Are the blackout blinds set in the window recess right up to the edges? Sometimes people hang them outside the recess, so you get light seepage round the edges. Is this what's happening?

I've got Velcro at the bottom of my blind and on the wall so that the blind is flat against the wall.

It's sticky back Velcro I think I got it at B&Q.

I have black out fabric pinned over the window right to the edge.

Thanks all, yes I must be getting light seepage round the edges. We've got street lights outside, but not directly outside. I've tried a sleep mask but it never stays on during the night so by the time I wake up I've scrunched my wrinkles up more
witchend do you leave the blackout fabric there permanently then?

A perfectly fitting (right up to the walls) blackout roman blind will work well, or add blackout curtains too. Some light will still get in but not as much.

When I want it really dark (usually in the day after a night shift) I use one of these.

Tbh there are still chinks of light and I end up using clothes pegs to pull everything tight over the window.

www.boots.com/gro-anywhere-blackout-blind-10100588?cm_mmc=bmm-buk-google-ppc--PLAs_HeroCompare--Gro-_-Boots+Shopping+-+Category+-+Baby+-+High+Margin+-+Desktop&gclsrc=aw.ds&gclid=Cj0KCQiA0ZHwBRCRARIsAK0Tr-p5g9OM_aZ0T5auVnoq1Dhv9-SGarhpa50bA5GAwx-3Z8uYMYmqNi0aAsitEALw_wcB

We have four windows and a balcony door input bedroom, so it's very light. We have blackout blinds from IKEA, set inside the recess, and then blackout curtains, which we make sure are pushed up against the walls.

Ohh that looks good catinthefireplace thanks. That must be hard having to sleep in the day after night shift.
We've got a big bay window so maybe do need to get some curtains as well, as I think the blinds would have cracks even if we velcro-ed them down. Curtains over the top might do the trick - curtain rods for bay windows is a whole other exciting post
Thanks for all the posts I love MN

We have blackout curtains as well as blackout blinds. We used to have to stuff a blanket over the top of the curtain rail for 100% blackness for fussy arse sleeper child.

Curtains in addition.

We got a couple of pairs of blackout curtains from ikea. They make our bedroom pitch black and as a bonus keep the hot sun from heating up the rooms during a heatwave.

I have black out blind then curtains on a curtain rail that means the curtains are virtually touching the ceiling and span far wider than the window.

I also have a "draft excluder" on the door for when someone turns the hall light on!

I think you need curtains on top and someone told me a pelmet is the only way to make sure your curtains block light at top.

Thanks - I didn't realise pelmets still existed I wonder where you would get one? Can see that it would work potentially though.

I’ve got blinds and curtains

I’ve been known to Velcro curtain edges to the wall.

Hate sleep masks.

If you are desperate and don’t care about the aesthetics you can stick black bin-liners over windows.

As a pp said, a sleep mask solves all. I have about ten of them and rotate. They block out everything, the padded ones are best. Forget about blackout blinds etc.

Try it anyway.

My kids are very sensitive to light bedrooms, both have sleep disorders. We have the stick on black out blinds (same as link in earlier post) with black out curtains. We have those glass windows above the internal doors which I've blacked those out with black paper and bin liners. Any electronic devices have black tape over any visible lights.
Even bedding is of a dark colour to help them both.
Going away can be tricky so we always pack the blackout blinds just in case.

My window wall is dark purple definitely makes any light that sneaks through far less intrusive.

You bring blackout blinds on holidays? OMG that is amazing. But puzzling. Whatever.

We have a street light outside and have blackout blinds and curtains.

^ kinsss

You bring blackout blinds on holidays? OMG that is amazing. But puzzling. Whatever^.

We had the Groblind for DS’s bedroom when he has a baby. Seemed normal to take it on holiday when he was a baby, now we take it on holiday anyway, because you never know what holiday curtains will be like. (DS is 11 now and sleeps through anything!)

How do you know the blackout blinds will fit the windows? I may have missed that explanation, so am sorry if so.

Well done. Whatever works for you!