Lamp post right outside my bedroom window

[elm26]

We've just moved to a new build and the lamp post that is directly outside my bedroom window is on all night, my room is so light and I'm having trouble sleeping, I am short of money after moving and having to buy new white goods as both our washing machine and fridge freezer broke within 3 weeks of each other so I can't get a black out blind until next month.

Does anyone know who I would contact about this? Or any cheap temporary solution?

Large sheet of cardboard (ask in any bedding of white goods shop) cut to size to fit snuggly into window frame, and remove during day time.

The developer should put a shield on the lamp, so that the light shines away from your window.

Sometimes I love Mumsnet for advice and support, other time I question why some people are just so unnecessarily rude and hostile. Do some of you treat people like they're completely stupid in person? I can't imagine being that kind of person.

To answer some questions, every place I've ever lived, street lamps have gone off around midnight and back on around 4:30. I've also never had a street lamp directly outside my bedroom window.

Thank you so much to everyone for your helpful replies, will explore options until I can get some decent black out blinds next month.

Are you sleeping in the day? Don't see what difference it makes otherwise.

Put a cheap throw up.

The local council. I think that the hours they have to be on are dependant upon the road/street. Worth checking.

I had one outside of my bedroom window and they put a blinker on it so it didn’t shine directly into the window but downwards onto the path.

The cardboard from all of your white goods.

More like you just fell asleep.

The Tommy tippee black out blind is on Amazon

@elm26

Our street lamps go off at midnight and come back on for about an hour in the morning.

I wouldn't like a streetlight outside my window either.

Look at your local council website as it will tell you their policy on street lighting and if they are like ours they are always going on about how much they are saving by changing the bulbs and turning them off. It should also tell you how to report a problem.

You could also contact your local councillors as they are probably coming up for re election soon so will be wanting to get your vote.

If it is a new build you may have to liaise with the builder as the road may not have been adopted yet by the council.

I wouldn't stick foil to the windows, black sacks or cardboard I would try.

Not all street lamps go off at night. Why would they? They are there to help make people who are around at night feel safer.

@concernedchild more like I just fell asleep? Eh?

I have the same problem, these are a good
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You can usually pick them up off vinted/marketplace for less than a tenner. They are a lot easier than the tinfoil/cardboard to get up and down again.

@elm26 I doubt they turned the lamp posts off in the middle of the night. You can buy a cheap travel black out blind, or an eye mask.

The council will fit a baffle to it to reduce the light pointing towards you window

There are standards regarding the impact of lights to residents.

Ignore the arseholes, of course yanbu to expect a street light to not shine 24 hours into your bedroom. Get in touch with your local council.

£5 Schottis blind from Ikea, scissors to cut to the right size, did the job when I had a lamp outside my bedroom

The temp black out blinds work really well and although cost more than a bin bag/tinfoil fix, they are not unsightly and you could have them up for months until you get what you need.

I know they were off because I was up and down all night pregnant with DD being sick with hyperemesis!

You can contact the council, we had to as they changed the one out the back of our house it was like a flood light! They have put a sort of filter on it now which helps so it definitely worth ringing your council to enquire.

Take internal measurement around window frame.

Ask fabric shop for blackout material to fit the space including a hem allowance.

Stitch a hem top and bottom of fabric. You can stitch by hand, as best you can, if no sewing machine.

Pass a spring loaded net curtain pole through the top hem of curtain.
Fit curtain pole into revere of your window.

Hey presto, a rudimentary blackout blind until you can afford something better.

Worked great for my shift worker lodger who had to sleep during the day.

The street lamps near us switch off at 11pm every night.

You can use the Fix My Street website to find who's responsible. I've found it really effective.

Actually @concernedchild most streetlights in residential areas DO turn off at midnight or 1am and come back on around 5am.

Perhaps try to be a little less condescending? Particularly as in this case you are wrong!

I second this. I've used this method in my bathroom whilst decorating - gives privacy, takes seconds to apply, and easily peels off.

If you’ve just moved in contact the developer. Takes councils years to adopt new developments.

Add a cardboard overlay to your window in the short run.

Our streetlights turn off at midnight from Sunday - Thursday, and at 1am on Friday & Saturday. It's wonderfully dark. Not sure what time they come on again, maybe 5am?

They've put new LED ones in recently and the light that spills into our room is just awful. Before they were the older yellow/orange light kind of lampposts. I miss them :/

Definitely get in touch with the council, and if they're not responsible then the developer. Otherwise you could get a long ladder and paint a bit of the glass with black paint. Someone did that to the lamppost outside my childhood home to stop it from shining in 😆